Are raptors threatened by industrial wind turbines?
Wind power is a unique threat to raptors (hawks, eagles, falcons, owls, and vultures) -- many of them already rare -- and other large birds, such as ducks, geese, swans, and cranes. The risk of collision not only threatens individual birds but also augments existing threats to their populations. The cumulative effect of multiple facilities may threaten the viable breeding of several species already in decline.
Do wind turbines kill more birds and bats than other human activities?
Promoters of industrial wind power often try to divert attention to the carnage wrought by office tower windows, cars, and housecats, as if two wrongs make a right. Even using the scant data inconsistently compiled by consultants hired by the wind power developers, it is clear that industrial wind turbines kill many more birds and bats per unit than these other causes, particularly raptors (such as eagles and hawks) and migrating bats and songbirds.
Is the impact to birds and bats justified?
Promoters of industrial wind power try to justify the threats to birds and bats with the claim that they are actually saving even more birds by cleaning the air and reversing global warming. They are wrong in that self-serving belief, because wind power does not replace other sources of electricity.
Do wind turbines kill bats?
The threat to bats has turned out to be a problem the industry can't deny. FPL Energy ended access to its facilities after independent research documented that thousands of bats were killed in just a couple of months at one location and that this pattern of mortality was being seen at other sites as well. To divert attention from this outrage and their lack of action to remedy it, FPL Energy announced in January 2006 that it would fund some bat conservation projects. That effort will not, however, mitigate the harm they are causing, let alone justify or reduce it.
A revealing story comes from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, which constructed a 1.65-megawatt wind turbine in September 2004 out in the middle of a corn field two miles from campus. In October 2005, the Winona Daily News described a tour led by project director Rob Lampa. Lampa told the group that they had seen no sign of a single bird or bat death since the turbine was switched on. But as they were leaving, one of the group from Winona pointed out something on the ground to one of the county commissioners with her. It was a dead bat. Nearby was another. As one of NWW's correspondents commented, Lampa will have to make sure the clean-up crew does a better job before the next tour!
