Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Wind power helps us breathe easy on World Asthma Day

By Paul Dvorak | May 6, 2016

GREG ALVAREZ, and from Into the Wind, the AWEA blog

Wind power creates billions of dollars in public health benefits by helping clean our air.

Electricity generated by U.S. wind farms last year helped avoid 176,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide and 106,000 metric tons of nitrogen oxide. Everyone wins.

Electricity generated by U.S. wind farms last year helped avoid 176,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide and 106,000 metric tons of nitrogen oxide. Everyone wins.

I still remember the ritual well. First thing every morning, my sister would have to sit for 10 minutes and breathe in asthma medication through a nebulizer machine. It didn’t matter if we were at home or on vacation, school day or weekend, that’s how my family began the day, every day, for the early part of her childhood.

This routine likely sounds familiar for millions of Americans. Over 17 million adults in this country suffer from asthma, while more than 6 million children do. Every year, the condition results in 10.5 million doctor visits, and nearly 2 million visits to the emergency room.

I know how scary those attacks were for my family, experiences unfortunately shared by too many parents across the country. This World Asthma Day it’s a good time to reflect on the ways we can do better, so that hopefully this narrative won’t sound familiar to future generations.

One of the ways we can do better is to continue growing American wind power.

As a pollution-free electricity source, wind energy is already making a big difference. By cutting the pollution that creates smog and triggers asthma attacks, wind created $7.3 billion in public health benefits in 2015 alone.

Electricity generated by U.S. wind farms last year helped avoid 176,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide and 106,000 metric tons of nitrogen oxide.

Greg Alverez

Greg Alverez

As wind generates more of America’s electricity, these benefits will grow. By 2050, wind could create 35% of the country’s electricity. In that scenario, it would save nearly $110 billion in public health costs by cutting air pollutants, while preventing 22,000 premature deaths.

Every family wants clean air for their children to breathe. No parent wants to contend with frightening asthma attacks, or have their children forced to take daily medication just so they can breathe clearly. Creating more of our electricity with pollution-free wind power is one of the most effective ways to ensure a cleaner future. This World Asthma Day, let’s commit to making this vision a reality.

World Asthma Day is the first Tuesday of May.


Filed Under: News
Tagged With: AWEA
 

About The Author

Paul Dvorak

Related Articles Read More >

Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets
Equinor halts work on Empire Wind offshore project after federal government order
ARESCA wants input on offshore wind standards
US wind market has worst install year since 2013

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Browse the most current issue of Windpower Engineering & Development and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading wind power engineering magazine today.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe