Let’s see, they put up windmills to save the planet, then end up killing off endangered species, then have to limit the turbines to half days. FAIL
The Indiana bat is an endangered species and is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act.
Full story here
And it doesn’t seem to be limited to problems in Pennsylvania. Here’s a report about a wind farm in Canada:
Within 3/4 of a mile from the shores of Cape Vincent there already is an operational 86 turbine wind power plant on Wolfe Island, Canada. The Wolfe Island post construction bat mortality report determined that an estimated 1720 bats are killed per turbine per year. Cape Vincent can expect the same numbers because of similar habitat and shared species with Wolfe Island.
Probably helps to check the map first before building:
ACCIONA TURBINE AREAS
h/t to WUWT reader “bladeshearerJack Maloney”
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The wind lobby has it’s excuses:
“DWP officials acknowledged that at least six golden eagles have been struck dead by wind turbine blades at the two-year-old Kern County facility, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, which was designed to contribute to the city’s renewable energy goal of 35% by 2020.
Although the total deaths at Pine Tree pale in comparison with the 67 golden eagles that die each year in Northern California’s Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, the annual death rate per turbine is three times higher at the DWP facility. The Altamont Pass facility has 5,000 wind turbines — 55 times as many as Pine Tree.
Nationwide, about 440,000 birds are killed at wind farms each year, according to the Wildlife
Service. The American Wind Energy Assn., an industry lobbying group, points out that far more birds are killed by collisions with radio towers, tall buildings, airplanes and vehicles, and encounters with household cats.
Attorney Allan Marks, who specializes in renewable energy projects, called the Pine Tree deaths “an isolated case. If their golden eagle mortality rate is above average, it means the industry as a whole is in compliance.” ”
Household cats kill golden eagles?
Well now we know where that previous commenter got his talking points …
…. From Big Wind! Oh the irony!
And what a weird way of making a point. [A] kills less birds and bats than [B + C + D + E + F + G + …].
Perhaps a new tab on your site is in order. Call it “AGW Ironies”.
Stories like this one, as well as the legal battle between the California neighbors, one of which had solar panels, the other Redwood trees. If I remember correctly, the solar panel guy sued the Redwood guy to cut down his trees.
Apparently the bats are being killed by pressure changes around the windmills affecting their lungs.
Which suggests that those found dead in the immediate vicinity of the windmills may be a small proportion of those harmed and eventually killed by the windmills.
A review of the sources of avian mortality provides some insiights. Buildings are responsible for about 55,000 times more avian fatalities than wind turbines. (US Forrest Service, Gen. Tech. Rep., PSW-GTR-191.2005).
Wind turbines are sited in exactly the same wind corridors favored by birds. Why would it be a surprize that there is a conflict between bird and machine here?
The biggest wind problem this Country has is in the Congress of the United Stats and at 1600 Pennselvania Avenue. Get rid of this, when you vote November 2012, problem solved.
This problem does not only rest on one person but many people whom belong to elected positions in the town of Cape Vincent. Which apparently control the fate of our beautifully landscaped town. Being an avid bird hunter I showed a special interest in the bird study that was conducted by the wind turbine companies. I had two conversations with the gentleman doing the study. He was about 22yrs old an he told me he had just graduated from college. He was here for a one month bird study….basically he was here to count birds. On both occasions I had inquired about bird numbers an species. His counts were so low I started to think maybe he was just sleeping in his truck. Three one day five another. On the second meeting I was shocked to hear him ask me an others on better locations to sit an count from. I had to regretfully inform him that I was to sure when Michigans migration periods were but he was here at the totally wrong time of year for Northern NY to count local an migratory species. Not to mention him being half loaded at the bar spilling his guts to some other locals. Sad! Send a college kid from Michigan to Northern NY to totally screw up a crucial bird study.