Wind power has been farmed and used by people for ages. From powering ships to sail the seas to windmills that help generate power for crops and other necessities throughout civilizations, wind has been an ever-present and perfectly clean generation of energy. In present day, wind power is becoming more crucial to everyday life than it has in many years, even decades.

At the advent of oil and coal had become the primary source of power during the past two centuries, many people simply forgot about the abundant resources that nature provides on a daily basis. These sources of energy are not only renewable, meaning they will be provided for on a regular basis for as long as we would need it, they are also unpolluted. They don’t have the same harmful toxins and emissions that coal, oil, and gas produce.

In the United States, wind production locations, known as wind farms, are finally beginning to expand throughout the country, with the notion of providing energy for millions of homes and businesses around the nation. Although this has proven to be a great advance, it has been a long, slow, and frustrating journey for those who have always look forward for this advance, especially considering that many other nations in Europe have been tapping into this wonderful green energy source.

Wind farms can be seen in regions of the Southwest, through New Mexico, Arizona, and California, especially through the mountain and canyon passes, as well as along plains and valleys where wind is a consistent reminder of Mother Nature’s impressive power. Even though these wind turbines are impressive, they are far from having a major impact on society as a whole.

There has been a long-standing resistance to wind power from many different sources, not the least of which has been the oil industry. But also homeowners and residents of communities planning to build wind turbines in their vicinity have been opposed to them, in much the same way communities oppose the construction of prisons and cell towers and other necessity items.

Wind turbines have to be quite extensive in order to create enough power to warrant the expense and time required to build them. For some people, however, they are more of an eyesore than a benefit, especially when one considers these wind farms deliver their power to cities and other metropolitan places that are hundreds of miles away.

For homeowners, though, the lease on the land can outweigh any doubts he or she may have about the size or site of them. Perhaps the consideration shouldn’t be about its appearance or about who will directly benefit from them but about what they can do for the environment as a whole. As the global population continues to escalate, every person is being forced closer to their neighbors and there is a growing need to think about future generations and what they are left with.

Wind power is just one source of renewable energy, a small piece of a more important puzzle. Yet it is such an important piece to consider.

Craig Axelrod is VP of Business Development for EmmyEnergy.com, a NY solar energy system company delivering solar heating tube systems solar pv systems & clean energy products in the Northeast.