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Wind Turbines Kill a Few Birds
Guppy06 writes "The Houston Chronicle has an article about how a 7000-turbine windfarm in Altamont Pass, California (the world's largest collection) has killed an estimated 22,000 birds during the past 20 years or so of operation, 'including hundreds of golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, kestrels and other raptors(.)' There are efforts to keep the operators from renewing their permit until they take measures to protect bird populations. To put things in perspective the article goes on to point out that the Exxon Valdez spill is estimated to have killed around 250,000, while the whole story can just about be summed up by one quote by a biologist: 'When you turn on your lights you kill something, no matter what the source of electricity.'" Killing 3-4 birds per day doesn't seem too bad. It's a shame that larger, rarer birds are getting killed, but... How many birds would die from the acid rain that a coal power plant would cause?
Evolution in action. Obviously it only kills the dumb birds, the *smart* birds fly *around* the propellors...
I wish we could take this tact with the human population. I say, take the warning labels off of everything and let the chips fall where they may.
Just put up a giant scarecrow in the middle of the turbine farm.
UV Radiation no doubt, or not.
Just imagine a microwave installation receiving power from space, flapping birds would enter one side, and a KFC would set up shop on the other (yes, I know such frying would require a high intensity area).
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
"Why not put big metal grid around each turbine?"
Ever see a flock of birds stuck to a giant fan?
OddManIn: A Game of guns and game theory.
Hunters. Get hunters to stand below the turbines and SHOOT the birds before they can be chopped to pieces.
Oh wait, we're saving the BIRDS not the TURBINES.. damn damn damn!
If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
Any solution with magnetic fields?
Oh sure, condemn them to a slow and painful death by cancer instead of quickly and cleanly in the aero-electric abattoir.
KFG
Just encase the fans in glass.
(Sponsored by cheeseSource for President 2012)
Nah, it's probably the guy that hung the birdfeeders behind the turbine....
there are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
Get treehuggers to stand in front of the turbines and catch the birds before they hit the blades.
"God fights on the side with the best artillery." - Napoleon, Marshal of France - speaking truth to power
Put the bird carcasses and a big furnace that boils water that spins more turbines! Think OUTSIDE the box people! We just got yet another energy source!
Nonsense. I know lots of people with cancer and the correlation with living under the influence of earth's magnetic field is remarkably high.
KFG
few birds be damned -- lets look at the bigger picture
As a lovely woodpecker who's currently undergoing treatment in a small padded cage for psychological disorders following a close encounter with a huge wind turbine several years ago, I resent that remark.
Love,
Woody.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
That's hardly a victimless energy source. We all know that the Sun is only able to continue emitting energy by consuming a steady stream of kittens.
Chicken wire is just too specific, man. You'd also need eagle wire, wren wire, and african swallow wire, just to name a few.
BTM
That was the turning point of my life--I went from negative zero to positive zero.
Actually, I'd bet they've killed exactly 0 chickens with the turbines.
;-)
Chicken Wire would be useless!!!!!
On the plus side, we'd have to get Godzilla and Mothra to team up against the scarecrow, so, it wouldn't be a complete loss.
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
(and it has a nice picture)
However, between 7000 turbines and 22,000 birds, thats not exactly a bad statistic. More birds are killed by lots of other things, such as aircraft, cars, and yes, even your humble domestic cat.
I can vouch for that. I got two pheasants and a sparrow this year with one Toyota. Multiply 3 by the the number of Toyotas on the road, and one can easily see that wind farms and turbines are not the problem. Save the birds! Ban imported cars!
Warning: Parent post is long. Cliff's notes follow:
Lots of my friends are environmentalists!
I'm an environmentalist!
A bad one!
I've had this sig for three days.
Here's the solution right here:
Make the propeller blades out of NERF! Also put cameras on top of each pole. You can then sell the video to America's Funniest Home Videos and make some money to help pay for the Nerf conversion. The birds get a chance to learn this way! And it's fun for the whole family. *bonk* hahah look at the sillie birdie *baf* almost got him that time!