Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Monday, August 11, 2014

Wind Power: Green and Deadly

An average US citizen or corporate entity who kills an endangered animal can be in big trouble with the law. Birds, eagles in particular, are zealously protected by nature lovers in America and around the world. Yet a July 2008 study of the wind farm at Altamont Pass, California, estimated that an average of 80 golden eagles were killed there by wind turbines each year. The study, funded by the Alameda County Community Development Agency, estimated that about 10,000 other protected birds were being killed along with the eagles every year at Altamont. Where is the outrage over this slaughter? It would seem ecologists have a blind spot when it comes to the wind energy industry. As a result, the carnage caused by wind turbines, the “Cuisinarts of the Air,” is getting greenwashed. And birds are not the only creatures wind turbines kill—they kill bats and people as well.

In the US, birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which dates back to 1918. Over the past two decades, the federal government has brought hundreds of cases against energy companies for killing wild birds in the operation of their businesses. For example, in July 2009, the Oregon based electric utility PacifiCorp paid $1.4 million in fines for killing 232 eagles in Wyoming over a period of two years. The birds were electrocuted by poorly-designed power lines. At the same time, wind-powered turbines are killing a vast number of birds each year yet their owners are not being prosecuted.

While the total number of birds killed in the US each year fluctuates, Michael Fry of the American Bird Conservancyestimates that US wind turbines kill between 75,000 and 275,000 birds per year. Yet the Justice Department is not bringing cases against wind companies. “Somebody has given the wind industry a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Fry said, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “If there were even one prosecution,” he added, the wind industry would be forced to take the issue seriously (see “Windmills Are Killing Our Birds”).

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Democrats who whole heartedly embrace these turbines have no respect for anything including human life so why would anyone think for one second they would care about birds.
Democrats are so low they can be bought off with a pittance to the detriment of not only society in general but their own children and families.

Anonymous said...

Not sure why, but bringing wind turbines to the Eastern Shore is Mathias' pet project. This is his brilliant idea of creating jobs over here. Complete waste of time and money. Time for Mathias to go.

Anonymous said...

The turbine sites are miles from the sitting Commissioners. Is this just a coincidence?

Anonymous said...

wind turbines are MOM's middle fingers to the Eastern Shore - thanks to Norm and Jim AGAIN!

Anonymous said...

Well then Jim and Norm and all others who are in favor of and believe in these things need to show us how they have invested their own money into them.
They can't though because it's the other way around. The companies who stand to profit from the turbines have invested in the politicians either directly or indirectly.
They really think we are all fools.

Anonymous said...

The "profit" is from tax credits (subsidies) and state mandates to buy power even when power providers they can't use it.

Anonymous said...

The Somerset Commissioners have "profited" handsomely, I'm sure. Corruption?

Anonymous said...

9:13 - Very interesting. Was not aware of that. How corrupt, if these 2 old-timers aren't corrupt enough as it is! Please elaborate. Which companies?

Anonymous said...

If the Commissioners weren't corrupt, they would delay approval until after the election, so voters would have some say.

Anonymous said...

Air Planes suck up their share. I don't see them shutting down.

Anonymous said...

USFWS is going to allow Pioneer Green to kill 20 bald eagles every year with just 25 turbines. Massive waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and bats will be slaughtered with the eagles. The 3.2 million pounds of concrete will leech into the soil and the Bay. Electricity rates will rise.
James Mathias is the benefactor of this because he has sold us out to climb the political ladder.
Mathias has to go.