The answer is blowin' in the wind

Don Quixote notwithstanding, the whole world is tilting toward windmills as an alternative to coal and other non-renewable fuel sources to generate energy. The amount of power being generated is doubling about each six years and the sight of wind “farms” is no longer a novelty for travelers.

Washington State has become a major player in this arena and is in the top five most productive states. A project underway along the Oregon border will be the world’s largest— but probably only briefly.

One report compares the Great Plains wind potential to Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves and declares that three states, North Dakota, Texas and Kansas could power the entire nation— not theoretically, but by using currently available wind energy.

With France demonstrating that nuclear power can not only meet a huge portion of a nation’s needs but can also become a lucrative export item, it’s easy to imagine a world where coal and oil become secondary choices and sun, wind and water become first choices.

The once unarguable fact that wind is variable and thus unreliable has lost its power. It is now possible to store wind-generated power in the form of hydrogen (by electrolyzing water and creating fuel cells). The stored energy can be used during periods of low wind and ultimately can ensure a steady, reliable flow for nearly all purposes.

Driving through miles of sometimes hypnotic rows of towers with their props rotating in unison has definitely changed the landscape. But when one considers that these machines— and all of the natural beauty surrounding them— are more visible because they replace coal-fired generating station chimneys that spew particles polluting the air for miles and miles, they begin to look just lovely.

Solving the energy crisis may not be as difficult as it once seemed— and powering new communities and nations may not have to further pollute the air.

It’s a breeze.