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Thursday, August 17, 2006 

Does wind power kill birds? – And does it kill too many?

We would all agree that electricity produced from renewable energy resources is an environmentally-preferred alternative to fossil fuel. Many people believe that wind turbines should be part of the solution to green house gases, but is wind a part of another environmental problem?

In the last year, reports by some Federal MP’s have suggested that wind turbines kill birds. This has been the case with the Bald Hills proposed wind farm in South Gippsland. But are the "raptor-matics" and "cuisinarts of the sky" really the bird killers they are claimed to be? Generally, the proponents of the bird stories are the NIMBY’s who don’t what a wind turbines in their local area.

There is strong support either way and I am basically confused and don’t really know what to believe. Here are a couple of articles that try to debunk the bird killer myth.

Here’s an article from THE BIRDCHASER. A blog that has a recent post on the maths of bird deaths. Tilting at wind mills

Here is also an industry source on wind farms. NWCC Bird and Bats - Summary of Research

From today’s Age it appears the Greens have also backed away from supporting the Bald Hill’s wind farm. But is their decision more political than environmental.

THE Victorian Greens have promised to stop the construction of wind farms opposed by local residents, despite their policies of supporting renewable energy.

The first wind farm on the Greens' hit list will be the $220 million Bald Hills wind farm in South Gippsland, which was controversially vetoed earlier this year by the Federal Government over a perceived threat to the endangered orange-bellied parrot.

Cell phone towers turn out to be one of the more serious problems for birds, especially for migratory species that fly at night. Significant numbers of birds are dying in collisions with cell phone towers.

I think the Greens are now supporting it.

They are supporting other sites in Victoria but not this one.

I totally agree with the issue those big turbine blades could knock a poor little bird out of the sky just like that. I suggest we go nuclear power the turbine fans are encased in a number of centimetres of steel and concrete - no chance of knocking a stray parrot or two out of the sky!

Only Martin would write a comment like that. Is that you?

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