Contact Rick at https://my.captivate.fm/rf@richardfriedman.net ( rf@richardfriedman.net) Copy and Paste to connect to the links below. famousscientists.org/galileo https://my.captivate.fm/Litterati.org (Litterati.org) https://my.captivate.fm/ranmarine.io (ranmarine.io) https://my.captivate.fm/Mobilize.Earth (Mobilize.Earth) https://my.captivate.fm/climateimagination.asu.edu/clificontest (climateimagination.asu.edu/clificontest) https://my.captivate.fm/waqi.info (waqi.info) https://my.captivate.fm/PrinceEA.com (PrinceEA.com) Rick's latest short story collection https://www.amazon.com/Climate-Carol-Other-Cli-Fi-Stories-ebook/dp/B07MVN8J6P (https://www.amazon.com/Climate-Carol-Other-Cli-Fi-Stories-ebook/dp/B07MVN8J6P) Speaker 1: (https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/Edit?token=-EX8M7NDgjSiqU517XW_01_vI_9aPT9VPc3Q9Hf7E3mDvuNJvpLPMCV0P59IBf6-l3DuP9AONl6yTJHIu75uNz4Kpbs&loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=0.1 (00:00)) [inaudible]. Welcome to our breath, Speaker 1: (https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/Edit?token=-EX8M7NDgjSiqU517XW_01_vI_9aPT9VPc3Q9Hf7E3mDvuNJvpLPMCV0P59IBf6-l3DuP9AONl6yTJHIu75uNz4Kpbs&loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=9.88 (00:09)) the fresh earth, taking the commitment to a clean environment to the next level. Your host Rick Friedman, will crown the climate hero and villain of the week along with discussing worldwide environmental issues, showcasing new products designed with the longevity of our planet in mind, and putting the spotlight on the individuals making a big impact in helping the climate and pollution crisis through social media. Now your host, Rick Friedman. Rick: (https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/Edit?token=-EX8M7NDgjSiqU517XW_01_vI_9aPT9VPc3Q9Hf7E3mDvuNJvpLPMCV0P59IBf6-l3DuP9AONl6yTJHIu75uNz4Kpbs&loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=39.41 (00:39)) Hi and welcome to episode two. There's a lot of talk about wind power. Let's look at some of the facts. Here's the good news. The cost of wind energy keeps falling. Business is growing and putting people to work. Cities around the world are looking at the benefits of wind power, finding them hard to ignore. Wind energy produces no emissions, no pollution. It's clean and it's an unlimited resource. For farmers. The wind, a wind farm gives them a new crop to sell. Rick: (https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/Edit?token=-EX8M7NDgjSiqU517XW_01_vI_9aPT9VPc3Q9Hf7E3mDvuNJvpLPMCV0P59IBf6-l3DuP9AONl6yTJHIu75uNz4Kpbs&loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=67.67 (01:07)) Here's kind of a short version of how it works. Each land owner who allows a turbine on their field receives three to $7,000 a year for each turbine. Wind farms usually consist of somewhere between 50 and a hundred turbines. They're all connected by buried wires that link them up to a central transmission. The turbines are mounted on a high metal tower. You've all seen that. The turbines are run in offset lines, so they're not lined up directly in a row. They skipped some space about a half a mile apart, so they don't steal each other's wind. Farmers grow crops, animals can graze underneath the turbines while they're humming along. Wind energy went from a little over 2% of the United States electricity mix in 2010 to almost 7% last year. It's also one of the cheapest ways to produce energy. Now it's even less than natural gas. Why are farmers turning to wind? A lot of them have gone bankrupt. Rick: (https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/Edit?token=-EX8M7NDgjSiqU517XW_01_vI_9aPT9VPc3Q9Hf7E3mDvuNJvpLPMCV0P59IBf6-l3DuP9AONl6yTJHIu75uNz4Kpbs&loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=119.99 (01:59)) The bankruptcy rates in 2019 jump 20% for farmers. It's an eight year high. The trade war didn't help, The low prices for commodity crops and unpredictable weather. Those are all factors that affect farmers. One farmer in Iowa said "wind is just another crop." Another opportunity to capture resources. This is a tough energy problem for Republicans to deal with because 90% of the wind farms are... Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/a-breath-of-fresh-earth/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy