global warming and wind power: another case ot the law of unintended consequences

From the Washington Post on Monday. I've posted about the deadly effects of wind farms on birds before here, and a similar ecologically friendly/bird unfriendly story here.

By the way, wind power provides 0.7% of our energy nationally.

Wind farms under fire for bird kills

Six birds found dead recently in Southern California’s Tehachapi Mountains were majestic golden eagles. But some bird watchers say that in an area where dozens of wind turbines slice the air they were also sitting ducks.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating to determine what killed the big raptors, and declined to divulge the conditions of the remains. But the likely cause of death is no mystery to wildlife biologists who say they were probably clipped by the blades of some of the 80 wind turbines at the three-year-old Pine Tree Wind Farm Project, operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

As the Obama administration pushes to develop enough wind power to provide 20 percent of America’s energy by 2030, some bird advocates worry that the grim discovery of the eagles this month will be a far more common occurrence.

Windmills kill nearly half a million birds a year, according to a Fish and Wildlife estimate. The American Bird Conservancy projected that the number could more than double in 20 years if the administration realizes its goal for wind power.

Of course the official Industry trade group, The American Wind Energy Association, disputes the figures, and says that vastly more birds are killed flying into glass buildings or by cats.

Maybe so. Hit the link for the whole story.

Comments

[maria]

When this issue was discussed at prior village board meetings, then trustee Tom Brennan would bring up these very situations repeatedly. Instead he was met with eye rolling and smiles from pro-wind advocates, as if he was pulling the information from out of a hat. Thanks for shedding more light on the law of unintended consequences and people who embrace ideas without fully exploring the ramifications.