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https://freedium.cfd/https://medium.com/enrique-dans/dont-take-my-word-for-it-the-science-shows-that-wind-turbines-do-not-harm-birdlife-be5123d777c1>
'One of the most common criticisms made against wind farms is their supposed
impact on birds: there have been irrational calls for certain facilities to be
dismantled as a result of pressure.
Now, an interesting study published in
Environmental Science and Technology
entitled "Quantifying the effects of energy infrastructure on bird populations
and biodiversity" demonstrates conclusively that wind turbine blades do not
pose a real threat to bird or bat populations, and that in practice, extracting
or exploiting fossil fuels poses a quantifiable and much greater threat to the
planet's avian population. In fact, there is no evidence of declining bird
populations in areas with large numbers of wind turbines, and instead it is in
areas where fracking is being carried out, or close to thermal power plants.
It's easy to sensationalize the corpses of a few dead birds collected at the
foot of a wind turbine, but in reality the science shows that wind turbines,
although they may indeed cause the death of some birds that fly into them, do
not have a significant impact: climate change, loss of natural habitats and
even cats are far more important threats to birds than wind turbines.
In fact, mortality due to collisions is largely solved as time goes by and
birds learn to coexist with wind turbines that are not invasive of their
habitats, a phenomenon that has been proven in both onshore and offshore wind
farms, and can also be largely solved with a very low-tech solution: painting
one of the three wind turbine blades black.
It is essential to counter these myth used by some to oppose one of the most
important changes we must make to protect the planet: decarbonizing energy
generation. There are others: turbine blades cannot be recycled. It's true;
recycling fiberglass is complex, and in many cases, at the end of their
decades-long useful life they are buried or reused for other infrastructures.
But such problems are small compared to the impact of generating all the energy
they produced using fossil fuels, and in addition, when there is a problem,
technology is always there to propose solutions: in fact, the most recent wind
turbines are already built with recyclable materials, and there are ways both
to recycle old blades and to create a circular economy around their use. But of
course, it is much easier to rail against change. To compare the effects of a
technology powered by the wind with another that involves burning harmful
substances is so stupid as to defy understanding.
How many more myths will we have to counter in our fight for a cleaner and more
sustainable world? How much cheap demagogy supported by scandalous photos and
false environmentalists with no scientific evidence? Wind energy accounts for a
growing share in the generation fabric of most civilized countries (one fifth
of that generated in Europe), generates wealth and jobs, and above all, it is
very cheap, which means that this share will continue to grow at the expense of
incomparably more harmful fossil fuels.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
