WIND GETS ENDORSED

Audubon Society supports wind energy
(December 21, 2006 (UPI)
- The president of the National Audubon Society has said he backed wind power.
- Previously, members of the bird-loving organization were skeptical of the massive turbines used in wind power that frequently caught birds in their blades…"Modern wind turbines are much safer for birds than their predecessors, but if they are located in the wrong places, they can still be hazardous and can fragment critical habitat," said John Flicker, president of the NAS…

- the advocacy also stems from the misconception that just because you can't see the carcasses around coal-fired plants, doesn't mean its impossible that more birds aren't being killed there…
- Birds are much more likely to be killed by buildings, vehicles, cats or pesticides than turbines. The latest concern for birds among scientists is global warming, reported Carl Levesque of the [American Wind Energy Association]…
- The AWEA has worked with avian and other environmental groups in the past to try and build support for wind energy, including the forming an initiative called Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative.

ANALYSIS:

Is wind power for the birds?
Kristyn Ecochard, December 22, 2006 (UPI)
- Despite a recent endorsement from the National Audubon Society and improvements in bird-friendly technology, there is still some opposition to wind power…
- Research showing prospective effects of climate change on bird populations demonstrated a need for prevention, one approach being renewable energy. The NAS has acknowledged the possible advantages of wind, while still encouraging extensive preconstruction research…National Wind Watch and the Humane Society remain skeptical.
- The Audubon statement came as a shock to some bird lovers since wind turbines kill between 2,300 and 6,600 birds every year…opponents say that bird and bat deaths, as well as noise pollution, environmental damage and poor aesthetics are not worth the potential benefits. Some even question the effectiveness of wind turbines…
- Urgency from the scientific community, however, has caused growth in the wind industry…aside from Altamont Pass, bird impact has been relatively low…
- Precautions can still be taken to protect wildlife. Vertical axis turbines, which are close to commercialization, are a promising as a safer technology. Terra Moya Aqua Inc. has a model that has not been known to kill any birds or bats and is also quieter…

- Wind farms that have red flashing lights on the turbine blades or sites that were studied previous to construction had lower [bat] fatality rates…
- The Fish and Wildlife Service recommends a three-year preconstruction study to understand implications for animals…the ongoing Ohio Wind Project has been studying the placement, as well as the speed and size, of turbines…Another site credential is that it's not on a migratory path…