“A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy.” (1) The inventor of the first electric wind turbine was Clevelander Charles Brush, who for 20 years ran his entire mansion on Euclid Avenue using a turbine, which later made the cover of Scientific American in 1888. (2) Although l As the use of alternative energy did not increase much thereafter, this event opened the eyes of many environmentalists. Wind energy is just one of our many “energy sources whose 'fuel' is free and will never run out” (3), with the pros and cons not fully weighed as to whether it will truly be beneficial or not. The two main issues surrounding wind turbines are the environmental effects they have and the cost-effectiveness of building them. One of the biggest downsides to wind turbines is that they have been reported as a source of death for many birds. “Major causes of mortality among birds include habitat loss due to human encroachment, environmental depredation, and collisions with human-made objects.” (4) This effect on the ecosystem appears to be important, but others disagree. We can know for sure that there are some effects that wind turbines are having on the environment, simply from the fact that it is an artificial structure placed in the environment. The impact they are having on the environment, however, still appears to be a matter of debate. The Danish Energy and Environment Agency has conducted one of the most intensive studies on the effects of wind turbines and has spent the last eight years studying and observing two large offshore wind farms, Horns Rev and Nysted. Their “report details impacts on the surrounding ecosystem, including fish, birds, marine mammals,… middle of paper… ct sheet, American Wind Energy Association(4) http://www.awea .org /faq/sagrillo/swbirds.html(5) http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/TastyPolitics/2006/12/06/8_year_study_on_danish_wind_farms_releas(6) http://www.offshorewindfarms.co .uk /Downloads/BIOLAReport06072006FINAL.pdf(7) http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/41426/(8) http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/41426/(9) http://www .wind -watch.org/news/2006/12/11/granite-falls-looks-at-wind-power-options/(10) http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/12/ 11/ granite-falls-looks-at-wind-power-options/(11) http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/12/11/granite-falls-looks-at-wind-power-options /(12) http://www.bwea.com/ref/faq.html#save(13) http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/res_detail.cfm?id=1160&xx=Wind% 20Turbine( 14) http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandidro/windpoweringamerica/pdfs/small_wind/small_wind_mn.pdf