Greening the Wind : Environmentaland Social Considerations for Wind Power Development

Ledec, George C. ; Rapp, Kennan W. ; Aiello, Roberto G.

World Bank

关键词: ACCESS ROADS;    ACID;    ACID RAIN;    AIR;    AIR POLLUTANTS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/978-0-8213-8926-3
RP-ID  :  66233

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This report identifies good practicesfor managing the key environmental and social issuesassociated with wind power development and provides adviceon how best to address these issues in project planning,construction, and operation and maintenance. It providesdetailed background information on wind power, with specialfocus on two emerging themes of growing scientific andpublic interest: namely the biodiversity-related impacts andthe broader socioeconomic and cultural dimensions of windpower development. Like wind power itself, the scope of thisreport is worldwide although special attention is paid tothe issues characteristic of the Latin America and Caribbean(LAC) region. While the principal focus is on land-basedwind power, it also briefly addresses the environmental andsocial impacts related to off shore wind development. Windpower today is widely regarded as a key component of anenvironmentally sustainable, low-carbon energy futurebecause it is renewable, requires almost no water, andgenerates near-zero emissions of greenhouse gases and otherpollutants. In many parts of the world, wind power has thepotential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions from electric power generation, thereby helping tolimit the severe environmental and social consequences ofhuman-induced climate change. The growth of wind power hasalso occurred due to its other positive attributes,including growing economic competitiveness. The adversebiodiversity-related impacts of wind power facilities mainlyinvolve birds, bats, and natural habitats.