Turbines not so Eco-Friendly

Sunday 04th of October 2009
Reports Suggest Wind Turbines Could Kill Wildlife
Posted on: October 2nd, 2009 by Beth Williams
Some reports now suggest that wind power may not be as eco friendly as everyone wants to make it out to be. Sure it helps in terms of cutting down on carbon emissions, but what does it do to the wildlife? Some experts say that these wind turbines could spell out problems for some animals.

As of right now there is no denying the fact that wind turbines are linked to bat and bird morality. The wildlife ecologist and ornithologist, Albert Manville, has claimed that wind turbines cause 440,000 bird deaths every year in the United States. The number of bird deaths is thought to be so high due to the fact that the wind currents, that are needed to make wind turbines turn, are the same wind currents that billions of birds use to migrate across the United States. This adds just another problem for species of birds that are already at risk from habitat degradation.

However, other studies are very quick to point out that, no matter what kind of energy people used, it could possibly put some wildlife in danger. After all, it is worth pointing out that birds and bats do fly right into cooling towers and oil platforms as well. On top of this, the extra carbon emissions that are generated by coal fired generators are, by far, a greater danger to all wildlife, not just birds.

Of course, some of the wind farms that are being put up in the UK are far less dangerous to birds. This goes double for wind farms that are located offshore. Bats, for the most part, do not fly over the ocean very much. It also appears that offshore wind turbines seem to cause a lot less bird deaths.