Don't Be Fooled On Wind Power And Birds

EarthTechling:

If anyone on the right has expressed concern about the Keystone XL pipeline’s potential impact on migratory birds, I missed it. The view there on Keystone is full speed ahead, send the dilbit on down – even as government scientists and conservation groups [PDF] raise questions about how the pipeline might harm birds and habitat.

Read the whole story: EarthTechling

Comments

[Counterintuitive]

08:03 AM on 01/07/2012

Great article. And when you think about it, the whole idea of sharp bladed windmills chopping up helpless winged friends does seem too perfect to be anything other than a sales pitch by the energy industry. That said, the windmills should be painted with an unchanging internationally agreed upon color pattern that the birds can gradually evolve to recognize and avoid. Other creatures have evolved to avoid us. Why else are Antarctic and Galapagos creatures so friendly towards us? Because they haven't learned how dangerous we are. Follow an agreed upon standard and in a few centuries the birds will know to avoid them.

[Genders]

10:33 PM on 12/31/2011

They left out cats and building which kill 100M birds per year. plus cars another 100M.

Offshore wind kills none.

[susanbsbi]

11:47 AM on 12/30/2011

Was a good Article. The Wind machines have been around for over 30 years in So California, they are off US 10 going to Palm Springs. They have reduce the electric consumption in that area.

[Walt41682]

04:44 PM on 12/31/2011

30 years X 440,000 dead birds annually = 13,200,000 dead birds and many more to come with more turbines being built.

Where is PETA when you need them.

[yeti7]

09:06 PM on 12/31/2011

Building memorials on the road side to dead cows.

[napapjd]

07:22 PM on 01/04/2012

Just to make sure it's clear, 440,000 is the Fish and Wildlife Service's estimate of the number of bird's currently killed by all wind-power plants in the nation. That reflects a dramatic increase in the number of plants in operation in the past several years.

[yeti7]

09:06 PM on 12/31/2011

How do wind turbines reduce electric consumption in the area?

I went through the area a few times and thought the things were down right ugly.

[Walt41682]

09:52 PM on 12/31/2011

I guess wind turbines could reduce consumption because their efficiency rating is the 20 percent range and since the wind is not blowing all the time so their not actually producing electricty 24/7. Brownouts will become a common thing thus reducing electric consumption.