Wind turbines hurt

[Deeday]

It's not just us flying humans who have to worry about wind turbines cropping up everywhere; let's spare a thought for this little feathered friend (fast forward to 1:40, if you're in a hurry):

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[sternone]

Man-made structure/technology

Associated bird deaths per year (U.S.)

Feral and domestic cats
Hundreds of millions [source: AWEA]

Power lines
130 million -- 174 million [source: AWEA]

Windows (residential and commercial)
100 million -- 1 billion [source: TreeHugger]

Pesticides
70 million [source: AWEA]

Automobiles
60 million -- 80 million [source: AWEA]

Lighted communication towers
40 million -- 50 million [source: AWEA]

Wind turbines
10,000 -- 40,000 [source: ABC]

[aviate1138]

Sternone.

Are there that many birds anyway? If 1 Billion have died? Just from hitting a stationary window? ~150 million die on power lines? They must be Big Birds to get the live and ground as well, all 150 million?

When I see Treehugger stats quoted I begin to smell a rat.......

I should have added that so called "Renewables" especially Wind Turbines are almost useless forms of power generation. Grossly inefficient, blots on any landscape, hugely supported by massive taxpayers money grants, short life span without serious and expensive maintenance and Green Euro countries are wishing they hadn't thrown so much money away as recent reports from Germany Denmark and others prove.

"This is underlined by an analysis of maintenance records, which shows that while service teams for offshore wind farms are supposed to make two scheduled maintenance visits every year, unscheduled visits to many installations are made 20 times a year."

"The classic example of this is the disaster at the Horns Rev wind farm in 2005, following which Vestas is reported to have removed and repaired 80 of its V90 models, designed for offshore use, owing to the effect of salty water and air on the generators and gearboxes, which became corrupt after only two years. A similar procedure has been reported this year, with Vestas' 30 turbines requiring a change of rotor bearings, at an estimated cost of €30m."

Renewable Energy Focus - How can the offshore wind industry overcome O&M obstacles? (http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/3152/how-can-the-offshore-wind-industry-overcome-om-obstacles/)

The last line of which say it all.......
"What should particularly concentrate minds in the offshore wind industry is the clear message that without collaboration, the offshore wind industry will not mature or progress."

[strake]

Rats only smell if they're dead....cat, dog, car, pesticide...??:E

[fisbangwollop]

Well that sure clipped his wings..:(

[sternone]

Yes, these numbers are strange, I have no idea how many birds there are. I know that there are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. Not many people know that.

[172driver]

Tetrapods ? Are you sure ?

[sternone]

Eugh yes ? Birds are part of the Tetrapods group ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrapod

[Lister Noble]

yep,just had a google,even snakes are.:)

[172driver]

We live to learn........

Anyway, I've seen a couple of dead eagles in wind parks myself, although never witnessed the strike as in this - sad - video.

Interestingly, all the new installations in southern Spain now have strobe lights on them, active 24/7. Not sure if the vultures and eagles (of which there are many) understand that as a warning... :sad:

[sternone]

I know birds fly some routes more than others (Victor airways ?) so they place them outside of these routes...

[172driver]

Actually, in Spain one of Europe's biggest (perhaps THE biggest) sits right in the main migratory route to Africa, with several more ringing protected areas.

Now, as for the V airways, need to have a word with Cpt. Vulture....

[IFMU]

I should have added that so called "Renewables" especially Wind Turbines are almost useless forms of power generation.
Not long ago, aviation was a useless form of transportation. Imagine how much money they would have saved had they gave it up 100 years ago.

-- IFMU

[worrab]

Wind Turbines are almost useless forms of power generation.
and
Imagine how much money they would have saved had they gave it up 100 years ago.

(I think the point is that wind turbines are vastly energy-expensive to make and maintain. Governments are using renewables politically for a range of reasons, but in terms of end-to-end life, the net energy-use reduction capabilities of many (most?) renewables schemes is, to say the least, suspect)

W

[IFMU]

I would not argue your point, worrab. However I do think the technology will improve for having a real go at it. Time will tell.

-- IFMU