Posted on 07/09/2019 12:17:45 PM PDT by CedarDave
A new publication from the Global Warming Policy Foundation reviews the impact of wind energy on the environment and finds that it is already doing great harm to wildlife.
“The Impact of Wind Energy on Wildlife and the Environment” contains contributions from both researchers and campaigners, with a focus on birdlife.
Professor Oliver Krüger describes his cutting-edge research, which has shown how birds of prey and ducks are being killed in their thousands in Germany.
The risk to these species is so great that there is a possibility of whole populations being wiped out.
Klaus Richarz, the former head of a major bird reserve in Germany, describes how wind farm operators are evading strict compliance with the rules, to the detriment of both birds and bats.
Dr. Peter Henderson, of the University of Oxford, reviews the effects of wind turbines on a wide variety of animals. He suggests that the death toll on bats may already be ecologically significant:
“About 200,000 bats are annually killed at onshore wind turbines in Germany alone. These numbers are sufficient to produce concern for future populations, as bats are long-lived and reproduce slowly, so cannot quickly replace such losses.”
Lastly, Paula Byrne of WindAware Ireland describes how windfarms in her native country have desecrated landscapes, and have even threatened the endangered Nore Freshwater Pearl Mussel.
With an extraordinary expansion of renewable energy planned, there is potential for these serious environmental impacts to become catastrophic.
The Impact of Wind Energy on Wildlife and the Environment (pdf)
When the turbines are shut down during high winds you know it has to be fkd up and undependable.
Where is the Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and others on this?
I don’t like the farms because they blot out beautiful vistas out West. One turbine is kinda neat looking but dozens in one place not.
Doesn’t matter how much damage they cost, we have to save the environment at any cost
I knew this would happen. They didn’t listen to me, so the birds are dead.
But it sounds so good.....the only thing green about big wind power is the $$$$$$ it sucks from taxpayers.....
When the “Progressives” are on a an agenda, they do the very things they accuse others of doing, particularly not studying the consequences of something deeply before getting behind it just because it sounds “good”.
As the real science starts to understand the real impact of massive wind farms, it is only too bad that the politicians that put the government behind the effort can’t be legally held responsible for the consequences.
I’m not against clean energy, but wind and solar power is not the answer. More research needs to be put into thorium reactors.
Surprise surprise
The turbines only operate within a narrow range of wind speeds. Winds below 16 mph don’t generate enough force to turn the vanes; winds above 36 mph overstress the structure so the windmill has to be shut down. Western civilizations and their myopic romance with wind power are playing a fool’s game.
Wind Power is a waste of time and resources. Not mentioning that it kills birds. Nuclear Power is the way to go.
Drove through Upstate NY and there must be 1000 of these obscene looking machines that just totally destroy the view.
... destroy the view and flying birds and bats.
I have an answer: BURN COAL. God put it there for a reason.
BURN COAL. God put it there for a reason.
Go for it.
Not any more. I’m too old for that.
“Where is the Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and others on this?”
Hopefully you understand these groups well enough to know that answer. In case others don’t, here it is: Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace are EXACTLY where they want to be. They have much, if not most, of the public CONVINCED that the only way to ‘save the planet’ is to shut down every practical means of energy production.
They couldn’t do that directly - they tried and failed, so now it’s indirect. Give the masses something to replace those plants that doesn’t even work. But no problem, they won’t understand the math or the physics needed to figure out that these ‘replacements’ won’t work, they’ll simply ‘feel good’ by supporting those plans.
And then, after coal, nukes, and other plants are shutdown, demolished, and/or blown up, and the country stumbles back toward a per-industrial existence, it won’t matter - the people will be desperate for handouts, anything, and only the DEMOCRATS can fill those needs. And then finish the job by locking out conservatives from the political arena - for generations. And, hopefully, it’s not necessary to have to explain how that comes about (think Voter ID, or more specifically lack of Voter ID, for starters).
While traveling through China with my lovely wife, I noticed that they have very few of these monstrosities. I have seen more of them in Southern California than I saw going across China by train. I’m guessing that they put up a few of them so they can brag that they are doing their part to curb “ global warming “.
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