Wind farms and migratory birds
Issue of wind farms and actual or possible threats to migratory birds is of interest to me, partly as I've been asked about a very few wind farm projects in China; one - already built - is right beside a wetland reserve on the north coast of the Bohai. It lies on the coastal flyway; the developer has permission to build more turbines within the reserve (!)
Large birds that soar at least sometimes are among the migrants passing by, stopping over or even breeding in the area: some are very rare, including Siberian and red-crowned cranes, Oriental stork, white-tailed eagle...
- I've also been told of wind farms by a couple of other major wetland sites on China coast, in Hainan and Fujian. A whole lot more wind farms are being built and planned for China. What of EIAs? - I've seen some info that was far from impressive: blithely suggesting that, conveniently, birds migrate above turbine blade heights. Maybe even this much info in an EIA, or EIA of any sort, was unusual.
Intriguing issue. Are these wind farms likely to cause trouble? Hard to find info on wind farms really causing major issues for birds, but Altamont in California an infamous classic example, bashing many golden eagles to death.
Then, what of value of these wind farms?
China needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than perhaps anywhere; yet I've heard of many turbines not even being connected to grid - the money for at least some projects stems from building them, never mind if operating. See Beyond the Numbers: A Closer Look at China’s Wind Power Success, from Worldwatch.
Plus, building wind farms might look like taking action against global warming, and never mind absurd and dangerous, and rising, levels of energy usage.
I aim to post some info on wind farms and widlife, especially related to migratory birds, here.
Conference on wildlife and wind farms
Conference on wind energy and wildlife impacts was held in Norway last month; chiefly info from Europe.
Just had a look at various ppt files, which you can download via the link.
Interesting, tho some scary uses of statistics - more like this is nuclear physics! (Maybe I'm cynical partly as a former physical chemistry lecturer of mine was fond of saying there are lies, damned lies, and statistics; but such statistics can look very impressive, yet whether of major value harder to say.) Also, there's money in this; and might wonder if this has impact on some wind farm and wildlife results [not evident in these ppts on quick read], given wind farm developers may be key research funders,
Comments
wind farms should not be near wetlands
Interesting newspaper article includes:
[quote]'The placement of wind farms is a critical element in protecting wildlife, she said. For example, farms shouldn't be placed near wetlands or riparian areas or in the flight pathways of birds, the Laramie Boomerang reported (http://bit.ly/uySlQS).
Erik Molvar, a wildlife biologist with Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, agreed that appropriate siting could go a long way toward avoiding wildlife conflicts.
He's hoping the conservation and wildlife management communities can learn from mistakes made during the early years of the state's oil and gas development.
"You need to get in before (development) starts, or it's very difficult to guide development in any meaningful way," he said.[/quote]
Scientists: Wind farms tough on birds
wind farm in Linghai wetland north east China
Yesterday's South China Morning Post had short news item:
Administrator of Linghai reserve had been reinstated; after region's authorities reassigned him following him fining two state-owned firms for building a wind farm that reduced reserve area by 7,000ha.
- I'd previously seen map of Linghai area, including part showing wind farm right within heart of the reserve.
A longer item on this appeared on Wind Power Monthly website, August 2012. Started:
Official sidelined for fining wetlands developer
Study finds turbines are bigger bird killers than thought
From Birdwatching Daily:
New study estimates 573,000 birds died at wind farms last year
I've also found this, tho seems no results as yet:
Will Painting Wind Turbine Blades Minimise Bird Collisions?
US wind turbine company fined for eagle deaths
From BBC:
US firm Duke Energy pays out over wind farm eagle deaths
New turbines may be less dangerous to birds
Article in San Jose Mercury News includes:
'Bird-friendly' turbines on Altamont Pass sought by researchers, energy companies
Study finds turbines are bigger bird killers than thought
From Birdwatching Daily:
New study estimates 573,000 birds died at wind farms last year
I've also found this, tho seems no results as yet:
Will Painting Wind Turbine Blades Minimise Bird Collisions?
US government sued over turbines and eagle killing
from Grist:
Bird lovers to sue feds for letting wind farms kill eagles
Birdlife concerned re wind farms etc on European flyways
also, from Birdlife International:
http://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/news/migrating-through-e...
Breeding golden plover numbers plummet with wind turbines
US wind farms may get permits for killing eagles
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-proposes-giving-wind-farms...
Study finds that wind farms kill birds of prey
Wind turbines killing birds of prey isn't such news in itself - see info above. Turbines surely smack large soaring birds disproportionately. But now a new study reported, with more data, as backing this up:
"
Wind turbines are the world's new 'apex predators', wiping out buzzards, hawks and other carnivorous birds at the top of the food chain, say scientists.
A study of wind farms in India found that predatory bird numbers drop by three quarters in areas around the turbines.
This is having a 'ripple effect' across the food chain, with small mammals and reptiles adjusting their behaviour as their natural predators disappear from the skies."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6354843/Wind-farms-new-a...