Let's Put Things Into Perspective...

     A lot of people out there are against Wind Farms. They complain about the number of birds that are killed each year by spinning wind turbines, which to them is an enemy of nature. Being a bird lover and an environmentalist, naturally this concerns me. Is it true? Do Wind Farms (either off-shore or on the sides of mountains) kill that many birds? Are some of those birds on the Endangered Species List? Are wind farms going to cause any birds species to become extinct?

     Well, the truth is that birds are killed by Wind Farms. Some of the birds killed each year are indeed on the Endangered Species list. But how many are just killed by wind farms vs other killers of birds? Estimates vary depending on where you find your information and there are more than a few unknowns.

     Let's do a quick and unscientific comparison. Just to get the mind working.

     While wind turbines do kill birds, there are other technologies out there that kill far more birds than all the wind farms combined. For example: buildings, cars, buses, trucks, airplanes, helicopters, boats, highways, pipelines, power lines and canals. Just to name a few. Human activities that also kill birds? Habitat destruction caused by coal mining, oil drilling, deforestation, the filling in of wetlands, oil spills, toxic run-off from refineries, chemical spills and air pollution. Just to scratch the surface. So, when you look at it like that and see the bigger picture...what do you think kills more birds? Wind Farms or all of the things associated with oil and chemical industries?

     Eagles and other birds of prey are the most at risk since they fly with eyes to the ground, searching for prey. If they would only look up! Wind Power companies are working on bird warning systems to prevent birds from flying into wind turbines. So we should see a decline in bird deaths due to wind generated energy. As the industry grows and more turbines are installed, the industry will be able to locate wind farms away from the migratory patterns of birds and help reduce the impact.

     What have the other industries done to reduce their number of bird kills? Have those that say they are against wind energy so they can save the birds stopped driving their cars? Have they stopped flying in planes? Have they divested from companies that pollute the oceans, fill in the wetlands and cut down the forests? Because, that kills birds too.