According to a new research study of the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the University of New York, wind farms can cause climate change. The study was published in Nature. Once the sun sets, the earth begins to cool down together with the surrounding air. Large wind farms, however, mix warmer air from higher layers of the atmosphere into the air closer to the ground and thus increase the overall temperature. From satellite data it is clear that the local temperature in Texas have increased by 1°C over the last decade. In Texas, there are four of the world's largest wind farms. China is now erecting 36 wind turbines a day, and Texas is the largest producer of wind energy in the U.S.
Growing temperatures can have long-term effects on wildlife in the vicinity of wind farms. They can also affect regional weather patterns, because warmer areas have an impact on the creation of clouds and wind speed. According to the authors of the study, further research is needed. At the moment, it seems that temperature changes are more or less local.
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