e2 Videos: (20 minutes each)
Harvesting the wind: community wind power in Minnesota
APES questions
- This series unites economic opportunity with environmental issues. Why is this unique? What does this mean for you?
- The Minnesota radio report starts with weather-why is this usually the case in farming regions?
- Why is small town America “dying on the vine”?
- How might this change since Covid?
- Look up the percentage of people in the US who were farmers in 1900, and now (2021).
- What is the average age of farmers today?
- How much energy was produced by wind in the US at the time of this video (2008)?
- What country started wind power, and who leads now?
- What happened in 1994 in Minnesota with nuclear power? Why is this important?
- Who is Tim Pawlenty, and when did he run for president?
- Why is community wind better than corporate wind?
- How much do we pass on to foreign investors per year in wind projects?
- What are the power per home numbers according to Dan Juhl?
- Minnesota has a high Norwegian/Swedish ethnic population. Why?
- Does the wind farm prevent traditional farming?
- How reliable is income from wind vs. income from farming. Why?
- Look carefully at the blades of the wind turbines. Why are they shaped this way?
- Why is the airport an issue? What is the solution?
- Dan Juhl refers to “the crop”. What does he mean?
- One big issue with wind is that demand is in one place, while resources in another place. What does this mean to the grid?
- How will a smart grid change this?
- What is the best way to predict the future?
- What is the tax credit game all about? How does it work? Do people use this here in Hawaii?
- Define ROI and TCO (look these up)
- Newer turbines have two or three blades, while older (e.g. 1880) ones in the video had many blades. What were these used for on farms?
- There is a Jacobs wind turbine above the Headmaster’s home. How long did this work, and what were they originally designed for? (hint: has to do with airmail)
- Tyler Juhl makes an important point relevant to your peers. What is this?
- Why is making the blades for the turbines locally so important?
- How are aviation and turbines similar as a researcher or future worker?
- Why would states support wind power?
- What is the trifecta of wind power?
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