Rising Bird Death Rates: Is Wind Energy Really Sustainable?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

[*]As many parts of the world continue to push for alternate energy sources and less dependence on oil, there is rising concern that wind energy is actually not too good for the environment. The fact that wind farms can generate electricity without producing any emissions often overshadows its problems, such as the number of birds and other flying animals killed or injured from colliding with wind turbines and its physical appearance and noise that many people consider to be bothersome.

[*]For instance, a wind farm in Southern California could be facing legal issues. Because of the increasing death rate of birds near the facility, investigations have begun recently on the Pine Tree Wind Project headed by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

[*]The 120-megawatt facility occupies 8,000 acres of land in the Tehachapi Mountains and is blamed for the deaths of many migratory birds, including a number of endangered golden eagles which are protected under the Endangered Species Act and could make Pine Tree the first ever wind farm to be charged under the Act.

[*]In June 2010, the DWP conducted an internal study and concluded that the death rates of birds at Pine Tree were “relatively high” compared with 45 other wind energy plants in the country.

[*]Other than activists, residents also have complaints with wind turbines. With blades that can be as long as a football field, many consider them to be a huge eyesore. Additionally, they generate a considerable amount of noise.

[*]In the Bay Area, wind turbines also have a bad image to animal activists and residents. Providing thousands of nearby homes with clean, wind generated electricity since the 1980s, the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area also causes a significant amount of bird deaths. Having 5,000 wind turbines, the wind farm at Altamont Pass causes about 67 golden eagle deaths a year. However, the much smaller Pine Tree wind farm and its 90 turbines has a higher death rate per turbine; about 3 times greater than the Altamont Pass wind farm.

[*]Although high bird mortality rates is one of the most detrimental impacts wind turbines have, governments have been rather slow to address the problem. Says Shawn Smallwood, an expert on raptor ecology, "Wind farms have been killing birds for decades and law enforcement has done nothing about it." Perhaps the reason for the government's slow action is the push for renewable energy sources. In April, California governor Jerry Brown passed a law requiring a third of electricity used in the state to come from renewable sources, including wind, by 2020. The new law is the most aggressive of any state in the US.

[*]A possible solution to ease the damage to migrating birds is to shut down wind farms during migrating seasons. TransAlta Corpopration in Ontario, Canada has been urged by activists to turn off wind turbines during the summer and early fall, which are considered “high-risk periods.” Says Ted Cheskey, of Nature Canada,“That period is when the vast majority of birds seem to be killed. The evidence is there, and now there is an obligation for [TransAlta] to act.”

[*]Cheskey also accuses TransAlta that their turbines cause about 1,500 bird and 3,800 bat deaths each year. However, TransAlta claims their wind farm stays within the allowable number of bird and bat deaths. Says Glen Whelan, TransAlta’s manager of public affairs, although “bird and bat mortality is unfortunately inevitable at wind power facilities, we are seeing numbers that are within the ranges that are called for by regulators.”

[*]According to the Wildlife Service, 440,000 birds are killed each year by turbines at wind farms nationwide. Even though wind energy is a clean alternative to oil, is it really a clean source of energy if it causes this much damage to bird populations?

Read more: http://greenanswers.com/news/255300/rising-bird-death-rates-wind-energy-really-sustainable#ixzz1W04YtEbf

Edited August 25, 2011 by Crusty Old Perv

[Sofiyya 1,687]

We need renewable energy. There more birds in other places anyway.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

This was posted a year ago. And the answer then was that the increase in bird deaths will lead to a local population of smarter birds. Those too stupid to avoid the generators will be taken out of the gene pool and only the more intelligent ones will survive to breed. If we could only stop protecting the humans in the same state from their own stupidity maybe we would be able to raise the average human intelligence also.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Eagle deaths investigated at LADWP wind power generation site

August 2, 2011

An investigation has been launched into the deaths of migratory birds including several federally protected golden eagles at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Pine Tree Wind Project in the Tehachapi Mountains, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday.

Should the inquiry result in a prosecution, the 120-megawatt facility on 8,000 acres of rugged terrain would be the first wind farm to face charges under the Endangered Species Act, which could cause some rethinking and redesign of this booming alternative energy source.

http://greenanswers.com/news/255300/rising-bird-death-rates-wind-energy-really-sustainable#ixzz1W04YtEbf

[SuperDuper! 230]

Birds get killed by flying near airplanes. Should we do away with airplanes? No.

Wind energy is the future, and is very expensive, so don't break it.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

this is funny because it's so true.

This was posted a year ago. And the answer then was that the increase in bird deaths will lead to a local population of smarter birds. Those too stupid to avoid the generators will be taken out of the gene pool and only the more intelligent ones will survive to breed. If we could only stop protecting the humans in the same state from their own stupidity maybe we would be able to raise the average human intelligence also.

[luckytxn 2,264]

Start homeless camps under or near the wind farms. Seems that a good free food source is available there.

[slim 1,525]

Cats are bad too.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Cats are bad too.

Yep. The meat is too lean and stringy.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Cats kill an estimated 500,000,000 birds a year - more than 1,000 times the number of birds chopped up by wind turbines. Must we ban cats?

[Captain Oates 911]

Birds live five years longer than blokes

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Cats kill an estimated 500,000,000 birds a year - more than 1,000 times the number of birds chopped up by wind turbines. Must we ban cats?

How many of those are Federally protected endangered species? How many of those are mature raptors? Good try, but complete fail.

http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/101229.html

Edited August 25, 2011 by Crusty Old Perv

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

How many of those are Federally protected endangered species?

Federally protected endangered species? What are you? Some dirty tree hugger? Some big gubmint freak?

Edited August 25, 2011 by Mr. Big Dog

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Federally protected endangered species? What are you? Some dirty tree hugger? Some big gubmint freak?

I was just wondering, because I have seen some of the raptors here carry away small animals that weigh more than your average house cat.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I was just wondering, because I have seen some of the raptors here carry away small animals that weigh more than your average house cat.

Yes, and? I see birds hitting the windows of our office building all the time. Not many survive the crash. Should we ban windows, too?