There
have been disastrous consequences for wild-life as a result of poorly
designed or inappropriately sited wind-farm development. Birds and bats
have been particularly badly affected. Habitats are inevitably disturbed and even
destroyed during construction of the turbines, and associated
infrastructure.
During operation, the turbine blade tips can reach speeds in excess of
formula one racing cars. Unsurprisingly birds and bats seem unable to
detect and avoid the moving blades and larger birds have been chopped to
pieces, while smaller ones have been smashed to bits. Modern turbines
have larger swept areas and faster moving blade tips concomitant with
longer blade lengths, so can be more destructive than older turbine. The Altamont Pass near San Francisco has achieved notoriety as a killing
field for birds. The Centre for Biological Diversity filed a charge and
lawsuit accusing the huge wind-farm of killing 1,200 eagles, raptors and
other protected birds of prey. The turbines there are also considered
responsible for deaths of 45,000 other protected and non-protected smaller birds over
the last two decades.
There
have been disastrous consequences for wild-life as a result of poorly
designed or
inappropriately sited wind-farm development. Birds and bats
have been particularly badly affected. Habitats are inevitably disturbed and even
destroyed during construction of the turbines, and associated
infrastructure.
During operation, the turbine blade tips can reach speeds in excess of
formula one racing cars. Unsurprisingly birds and bats seem unable to
detect and avoid the moving blades and larger birds have been chopped to
pieces, while smaller ones have been smashed to bits. Modern turbines
have larger swept areas and faster moving blade tips concomitant with
longer blade lengths, so can be more destructive than older turbine. The Altamont Pass near San Francisco has achieved notoriety as a killing
field for birds. The Centre for Biological Diversity filed a charge and
lawsuit accusing the huge wind-farm of killing 1,200 eagles, raptors and
other protected birds of prey. The turbines there are also considered
responsible for deaths of 45,000 other protected and non-protected smaller birds over
the last two decades.