28 July 2010, 6:22 am
While thinking about the Gulf oil moratorium imposed by Obama because of the recent BP oil spill, I came to wonder why a similar action has not been directed towards Wind Farms in this country. Apparently, as long ago as 2004, it was noted that bird kills due to such wind installations is alarmingly high. Claims by the industry that newer designs will cut down on such kills, are doubtful. Should the industry be fined for killing protected species (which, at this point, would be $Millions), along with shutting down the wind farms until they can assure us that bird kills will be dramatically reduced? The poor critters have a tough enough time dealing with cars and buildings..... I certainly hope that the wind industry does not use that as an excuse to be able to kill 'their share' of them! Your thoughts? “Enviro Group Sues Wind Farm to Stop Bird Deaths” New studies show greater-than-expected harm to humans, wildlife Written By: James M. Taylor Published In: Environment & Climate News > March 2004 Publication date: 03/01/2004 Publisher: The Heartland Institute ________________________________________ "Giant wind turbines at Altamont Pass, California, are illegally killing more than 1,000 birds of prey each year, according to a lawsuit filed January 12 by the Center for Biological Diversity. Thousands of Deaths Every Year Thousands of wind turbines were built in Northern California’s Altamont Pass region during the 1980s in response to activist groups’ call for greater reliance on renewable energy sources. Construction of the wind turbines, however, has made the region one of the most deadly places in the world for a large variety of birds. Literally thousands of birds are killed by the turbines each year, including roughly 1,000 annual kills of such valued birds of prey as golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and burrowing owls. Complicating matters, Altamont Pass is a major migration route for birds of prey in North America. The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal to kill migratory birds without permits. According to Benito Perez, special agent in charge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Portland, Oregon, office of law enforcement, every killing of a migratory bird by the Altamont Pass wind turbines is a violation of federal law. Moreover, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits the killing of eagles. Yet in Altamont Pass, home to the nation’s largest concentration of golden eagles, wind turbines kill hundreds of the majestic birds every year. “Altamont has become a death zone for eagles and other magnificent and imperiled birds of prey,” said Jeff Miller, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Birds come into the pass to hunt and get chopped up by the blades.” Owners of the wind turbines assert they have gone to great measures to protect birds from being sliced up by the turbine blades, but the technology simply does not exist to generate wind power without sacrificing an immense number of birds each year. Many of the Center for Biological Diversity’s recommendations for ameliorating bird deaths, such as moving the Altamont Pass turbines to different locations, would necessitate significant up-front expense and make wind power generation even less efficient than is already the case. Wind power is already significantly more expensive to produce than power from such traditional sources as oil, coal, and natural gas, even though wind power receives substantial subsidies from U.S. taxpayers. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that Altamont Pass bird deaths are more prevalent than previously thought. According to the January 30 Oakland Tribune, previous studies conducted by wind farm operators had underestimated Altamont Pass bird kills by 25 to 300 percent. Moreover, new technologies designed to reduce the number of bird deaths will actually have the effect of increasing turbine bird kills. The new study, summarized the Tribune, “suggests the [bird death] problem is more serious than previously thought.” Other studies, also issued in January, showed wind turbines may be more dangerous to humans than had previously been thought. “There is a public perception that wind power is ‘green’ and has no detrimental effect on the environment,” said Osborne. “However, these turbines make low-frequency noises that can be as damaging as high-frequency noises.” “Wind power may well be the least environmentally friendly idea ever proposed by environmentalists,” noted Iain Murray, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute." http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/14562/Enviro_Group_Sues_Wind_Farm_to_Stop_Bird_Deaths.html Gwen.... you are in Denial. Citing the American Wind Energy Association??!! Sheesh! Virtual Guy.... The point that I am trying to make is that the Gulf oil spill.... as unfortunate as it was.... was enough to shut down oil rigs and exploration in the gulf until the Obama folks are satisfied that it won't happen again. I question why there seems to be a double-standard for non-fossil fuel mis-haps. And no, I do not work for BP or Big Oil. I simply question things that appear to fly in the face of common sense/fairness.... Read More »
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