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| Above: A wind farm at sea – utilizing ocean space for alternative energy development with minimal environmental impact |
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| From a painting by Jack Spurling |
One of the early (and highly-romanticized) uses of the power of the wind by civilized humankind is the use of sailing vessels, such as the clipper ship above. The use of vessels which relied on the ever-present (if sometimes violent) oceanic winds connected the world and acted as the driving force behind the rise and fall of empires great and small, the British being a prime example. Themistocles said "He who commands the seas has command of everything," and he was certainly accurate in his assertion; however, considering the technology available at that time, only he who has conquered the wind can command the seas.
But beyond the geopolitical impact of the wind, it is also worthy to mention the wind's crucial role in international (and intra-national – especially intra-imperial) commerce. Those of us in the United States have all likely studied at one point or another in grade school the Triangular Trade between the American Colonies, Britain, and western Africa which involved the transatlantic slave trade. So, we can clearly see that the wind's influence on commerce has had an astounding effect on shaping our history and our present, including everything from the distribution of power amongst empires, to the distribution of wealth amongst nations and individuals, to the movement of religion and science across the world. When greater Europe "discovered" the New World, a period of great exploration ensued. Courageous men (who were often ill-motived and inhumane, unfortunately) set out to explore, to conquer, and to spread their religions to these "new" lands. The exploration and subsequent settling by Europeans in these lands added much commercial energy to the economies of these exploring countries, and it's all thanks to the wind, the good and the bad. Were Earth's wind far less active or had humankind not harnessed the wind for the purpose of transportation, everything would be different. Progress would have easily been delayed by thousands of years.
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But we've discovered more uses for the mighty wind than moving our stuff around – we managed to take raw crop and use the wind to mill it. I speak of course of the windmill. Windmills dramatically increase productivity and thus dramatically increase both commerce and population capabilities. As food is more readily available, expansion occurs more easily, and thus humankind progresses. We expand and breed more (bringing both the good and the bad with us), and the result is greater manpower and ultimately greater progress.
And we do progress. Today, we've reached the point at which we can turn the power of the wind into electricity – a form of energy with which we've been able to do all sorts of interesting things. Today, we can turn vast, empty plains – even oceanic and (at least eventually) arctic plains – into wind farms. We can "plant" green, advanced wind turbines and "harvest" pure electricity without substantial harm to the environment or cost to ourselves – oil may be cheaper and more convenient than investing in many alternative energy sources, but it won't always be; I predict a future powered by multiple sustainable energy sources, and I love the idea. It actually feels cleaner to me, to look at a windmill or a turbine or even an old school sailboat, and know that we're harnessing a renewable force that's ever-present and immensely powerful. Humankind has shied away from the power of the wind in recent times, but I foresee a future in which we again depend on the wind's might to drive our civilization onward into a future of progress and growth.
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