Although wind power achieved just 0.39% of the world's total energy consumption as of 2013, it is assumed that a rapid expansion of wind power will ultimately be environmentally advantageous both due to its reputation as a 'clean' energy and because of the potential to contribute to reduced CO2 emissions.1
Besides reducing wildlife populations, perhaps one of the most underrated negative side effects of building wind turbines is that they don't last very long before they need to be replaced.
The blades, made with composites, are currently regarded as unrecyclable. With the first wave of early commercial wind turbine installations now approaching their end of life, the problem of blade disposal is just beginning to emerge as a significant factor for the future.
