The (Toledo) Blade (http://bit.ly/P48Hao ) reports that birders are worrying about what effect the turbine's whirring blades will have on bald eagles and migratory birds that gather in the marshes and woods along the lake twice a year.
The proposal for the turbine a mile from the lake in Ottawa County is under attack and is being analyzed by wildlife officials.
Kim Kaufman, executive director of Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, says the coastal swath dotted with wildlife areas and refugees is a "globally important" bird habitat.
Officials say the 500-kilowatt turbine would generate wind power, reduce electric costs and aid research.
Comments
Now if we could just get commorants to fly higher!!!
Wow, maybe the bird watchers would rather pay double their electric bill or better yet have blackouts. Watch your birds on the Discovery channel!!
windmills are a waste of money. the dollar returned vs the dollar spent will NEVER make this a money saver.
The only reason they have been installed is because of the tax breaks they got. Thats the only way that the turbines save any money.
THIS IS why .------------ U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) helped secure about $1.5 million in federal funds for the project. The National Guard entered into a contract with a firm that purchased a reconditioned wind turbine that could be used at the site but is not presently located there, Lt. Col. Daniel Tack said. GOV pays ,someone gets rich .------BTW look at all the wasted money on solar facilities that are failing or scams. SOMEONE GETS RICH .-------------http://heritageaction.com/2012/0...
http://heritageaction.com/2012/0...
More here .http://www.libertynews.com/2012/...
If they know how to fly south they know how to fly higher.........…
If they know how to fly south they know how to fly higher.........…
Here's the thing... many migratory birds don't migrate during the day when they can "see" the windmill. They do it at night.
This close to the lake shore.... not a good idea, IMO. That is prime nesting and migration zones.
Put lights on the props.
People will put up with a few seachickens dead at the base, but one bald eagle!!!!!!
Is there any evidence to support that turbines are killing Eagles ?
Dispatch: Eagles vs. wind turbines
Posted: 06/13/2012 09:00:00 PM PDT
George Fenwick, president of the American Bird Conservancy, alerted journalists Wednesday to an ironic fact: Global Wind Day and American Eagle Day fall just days from each other.
The danger to America's birds from the increasing numbers of wind turbines is the very thing that has caused a rift in the environmental ranks.
Fenwick wrote in an e-mail: "On June 20, we celebrate American Eagle Day, officially designated by Congress to recognize the cultural, historical and ecological significance of our proud national symbol, and to raise awareness of the threats it faces. Ironically, Eagle Day comes just five days after Global Wind Day, a worldwide event `for discovering wind, its power, and the possibilities it holds for our world' (as described at globalwindday.org). The proximity of these events to each other is notable because, although it has the potential to be a green source of energy, wind power as it is currently being developed kills hundreds of thousands birds each year, including Bald and Golden Eagles."
He went on to say that the wind power industry has pressured the government to weaken eagle protections.
Nationwide, about 440,000 birds are said to be accidentally killed at wind farms each year, as well as thousands more bats. With the government pushing for more wind energy farms, that statistic is likely to rise.
From the Wall Street Journal
Windmills vs. Birds
About 70 golden eagles are killed every year by turbines at California's Altamont Pass, reports the LA Times..
Article
Kim your friends sound like they have bird brains.
Yeah, and deer run out in front of cars this time of year. You can see their eyes glowing in the night most times, and they wait till you are almost upon them before they jump in front of your car. Should we ban all cars on the roads in the fall in northern OH?
This is stupid. They are making big steps in energy efficient windmills and solar systems by trying the bad ones first. Nothing is perfect. Especially on the first few tries.
It is a waste of time and money. http://theorionproject.org/energ...
Excerpts from the LA Times article Goofus mentions:
...
The neighboring Buena Vista Wind Energy Project recently replaced 179 aging wind turbines with 38 newer and more powerful 1-megawatt turbines. That repowering effort has reduced fatality rates by 79% for all raptor species and 50% for golden eagles, according to a study by Shawn Smallwood, an expert on raptor ecology in wind farms.
...
Nationwide, about 440,000 birds are killed at wind farms each year, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The American Wind Energy Assn., an industry lobbying group, points out that far more birds are killed each year by collisions with radio towers, tall buildings, airplanes, vehicles and in encounters with hungry household cats.