Global Wind Day 2011: there is wind of change

by Anna de Polo

The next June 15th it will be the Global Wind Day 2011, a day dedicated to the discovery of wind as a source of clean and sustainable energy. Launched in 2007 in Europe, the event has become "worldwide" since 2009 and has proven increasingly successful. The last year has indeed seen the participation of 29 countries, from Austria to Australia, from France to Japan, with over 220 events, including guided tours of the wind plants, conventions, children's workshops, trade fairs, exhibitions and much more. The project is developed through a network of partnerships coordinated by EWEA (the European Wind Energy Association) and the GWEC (the Global Wind Energy Council) and takes place in a historical moment in which the public opinion is particularly sensitive to energy, as emphasized by the chairman of EWEA, Arthouros Zervos: «Fukushima, the Arab spring and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have created enormous public interest in the future of energy. Global Wind Day encourages citizens to find out for themselves how wind can make our energy supply more secure and environmentally friendly».

As for Italy, the information campaign on wind energy, already in progress for several days, is coordinated by ANEV, l’Associazione Nazionale Energia Vento (the National Wind Energy Association), which since 2002 represents the protagonists of the wind energy industry of the country. The organization is active both in the divulgation, based on real and monitored data, and on research, with the aim of reconciling the development of clean energy with the natural environment that hosts it, protecting the territory and promoting the employment. A correct information of the citizens is crucial so that the construction of new wind farms do not meet any resistance from local communities. From a recent statistics survey (data collected in May 2010), conducted by ANEV, it appears that 82% of Italians claim for increased information about wind energy and only 52% are aware of the criteria for disbursement of government incentives for wind power. Despite the lack of information, however, the collected data displayed that the wind energy has a good image profile: for 80% of Italians it is environmentally friendly, it is both an international (77%) and local (70%) economic opportunity and it is a source not subjected to economic and political crises (75%).

To celebrate the Global Wind Day, ANEV organized in Rome at the Villa Borghese Palaenergia a series of events, including conferences and seminars from 8th June and workshops for children (11-12th June), as well photo exhibitions and workshops to learn how to build kites for kite-surfing. The event will culminate on the 15th June, when there will be two conferences of ANEV with the titles: "Wind power: development and employment" and "Wind power: The clean, efficient and useful renewable energy".