The quest to find a replacement for carbon-based fuels that we have been using all this while has intensified with the entire world heading towards a severe energy crisis. There do exist quite a few options in form of alternative energy sources on the horizon, but choosing the best among them is a bit difficult with all of them having their own pros and cons.

One such source is wind energy – which has the capability of resolving power crisis of the entire world if tapped to its full potential. Add to it the fact that it is much more environment friendly as compared to the fossil fuels and wind energy comes up as one of the best alternative source of energy. But is everything really so simple? Can we harness the entire potential of this force of nature? Is it possible to erect wind turbines without disturbing the balance in environment? We decided to assess wind turbines pros and cons in a bid to answer these very questions and the results were quite promising.

What are the Pros and Cons of Wind Turbines?

On the basis of their design, wind turbines are divided into two types – horizontal axis wind turbines and vertical axis wind turbines. At the same time, it is also possible to classify them in two different types on the basis of their location. These two types of wind turbines include onshore turbines (those located on land) and offshore turbines (those located in oceans). Irrespective of whether you develop onshore wind turbines or offshore wind turbines, pros and cons of the same are bound to be there. Offshore turbines, however, have an added advantage as wind speed on ocean surface is better as compared to the same on land. Given below are various advantages and disadvantages of wind energy development with the help of wind turbines.

Wind Turbines Pros

There are several advantages of wind power on the basis of which it is pitched to be the future of energy revolution. The most prominent advantage of wind turbines is that they do not pollute the environment like the carbon-based fuels do. Similarly, wind turbines do not generate radioactive waste like nuclear power plants do. While the main drawback of conventional sources of energy is that they are exhaustible, wind energy is not subjected to any such problem. Wind turbines cost also works in favor of this source of power as the investment incurred on development and operation of these turbines is earned back within 3 months of operation. More importantly, the raw material in this case i.e. the wind, comes absolutely free of cost and the only investment incurred is on development of infrastructure and operation. Flexibility is yet another plus point of this power source as you can develop energy required to power a single house using one win turbine or develop energy for entire region by building a wind farm. Decommissioning of wind turbines is also quite easy as compared to that of other power sources.

Wind Turbines Cons

As in case of various other alternative sources of energy, even wind turbines have their own drawbacks. One of the most prominent drawback that the critics cite when it comes to wind energy development is the lack of efficiency. While wind turbines do generate decent amount of power, that is by no means comparable to the amount of electricity produced by a single nuclear power plant. That invariably means that a large number of wind turbines will be required to meet the energy demands, which again calls for a significant investment.

More importantly, these structures are also vulnerable to the extremities of the weather. Fast blowing winds can bring down the blades of these turbines, if not the entire turbine itself. Some critics and environmentalists also point out that wind turbines kill birds and bats, which again questions its environment friendly attribute. Even though wind power pros and cons make it look quite impressive, administrators are skeptical about investing in the same owing to these very drawbacks of wind turbines development.

Weighing wind turbines pros and cons reveals that its pros have a slight advantage over its cons. A look at wind energy pros and cons on paper may make this source of power seem quite promising, but ground reality is something that has to be paid more attention to. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that wind energy is an environment friendly and renewable energy source. But then, is it worth to invest so much in developing wind turbines or should we opt for other more efficient methods of generating electricity. At the end of the day, we are left with no option but to sacrifice on something. The onus is on us to decide whether we are ready to sacrifice on efficiency or the environmental benefits.

Nowadays, it will be hard to find houses without a single electrical appliance, gadget, or machine. Though all appliances use up electricity, there are some that need more energy to function properly, thus, bringing about an increase in the household’s power bills. If you aim to receive lower electric bills every month, better follow these electricity saving tips and also find out which appliances should be used less as a response to the concern of how to conserve energy:

Tip A: Turn off entertainment appliances and devices when not in use.

One of the most important ways to save electricity at home is to completely turn off TVs, home theater systems, and so on, when they’re not in use, or when you’re done using them. Leaving them in stand by mode is not enough, especially because appliances that are in standby mode still use up power, thus, if you want lower electric bills, turn electrical units off totally. In the event that you and your household members frequently forget to do this, you may opt to purchase a device that cuts off energy to all machines and appliances that are in stand-by mode.

Tip B: Prefer CFL bulbs over incandescent bulbs.

Part of electricity saving tips that is a recommended solution to the dilemma of how to conserve electricity is this: use CFLs instead of incandescent light bulbs. This is because CFLs are definitely more energy efficient than the incandescent ones. You’ll be able to save a big energy consumption percentage when you replace all incandescent with CFLs.

Tip C: Use non electrical stuff as much as possible.
Included in the list of ways to save electricity is for you to refrain from using electrical devices such as electric stoves, electric kettles, etc. They have non electric counterparts that work well after all, so if you yearn to have lower electric bills, why not use non-electric stuff more often? One of the vital electricity saving tips that you should follow, for example, is this: heat water in a normal kettle, rather than in an electric water kettle. When heating food, instead of using a microwave which uses up a lot of energy, why not heat food in a cooking pan on a gas stove?

Tip D: Air dry clothes as much as possible.

Another good answer to the question of how to conserve electricity is to avoid using the spin dryer or the tumble dryer for drying clothes. When the weather is good and the sun is shining, you’ll get lower electric bills when you hang the clothes outside to dry. There’s nothing wrong with using electric dryers during rainy season, but during the spring and summer months, you’ll be able to conserve electricity and see a decrease in power bills when you dry clothes by natural air and under the sun’s warmth.

Tip E: Invest in energy efficient appliances.

Right now there are so many appliances and electrical devices that have the Energy Star label on them, which means that they are energy-efficient. Of course, included in the list of electricity saving tips is for people to sell their old appliances and start purchasing energy-efficient ones that are sure to bring significantly lower electric bills compared to when they used appliances that have no Energy star ratings.

There are so many ways to save electricity. The challenge is if you and your household members will be disciplined enough to stick to them regularly, without lapse. Learning how to conserve electricity is no use if you don’t really apply what you’ve learned. Aside from following these electricity saving tips, people can also choose to rely on solar energy to power up their home. This e-book: Understanding And Installing Your Own Solar Electric System, will not only share energy conservation tips to readers, but will also guide them through the process of building solar electric systems for the home.

Recycling is processing of used materials into new products, which can be used again. For example, we use recycled paper, recycled plastic, recycled glass and many more. Recycling helps us in many ways – conserves limited and exhaustible resources, saves energy, is environmental friendly, creates jobs and helps in proper waste disposal. There are many other benefits too and so we recycle food scrapes, leather, rubber, wood in addition to those mentioned above. Metal scrap is also added to this long list as the resources of metals are depleting at an alarming rate. Recycle scrap metal constitutes about 8% of the total materials recycled. Let us look into scrap metal recycling in detail.

Due to the ever increasing demands of the human race and the ever decreasing sources of metals, recycling has become of prime importance. Not only this, but the environmental pollution, the greenhouse effect and the effects of carbon footprint has necessitated that we concentrate on the recycling of different products.

Scrap Metal Recycling: Process
Unlike recycled paper and recycled glass, recycled metal can be put to indefinite use. Metal can be recycled again and again as it does not lose its strength or material compound. This makes metal recycling very beneficial. The process of metals recycling is different than plastic recycling; continue reading the process of recycling scrap metal.

Step One: Collection
Scrap metal is collected from the households as well as from the different industries. It is then sent to the sorting agents.

Step Two: Sorting
The metals are sorted based on their type and composition. Like metals are packed together and sent to the scrap metal recycling centers.

Step Three: Inspection
The metals are inspected to see if they are sorted correctly and if the like ones are kept together. Later they are melted.

Step Four: Melting
The metals are, later, heated in smelters. Smelters are devices which melt big chunks of metals at very high temperatures. Each metal or similar metals have different smelters because of their different melting points.

Step Five: Cooling
This is the last step in scrap metal recycling. Once the metals melt fully, they are molded into small bars and are allowed to cool down before they are reused. These small bars are called as ingots.

Many people may ask the question how to sell scrap metal and what is this scrap metal used for? The metal recycling plant sells these metal bars to different industries and manufacturers, at a price, who use it to make different materials from them. The scrap metal prices will depend upon the purity, quantity, the market conditions and the demand for the material. You buy products like soda cans, use them and throw them in the garbage, from where it goes through the same process. Many entrepreneurs have started their own scrap metal recycling business after realizing the importance of recycling material and the never ending source of scrap metal. Recycle scrap metal is encouraged by the government also in order to reduce the environmental problems.

Scrap Steel Recycling & Scrap Iron Recycling
Steel is derived from iron ore. About 98% of the iron ore is used in making of steel because we use a lot of steel in our day to day life. It is the most widely used, and also the most widely recycled metal. Steel is recycled from appliances, construction materials, automobiles and from soda cans. The sources of scrap iron are demolished steel structures, railroad cars and tracks and old obsolete machines. Recycled steel is derived from the recycled iron and the process is much simpler and cheaper than extracting steel from iron ores. Scrap steel is also helpful in reducing air pollution and water pollution and is also an energy saver. Recycled steel is used to make stainless steel utensils, cars, bridges, construction materials, soda cans, etc. According to scientists, 3000 pounds of iron ore is saved when 1 ton of steel is recycled. Scrap metal recycling saves us a lot of iron as well as coal. This is a recycle scrap metal benefit.

Scrap Copper Recycling
There is a lot of demand for copper and the natural mineral is exhausting rapidly. It is thus, necessary to recycle copper and use it to satisfy the ever increasing demand. Usually, recycled copper is impure and is refined into a grade ‘A’ quality before it is used to make beautiful articles.

We can conclude from the above that scrap metal recycling has its benefits. It helps us to reduce the environmental issues and save our natural resources. Next time you see a scrap metal, be sure to dispose it properly so that it can be recycled. Encourage use of recycle scrap metal. Remember that using recycled materials does not harm your health.

The quest to find a replacement for carbon-based fuels that we have been using all this while has intensified with the entire world heading towards a severe energy crisis. There do exist quite a few options in form of alternative energy sources on the horizon, but choosing the best among them is a bit difficult with all of them having their own pros and cons.

One such source is wind energy – which has the capability of resolving power crisis of the entire world if tapped to its full potential. Add to it the fact that it is much more environment friendly as compared to the fossil fuels and wind energy comes up as one of the best alternative source of energy. But is everything really so simple? Can we harness the entire potential of this force of nature? Is it possible to erect wind turbines without disturbing the balance in environment? We decided to assess wind turbines pros and cons in a bid to answer these very questions and the results were quite promising.

What are the Pros and Cons of Wind Turbines?

On the basis of their design, wind turbines are divided into two types – horizontal axis wind turbines and vertical axis wind turbines. At the same time, it is also possible to classify them in two different types on the basis of their location. These two types of wind turbines include onshore turbines (those located on land) and offshore turbines (those located in oceans). Irrespective of whether you develop onshore wind turbines or offshore wind turbines, pros and cons of the same are bound to be there. Offshore turbines, however, have an added advantage as wind speed on ocean surface is better as compared to the same on land. Given below are various advantages and disadvantages of wind energy development with the help of wind turbines.

Wind Turbines Pros

There are several advantages of wind power on the basis of which it is pitched to be the future of energy revolution. The most prominent advantage of wind turbines is that they do not pollute the environment like the carbon-based fuels do. Similarly, wind turbines do not generate radioactive waste like nuclear power plants do. While the main drawback of conventional sources of energy is that they are exhaustible, wind energy is not subjected to any such problem. Wind turbines cost also works in favor of this source of power as the investment incurred on development and operation of these turbines is earned back within 3 months of operation. More importantly, the raw material in this case i.e. the wind, comes absolutely free of cost and the only investment incurred is on development of infrastructure and operation. Flexibility is yet another plus point of this power source as you can develop energy required to power a single house using one win turbine or develop energy for entire region by building a wind farm. Decommissioning of wind turbines is also quite easy as compared to that of other power sources.

Wind Turbines Cons

As in case of various other alternative sources of energy, even wind turbines have their own drawbacks. One of the most prominent drawback that the critics cite when it comes to wind energy development is the lack of efficiency. While wind turbines do generate decent amount of power, that is by no means comparable to the amount of electricity produced by a single nuclear power plant. That invariably means that a large number of wind turbines will be required to meet the energy demands, which again calls for a significant investment.

More importantly, these structures are also vulnerable to the extremities of the weather. Fast blowing winds can bring down the blades of these turbines, if not the entire turbine itself. Some critics and environmentalists also point out that wind turbines kill birds and bats, which again questions its environment friendly attribute. Even though wind power pros and cons make it look quite impressive, administrators are skeptical about investing in the same owing to these very drawbacks of wind turbines development.

Weighing wind turbines pros and cons reveals that its pros have a slight advantage over its cons. A look at wind energy pros and cons on paper may make this source of power seem quite promising, but ground reality is something that has to be paid more attention to. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that wind energy is an environment friendly and renewable energy source. But then, is it worth to invest so much in developing wind turbines or should we opt for other more efficient methods of generating electricity. At the end of the day, we are left with no option but to sacrifice on something. The onus is on us to decide whether we are ready to sacrifice on efficiency or the environmental benefits.

Geothermal energy is the energy which is derived by harnessing geothermal dry steam or hot water that is found beneath the Earth’s crust. One of the lesser known geothermal energy facts is that there exist three different types of geothermal plants – dry steam plants wherein the steam is directly brought to the plant by the means of pipes, flash steam plants wherein hot water is brought to the plants through pipes and steam is created inside the plant, and binary cycle plants wherein hot water found beneath the Earth’s crust is mixed with some chemicals to form steam. The steam that is created is eventually used to rotate the turbines in order to produce electricity. The process by which geothermal energy works is almost same in each of these types of plant, the only difference lies in the process by which steam is created. In a bid to find out whether this source of energy is really efficient or not, we decided to assess geothermal energy advantages and disadvantages, and come up with the following reasons.

Geothermal Energy Advantages and Disadvantages

Most of the sources of energy available today have their own pros and cons, and geothermal energy is no exception. With so many intricacies involved in the process of geothermal heating – advantages and disadvantages of the process are ought to be there. Given below are the details of geothermal energy pros and cons which have to be taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion as to whether this source of energy can replace its carbon based counterparts or not.

Geothermal Energy Advantages

A look at geothermal energy and its advantages reveals that this form of energy is backed by enough reasons for us to shift bases from fossil fuels to this environment friendly source of energy. The fact that geothermal energy doesn’t rely on burning of fossil fuels only means that it is less pollutant as compared to its counterparts which rely on fossil fuels. The plants in which geothermal energy is produced are as environment friendly as the energy in itself. When it comes to this source of energy, we don’t have to worry that it will get exhausted anytime soon. As long as heat is generated continuously beneath the surface of the Earth we can harness the steam produced by it and generate power. Geothermal energy cost which is quite low is yet another advantage that this source of energy has on other sources which boast of efficiency.

Geothermal Energy Disadvantages

There do exist quite a few disadvantages of geothermal energy. The foremost issue which needs to be addressed here is availability. Even though hot water and steam is found beneath the Earth’s crust in copious amounts, the regions from where it can be actually tapped are very few. It is very difficult to harness this energy in regions prone to crustal movements and volcanic eruptions. While high end technology is used in determining possible sites from where this energy can be tapped, there is no 100 percent assurance that the results would be at par with expectations. The initial cost incurred is yet another deterrent when it comes to investment in this source of energy. Even though the supporters of this form of energy say that this is a clean source of energy, tapping the steam inside the Earth’s crust can disturb the methane stores beneath the surface and release it in the atmosphere, thus adding to the greenhouse effect. The administration has to look into all these geothermal energy disadvantages before working towards its development.

These were some of the most prominent advantages and disadvantages of geothermal energy that have to be taken into consideration before opting to invest in its development. You don’t quite need an Einstein’s mind to understand the positives and negatives of this source of energy. Even going through geothermal energy advantages and disadvantages for kids will tell you that there are as many problems as benefits of harnessing geothermal energy. More importantly, it has to be also compared with other sources of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power. Just being in the initial stage of development, geothermal energy may seem quite promising, but the final results will only be ascertained after all the doubts pertaining to it are cleared.

While many people tend to visualize acid rain as an occurrence marked by pure acid falling from the sky, it is a pure misconception on their behalf. Basically, acid rain is a broad term which encompasses certain types of precipitation by which the chemical compounds suspended in the atmosphere come down to the Earth. Forget about what causes acid rain, many people out there don’t even have the slightest idea as to what is acid rain. That being said, it is important to understand what acid rain actually is before moving on to understand the details of acid rain causes and effects.

What is Acid Rain?

In geography, the term acid rain is used to refer to the phenomenon of precipitation wherein the droplets of water coming down to the Earth are characterized by unusually high acidic content. In several cases, the concept of acid rain is used as an attribute of a broader concept known as acid deposition. In this concept, the acidic compounds in the atmosphere come down to Earth in form of rain as well as snowfall, sleet etc. All the lifeforms inhabiting the planet bear the brunt of acid rain. Some of the most prominent acid rain effects include acidification of freshwater sources such as lakes and rivers, damage caused to the plants, depletion in the fertility of the soil, damage to the human built structures etc. When we talk about acid rain effects on plants, we also refer to th effects of this harmful phenomenon on crops.

If you are fascinated by science, you will find the chemistry of acid rain equally interesting. The acidic compounds in water are measured in terms of pH value – with low pH value signifying highly acidic nature of the liquid. While pure water has a pH value of 7, normal rain water can have the same ranging between 5.5 to 7. The slight increase in pH value of normal rain water can be attributed to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When the pH value of rain water goes below 5.5 it technically qualifies to be referred acid rain.

Causes of Acid Rain

Coming back to acid rain causes, virtually all of them can be attributed to human activities. As we mentioned earlier, acid rain occurs as a result of chemical reaction in the atmosphere. The most common chemicals which contribute to this process are nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, both of which have the ability to dissolve in water with ease. These chemicals are basically the pollutants which are released in the atmosphere as a result of various human activities. Among the various human activities which contribute to acid rain, the most prominent one is burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity, power vehicles and power industries.

Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are released in the atmosphere in form of exhaust smoke as a result of these activities. Being light in nature, they start ascending in the atmosphere and eventually come in contact with the rain bearing clouds. When these clouds start precipitating, the water droplets come in contact with the chemicals suspended in the atmosphere. The chemicals get dissolved in these water droplets wherein they react with oxygen and other chemicals, and come down to the ground in form of acidic rain. Acid rain can also occur in areas wherein there is less air pollution as these light chemicals are easily guided off by wind to far off places.

Other Causes of Acid Rain

One of the lesser known facts about acid rain is that it can be caused by oil spills as well. Acid rain caused by oil spill can be attributed to the fact that oil spilled in the ocean tends to evaporate into the atmosphere along with the ocean water. In this process, the particles in oil get suspended in the atmosphere, and eventually come down in form of acidic compounds. Other than these causes, there also exist some natural causes of acid rain in form of volcanic eruptions and forest fires.

Those were the details about the causes and effects of acid rain. With so much of damage attributed to acid rain, it is undoubtedly one of the most serious environmental issue we are facing today. In order to curb this phenomenon, we need to identify acid rain causes and eliminate them. While natural causes of acid rain do exist, they are negligible as compared to the human induced causes. The planet has been subjected to acid rain since centuries, but lately it has worsened to a significant extent. It is but obvious that human activities play a major role in the occurrence of acid rain on the planet. Taking into consideration the future implications of acid rain, the onus is on us to make sure that we implement acid rain solutions and stop contributing to this natural hazard, knowingly or unknowingly.

It seems that many people are starting to see that actively harnessing natural sources of energy can create useful renewable energy that may be able to sustain the needs of civilization for a very long time.

There are places where solar panels have been distributed to remote areas by many non-profit organizations in order to give people access to solar heat and light sources for their needs day by day. Solar energy is popular globally due to a lot of exposure in the media by such groups who are trying to promote solar panels as one of the most viable types of energy sources.

Wind farms take up a large portion of areas where there are strong wind speeds, especially in coastal areas that have high altitudes. Wind turbines generate power by harnessing the wind to run the generators mechanically, taking advantage of increasing wind velocities.

The earth’s core generates heat that can be harnessed, and this is known as geothermal energy, usually tapped from areas where the heat is more evident such as volcanic rock and other unstable geological locations in several different countries. This green energy can be found in areas that have hot springs or underground steam sources.

Water is also a source of energy and this can take the forms of hydro-power, hydroelectric power, ocean energy, kinetic energy. Even when water is slowly flowing, it can still produce a lot of energy, and this has been a main source of many electric power plants all over the world.

The world is currently dealing with many issues concerning pollution, and some sources of this pollution are the by-products from the use of fossil fuels that have been in use for a long time. The toxic materials that have been released in the air and water have accumulated over the years, creating problems in human health as well as the issues on damage of the protective ozone layer.

Renewable energy can be of great benefit if used extensively so that the use of fossil fuels can be reduced. By doing so, the growth of pollutants being sent into the air will be stopped and hopefully other solutions to clean out the air will be addressed.

There are many alarming health issues that arise from the air pollution that exists in many cities and countries today. Mostly, children are affected as this aggravates asthma symptoms in their delicate lungs and can lead to gradual death. The small particles that are polluting the air also have been known to cause deaths by heart and lung diseases. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources have little, if at all any, by-products that can pollute air or water, and these are considerably safer to use.

As the financial crisis finds itself at a turning point and hopefully heading for recovery, the restructure of policies should be a welcome change for many who only wish to save money on having to pay for expensive solutions to get rid of already existing pollution issues. Renewable energy, by being natural and consistently available, has shown its potential in cost efficient power production.

It seems that many people are starting to see that actively harnessing natural sources of energy can create useful renewable energy that may be able to sustain the needs of civilization for a very long time.

There are places where solar panels have been distributed to remote areas by many non-profit organizations in order to give people access to solar heat and light sources for their needs day by day. Solar energy is popular globally due to a lot of exposure in the media by such groups who are trying to promote solar panels as one of the most viable types of energy sources.

Wind farms take up a large portion of areas where there are strong wind speeds, especially in coastal areas that have high altitudes. Wind turbines generate power by harnessing the wind to run the generators mechanically, taking advantage of increasing wind velocities.

The earth’s core generates heat that can be harnessed, and this is known as geothermal energy, usually tapped from areas where the heat is more evident such as volcanic rock and other unstable geological locations in several different countries. This green energy can be found in areas that have hot springs or underground steam sources.

Water is also a source of energy and this can take the forms of hydro-power, hydroelectric power, ocean energy, kinetic energy. Even when water is slowly flowing, it can still produce a lot of energy, and this has been a main source of many electric power plants all over the world.

The world is currently dealing with many issues concerning pollution, and some sources of this pollution are the by-products from the use of fossil fuels that have been in use for a long time. The toxic materials that have been released in the air and water have accumulated over the years, creating problems in human health as well as the issues on damage of the protective ozone layer.

Renewable energy can be of great benefit if used extensively so that the use of fossil fuels can be reduced. By doing so, the growth of pollutants being sent into the air will be stopped and hopefully other solutions to clean out the air will be addressed.

There are many alarming health issues that arise from the air pollution that exists in many cities and countries today. Mostly, children are affected as this aggravates asthma symptoms in their delicate lungs and can lead to gradual death. The small particles that are polluting the air also have been known to cause deaths by heart and lung diseases. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources have little, if at all any, by-products that can pollute air or water, and these are considerably safer to use.

As the financial crisis finds itself at a turning point and hopefully heading for recovery, the restructure of policies should be a welcome change for many who only wish to save money on having to pay for expensive solutions to get rid of already existing pollution issues. Renewable energy, by being natural and consistently available, has shown its potential in cost efficient power production.

’How to make a solar oven?’, and ‘Why?’ We live in a society that uses fossil fuel to accomplish many of its functions. Transportation of goods, materials and men, most of the time, is accomplished with the help of vehicles using some form of fossil fuel. The gas we use in the house to cook food is also a type fossil fuel. What happens when all the fuel oil on the earth gets exhausted. How we are going to cook our food? Are we going to eat it raw? Scientists are exploring alternative energy sources such as wind energy, tidal wave energy, solar energy, etc., to fulfill our future energy needs. In fact, you can also check if these energy sources of any use by making small scale models of a windmill or a solar oven. The following paragraph gives information on how to make a solar oven out of a box, which I am sure kids will love to do.

How to Make a Solar Oven for Kids

It is easy for kids to make a solar oven and understand how solar power can be used to accomplish our purposes such as cooking. Solar ovens work by absorbing and retaining, i.e. storing the energy in sunrays. If we put something inside them then that object absorbs this energy. If it is a raw food material, then it gets cooked just as if it is cooked using cooking gas. To start this project one needs two cardboard boxes. Their dimensions must differ by at least 5 inches. Follow the tips given below to build something which you can also use to participate in a solar oven science fair.

• Open the big box and keep the top aside and line its bottom with crumpled waste paper. You can also use newspaper to serve the purpose. The reason for this will be given later on. Let us, first, make the oven ready.
• Let’s prepare the smaller one by lining its inner sides with aluminum foil. You can do so by sticking it to the sides or by using a stapler to fix it to the sides of this box. Make sure that you leave the inside bottom of the box free of the aluminum foil.
• Stick a black cardboard to the inside bottom of the small box.
• Place the smaller one in the center of the big box and fill in the space between the sides of the two boxes with the crumpled waste paper.
• Take a thick cardboard paper which can easily cover the large box easily. Stick or staple aluminum foil to it so that it can be used as a reflector.
• Staple or glue this homemade reflector to the large box such that it will reflect the sunlight on to the interior of the box. The reflected sunlight should cover the smaller box completely.
• The smaller box works as a container for the food to cook. Let us demonstrate the use of this solar oven. Select the food to cook and place it in the smaller box.
• Place the the solar oven on the terrace or in an open place where it will get unobstructed sunlight. Adjust the reflector as discussed before. Support it with a thin stick if it is flapping to and away from the box, or if it is not holding the angle with the sun.
• Cover the whole structure with a sheet of clear plastic or glass, if you can handle that without breaking it.
• The food will take some time to cook depending on its type, so leave it alone.
• Find something else to do and don’t forget to keep an eye on your new oven from time to time. If you don’t have two boxes then it is possible to make a solar oven out of a shoe box, although the instructions for it will differ to some extent from those presented above. You can search for such instructions on the Internet.

The crumpled paper that you used according to instructions in ‘how to make a solar oven’, increases the surface area inside the big box and it also creates numerous tiny air pockets inside the box. When the sunlight falls on the solar oven it gets warm and the heat is absorbed by the air pockets. The hot air moves upward in side the big box and comes in contact with the small box. The black surfaces attract more heat and as the food material is in contact with the bottom of the small box, it gets heated and eventually cooked. Of course a solar oven takes more than twice the time as compared to conventional means to cook food. However, the renewable energy it uses is free and even if all the fossil fuel such as cooking gas gets exhausted, your solar oven will ensure that you go to sleep with warm and cooked food inside you.

The quest to find a replacement for carbon-based fuels that we have been using all this while has intensified with the entire world heading towards a severe energy crisis. There do exist quite a few options in form of alternative energy sources on the horizon, but choosing the best among them is a bit difficult with all of them having their own pros and cons.

One such source is wind energy – which has the capability of resolving power crisis of the entire world if tapped to its full potential. Add to it the fact that it is much more environment friendly as compared to the fossil fuels and wind energy comes up as one of the best alternative source of energy. But is everything really so simple? Can we harness the entire potential of this force of nature? Is it possible to erect wind turbines without disturbing the balance in environment? We decided to assess wind turbines pros and cons in a bid to answer these very questions and the results were quite promising.

What are the Pros and Cons of Wind Turbines?

On the basis of their design, wind turbines are divided into two types – horizontal axis wind turbines and vertical axis wind turbines. At the same time, it is also possible to classify them in two different types on the basis of their location. These two types of wind turbines include onshore turbines (those located on land) and offshore turbines (those located in oceans). Irrespective of whether you develop onshore wind turbines or offshore wind turbines, pros and cons of the same are bound to be there. Offshore turbines, however, have an added advantage as wind speed on ocean surface is better as compared to the same on land. Given below are various advantages and disadvantages of wind energy development with the help of wind turbines.

Wind Turbines Pros

There are several advantages of wind power on the basis of which it is pitched to be the future of energy revolution. The most prominent advantage of wind turbines is that they do not pollute the environment like the carbon-based fuels do. Similarly, wind turbines do not generate radioactive waste like nuclear power plants do. While the main drawback of conventional sources of energy is that they are exhaustible, wind energy is not subjected to any such problem. Wind turbines cost also works in favor of this source of power as the investment incurred on development and operation of these turbines is earned back within 3 months of operation. More importantly, the raw material in this case i.e. the wind, comes absolutely free of cost and the only investment incurred is on development of infrastructure and operation. Flexibility is yet another plus point of this power source as you can develop energy required to power a single house using one win turbine or develop energy for entire region by building a wind farm. Decommissioning of wind turbines is also quite easy as compared to that of other power sources.

Wind Turbines Cons

As in case of various other alternative sources of energy, even wind turbines have their own drawbacks. One of the most prominent drawback that the critics cite when it comes to wind energy development is the lack of efficiency. While wind turbines do generate decent amount of power, that is by no means comparable to the amount of electricity produced by a single nuclear power plant. That invariably means that a large number of wind turbines will be required to meet the energy demands, which again calls for a significant investment.

More importantly, these structures are also vulnerable to the extremities of the weather. Fast blowing winds can bring down the blades of these turbines, if not the entire turbine itself. Some critics and environmentalists also point out that wind turbines kill birds and bats, which again questions its environment friendly attribute. Even though wind power pros and cons make it look quite impressive, administrators are skeptical about investing in the same owing to these very drawbacks of wind turbines development.

Weighing wind turbines pros and cons reveals that its pros have a slight advantage over its cons. A look at wind energy pros and cons on paper may make this source of power seem quite promising, but ground reality is something that has to be paid more attention to. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that wind energy is an environment friendly and renewable energy source. But then, is it worth to invest so much in developing wind turbines or should we opt for other more efficient methods of generating electricity. At the end of the day, we are left with no option but to sacrifice on something. The onus is on us to decide whether we are ready to sacrifice on efficiency or the environmental benefits.