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Learning From Nature
Humans aren't the only ones who have been using the
wind for transportation — plants and animals have used
wind power to get around for millions of years.
Think of birds that can glide through the air for hours on
end, barely flapping their wings to stay in flight. They're
not the only ones! Some spiders engage in a process called ballooning,
in which they use the wind and Earth's electric fields to travel many
miles.
Plants and fungi have also developed sophisticated ways to reproduce
and scatter their seeds with the wind. This principle is called
anemochory, and the seeds of the plants are called flying seeds or
winged seeds. Particularly well known are the seeds of the
dandelion and the seeds of the maple tree. Rarer, but quite
impressive are the flying seeds of Alsomitra
macrocarpa, a tropical cucumber plant. Its seeds look
like small gliders, with a wingspan reaching up to 14 cm
(5.5 inches). These marvels of nature have inspired
aviation pioneers in their inventions of airplanes
and other flying machines for humans.
energy from
Wind Power
When the wind is blowing strongly, you can clearly feel that there is a
lot of energy in the wind. In a storm, you can barely keep both feet
on the ground! This immense power can be converted to power cars
and other vehicles. Wind turbines can generate electricity, which in
turn can be used to charge electric cars. Electricity can also be used
to produce hydrogen, which can power fuel cell cars. These two
methods work very well to power cars in cities, which can reduce
urban air pollution. Because these methods use the wind — instead
of fossil fuels — to generate energy, they are much more
climate-friendly.
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Alsomitra
macrocarpa
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