The key to responsible development of wind energy is to evaluate the destruction that turbines cause versus the potential benefits. Well meaning people want to do something to address climate change and pollution, but it is a mistake to grab at an energy source without understanding the hazards, which could be as or more detrimental than the source it is intended to replace. In addition it is important to remember that what works without negative impacts in one place may have serious negative impacts in another location. Areas of concern are bird and bat impacts and the poor science that sometimes …
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Lucile
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Bats serve important ecological functions. Their very existence would be threatened in the central Appalachian mountains if just the presently proposed wind turbines are actually built. Tuttle estimates that 58,000 bats would be killed yearly in an area of the Central Appalachians with just a 70-mile radius if commercial turbines are allowed to go forward, and these numbers are unacceptable. Until the reason for bat mortality is fully understood and mitigation is in place, we should not continue to build commercial wind turbines on wooded ridges in the east. That is clearly in the best interest of the environnment, bats and …
Posted to Shooting Down the Breeze
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Thank you George for your comments acknowledging the environmental harm from wind turbines on Appalachian ridges. Your suggestion that wind facilities might be more responsibly located offshore is an interesting one. I understand that in order to avoid migrating birds turbines shoud be located at least 15 miles offshore. Do you know of peer reviewed studies on this subject?
Posted to Shooting Down the Breeze
- Joined September 2, 2005
- Last Visit September 7, 2005
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