Ecotretas writes in with this sad video.
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First time I’ve seen an image of a big bird going down due to wind energy:
The important part is at 1:57 This occurred in Creta.
The effort to save the bird is notorious! Please check it out at:
and
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This video made me wonder why the vulture was hanging around these wind power turbines. Perhaps there were other birds felled by the turbines on the ground and the vulture just did what they do normally: circle and wait.
“Andy Scrase (14:03:38) :
I would suggest that the bird was circling in a thermal, which happen to form at the top of ridgelines. This is where they also put the windmill. At the beginning of the video is a shot from a paraglider, which would be there for the same reason.”
Somebody got a videa of a paraglider getting whacked?
Weather response to a large wind turbine array
D. B. Barrie and D. B. Kirk-Davidoff
Abstract. Electrical generation by wind turbines is increasing
rapidly, and has been projected to satisfy 15% of world
electric demand by 2030. The extensive installation of wind
farms would alter surface roughness and significantly impact
the atmospheric circulation due to the additional surface
roughness forcing. This forcing could be changed deliberately
by adjusting the attitude of the turbine blades with respect
to the wind, which would enable the “management”
of a large array of wind turbines. Using a General Circulation
Model (GCM), we represent a continent-scale wind farm
as a distributed array of surface roughness elements. Here
we show that initial disturbances caused by a step change in
roughness grow within four and a half days such that the flow
is altered at synoptic scales. The growth rate of the induced
perturbations is largest in regions of high atmospheric instability.
For a roughness change imposed over North America,
the induced perturbations involve substantial changes in the
track and development of cyclones over the North Atlantic,
and the magnitude of the perturbations rises above the level
of forecast uncertainty.
http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/769/2010/
Sue them
When we see the wackos claim the turbines are efficent, how much does a non rotating turbine produce?
Bipolar bears and now this. They sue to stop alternative power generation and sue to shut down turbines.
We need to genetically engineer virtual vultures that can’t be sliced by blades rotating at 150 MPH.
Most greenie weenie web sites will not allow a post that mentions turbines shutdown for breakdown or bird migration. It must be gobblergate.
The tall tower turkeys and the feathered turkeys
at war. They can’t both survive.
u.k.(us) (15:00:28) :
The bashing is due to the inefficiency of the technology, not the risk. Wind power would not exist, without the subsidies (taxes) that make it profitable
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I accept that argument. But I do not accept the “bird-o-matics” argument. In general, bird mortalities at wind farms are not biologically significant at the local or regional level, or with respect to migratory populations. There are exceptions of course (a well-known example the Altamont Pass energy farm in California). But the impact can be greatly reduced by locating wind farms “in areas of poor habitat, low bird densities and without significant populations of susceptible species of high conservation importance” (Crockford, N.J., A review of the possible impacts of wind farms on birds and other wildlife. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, JNCC report no. 27, Peterborough, UK)
1. wind has a cooling effect
2. windmills slow down the wind (even if only a little)
3. electricity generates heat
Conclusion: windmills used to generate electric power must increase global temperature.
We have a tragedy of the commons brewing here. Soon to come – a becalmed hot world.
I don’t wish to excuse what happens in the video, but consider how much wildlife is killed in (say) transport.
Every economic activity comes at a cost. Sure we can try to minimise the costs, including the killing of wild animals. But if anybody wants to argue that some loss is wrong, they could start by avoiding any form of transport or industrialised agriculture and so on.
So my message to WUWT would be to leave off the tugging at the emotions.
Sorry for that, but not impressed!
Wasting millions of dollars on highly inefficient bird killing windmills, no wonder Greece and California went bankrupt.
“So actually, a little bit of thought could prevent these types of incidents by not locating windmills on prime thermal soaring sites.”
Ridges such as this are a natural hunting range for large Raptors. It’s not so much thermal lift they seek, but what is called “ridge lift”, well known among glider pilots. The raptor conserves energy by surfing the continuous wave of rising air created by even the lightest of breezes being forced up the ridge.
Unfortunately, the windmill industry has found that the ridges also create a venturi effect on light winds, accelerating them as they compress coming over the ridge. They are prime locations for these “farmers”.
This industry does not appear to have a realistic connection with protecting the environment.
johan (14:28:)
If you are serious,just absorb :-
Daniel (13:16:52) :
Must to read:
The hidden fuel costs of wind generated electricity.
http://www.clepair.net/windsecret.html
The impact of wind generated electricity on fossil fuel consumption.
http://www.clepair.net/windefficiency.html
It’s a numbers, not a ‘feel good’ game.
@Sam the Skeptic (13:17:46) :
It’s good to be skeptical but when this lattice stuff arrives on the world scene, don’t say you weren’t warned. Good or bad, we all live in interesting times.
keith in hastings UK,
You are correct sir about the need for backup generation. If we build wind turbines we will use them whenever they are making power since they have zero variable operating and maintenance (O&M) costs. However, they will displace the units with the highest variable O&M costs that are currently in service. In many areas this will be gas powered not coal. In addition, since….”the wind blows when it wants to”…as they say, you need to build additional generating assets to account for times when the wind isn’t blowing.
Another point some people don’t realize; Wind turbines have a capacity factor of only about 35%, and this in an area with good wind resources. Capacity factor is the actual amount of power generated in a given time period (usually annually) divided by the theoretical maximum over that same time period if operating at nameplate the entire time. You therefore need to install about three times the expected capacity to displace a given amount of conventional dispatchable generation such as nuke, coal, or nat gas. Even then wind is never dispatchable – you cannot call on it to produce power on the customer’s schedule.
A couple of other points:
Large utility scale wind turbines are typically synchronous machines so they turn at the same speed no matter how hard the wind is blowing.
The 35% capacity factor is just a function of optimal design considerations. The bulk of the cost of a wind turbine is not in the generator and the nameplate rating on the generator determines the capacity of the wind turbine. Generators are therefore relatively over sized to take advantage of generating capability when winds are blowing relatively hard. A typical cut in speed might be 8mph and generation would be minimal at that time. However, you also want to take advantage those times when the wind is blowing relatively quickly – perhaps 25-30mph. This would be a ballpark figure for when maximum generation would occur. With cutout about 50mph to prevent damage.
If you want to get rich figure out a way to store large amounts of electrical power efficiently and economically. We wouldn’t have to build another power plant of any kind for decades.
Jerker Andersson (13:45:38) :
While birds getting hit by windmills is a real problem I suspect this video is a fake video.
Why?
I had a close look, and I see what you mean, it looks very odd. I think, however, that this is merely the camera zooming out jerkily. The photographer probably wanted to keep the ‘mill in scope. When you do this the central object(s) appear stationary, and peripheral objects slide in (a technique used in films a lot).
And the point of showing this is (I didn’t bother to watch)? Something we’re not aware of? This is too sensational, please take this thread down.
nofreewind (12:04:22), excellent points. We don’t get spit from wind energy and yet it seems they will kill birds all day long for it. Nuclear is the way to go and we all know it. What I don’t understand is how the French of all people can be ahead of us on this particular issue? People’s fear of nuclear is based on the technology of 40 years ago! More Nukes!!
Lots of people making disparaging comments about wind energy without doing any homework. See http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=981
If you want to reduce bird kill, stop building skyscrapers, raising pet cats and driving cars. The wind turbine contribution to total bird kill, or even to raptor kill is vanishingly small.
It is not a mill.
What a bunch of BS, more birds die from slipping on soap in the bathtub. I have two turbines on my farm in Minnesota. There has never been a bird killed by the turbines. I think posting bogus stuff like this makes think you guys are playing the same game those alarmist on Global Warming play…..not cool, just get they post hyped up contrived stories does not mean we need too…..a low for this site in my book……John.
From the youtube link:
WiegandsWindow “Putting these killers in the critical habitats of rare and endangered species is similar to putting a school crosswalk on a NASCAR racetrack. Most prop wind turbines have blade tips speeds of about 200 mph. The Prop turbines in this video are spinning at about 1/2 speed. This video clearly illustrates why all birds and bats do not have a chance near the spinning blades of a prop turbine.”
Perhaps 24/7 video-surveillance of ALL windmills should be REQUIRED BY LAW.
We have a high-profile windmill locally on Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, BC, Canada. I want to know how many whisky jacks are found dead by it (by staff in the morning BEFORE the tram starts bringing visitors up the mountain). Whisky jacks are VERY cute. They will come sit on your hand if you share your food. They like kamut pasta.
Paul Vaughan, M.Sc.
Ecologist, Parks & Natural Forests Advocate, Former Wildlife Researcher
The camera pans left…zoom in…unfortunate waterfowl caught in an oil slick released by an accident at sea. The media…plays, repeatedly captured video of unfortunate waterfowl. Dateline today…ExxonMobil is the greatest evil on the planet…spending excessive profits on exposing the global warming myth.
Camera captures large bird species severely disabled by “good” “planet-saving” technology. Where is the outrage? Where are the animal rights organizations? Blogger claims look how long it took to injure this bird. The technology must be good. Clearly very few birds are dying.
Introduce a technology into a wilderness area and wildlife will die, whether by oil spills or giant propellors.
Can we discuss this rationally? Apparently not!
“Tim McHenry (16:28:36) :
nofreewind (12:04:22), excellent points. We don’t get spit from wind energy and yet it seems they will kill birds all day long for it. Nuclear is the way to go and we all know it. What I don’t understand is how the French of all people can be ahead of us on this particular issue? ”
They needed it to maintain their own nukes before they became a full member of NATO.
@Murray Sandland
‘Lots of people making disparaging comments about wind energy without doing any homework. See http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=981
If you want to reduce bird kill, stop building skyscrapers, raising pet cats and driving cars. The wind turbine contribution to total bird kill, or even to raptor kill is vanishingly small.’
I digress, it’s you that need to do your home work.
Albeit windmills kill less birds, they tend to kill the ones on the endangered list, for one simple reason: wind.
See where there is good wind there be the little birds, which is due to their innate laziness that tells ’em to make good use of draft as so not to flap their wings for no good god damn reason.
The horrible truth is you green muppets aren’t happy with just putting up one screwy windmill around, or worse in, protected areas, you put up hundreds, and thousands. And for what, but for the creation of yet another coal fired power plant to make sure those hundreds, and thousands, of muppet-mills deliver subsidised electricity about 30% of the year all the while slaying endangered birds.
Rodents seek protection from raptors, so the raptors food supply move near these wind mills. Those estimates on how many birds are being killed are not worth the paper they are printed on. Look who funds the research.
I would be skeptical of the video though, the odds are pretty low of capturing such an event on anything but a web cam. The hypothesis that the bird was lured to his fate might not be that far fetched. However, dead carrion could also be the attraction and perhaps a number of birds had met a similar fat prior to this (in which case video could show multiple birds on the ground in the area).
Wind energy is a big fraud designed to render land unusable for development and exploit the resources on that land. Trees, waterways and even agriculture will be adversely effected/controlled by the developers. Roads must be paved for maintenance/installation, electrc lines lines built, tons of concrete is used for the foundations for these metal rapture killers. Not to mention the noise. How environmentally friendly are they? Not much.
And when the generators fail in the post-subsidy days , and the windmills profit earning days end, who do you think is going to remove these eyesores, or restore them to operation. Nobody, they will just be left to corrosion, permanent (hundreds of years) monuments to mans idiotic ways, until the next ice age when some of them get plowed under by advancing glaciers.
Oh and i found a solution for the problem:
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/images/scarecrow1.jpg
Greenpeace in need of new name: GreenWar perhaps?
Fits well with all the other so called Green stuff that isn’t green at all i you have a closer look at it.
http://tomnelson.blogspot.com/2010/04/on-greenpeaceorg-physical-threats.html
Johan says,
“I accept that argument. But I do not accept the “bird-o-matics” argument. In general, bird mortalities at wind farms are not biologically significant at the local or regional level, or with respect to migratory populations.”
Is the kill that much more significant from oil spills? No. Yet every kid in primary school around the world will tell you that oil kills and wind technology is good.
Well as we’ve seen, technology, in general kills regardless of the “significance.” It is a price that we pay to live the way we live. In the end oil has brought greater prosperity to mankind than wind power and it will continue to do so for the remainder of this century!