and wind power is probably the simplest and most efficient source of alternative energy we know. Only about 1 percent of the energy produced in the United States comes from clean, cheap wind power, but that number is growing dramatically each year. Garden of Life's Living Greenprogram was established to make retailers and consumers aware of the benefits of wind power and how easy it is to get started. Learn more about this initiative in the sections below.

We will soon have a list of retailers already onboard with our Living Green initiative.

Step 1: Buy Wind Power

It’s easier than you might think.

There are some residential-based wind power systems, although their use is not common in urban settings because of aesthetics and noise. Newer residential systems are more efficient and quieter than the past generations, operating at peak efficiency at average wind speeds of just 7 to 10 miles per hour. They can save up to 90 percent of a household’s energy bill. 

However, most of the wind energy that is currently used in the U.S. comes from large wind farms on gusty plateaus and is fed into the grid that also contains electrical power generated by coal-fired plants, nuclear and hydro plants. 

The American Wind Energy Association says there is enough wind sweeping across the U.S. to supply all of our power needs. North Dakota alone could provide 40 percent of our needs—and the wind farms can be installed on top of traditional grazing and agricultural lands, doubling the efficiency of agricultural land use.

Realistically, though, experts estimate only about 6 percent of the U.S. energy needs will be provided by wind by the year 2020—about equal to the country’s current hydropower capacity.

So why aren’t we all basking in clean, cheap wind-generated electricity? The answer lies in part to the shortage of economic incentives compelling enough to attract large-scale investment in this field. Windmills must be built and the delivery grid expanded to bring the wind from the windiest sections of the country to the electricity-hungry urban areas.

So you say you don’t want a wind turbine on your roof? You don’t need to go there at all. You can do your part to promote this clean, efficient source of energy through the utility company from which you currently buy your electricity. Learn more about it by selecting if you are a retail location or have consumer needs..

http://www.3degreesinc.com

http://www.carbonfund.org

http://www.cleanandgreen.us