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The bird death from wind power thing is basically rubbish: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48936941 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environme

by twic 7y ago

The bird death from wind power thing is basically rubbish: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48936941 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48936941 Wind power kills fewer birds per unit energy than coal, and it kills orders of magnitude fewer birds than domestic cats, which we're apparently fine with. Plus, the big growth in wind power will probably be offshore: there's more wind and fewer NIMBYs there. There is also a lower density of birds.

barry-cotter 7y ago
Wind turbines kill animals cats don’t. You think a cat is going to kill a golden eagle, a vulture or a stork? Different animals have very different generation times and life cycles. Wind power kills fewer animals per KWH than coal but it kills different ones and that matters. > Fatalities at wind turbines may threaten population viability of a migratory bat > Large numbers of migratory bats are killed every year at wind energy facilities. However, population-level impacts are unknown as we lack basic demographic information about these species. We investigated whether fatalities at wind turbines could impact population viability of migratory bats, focusing on the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), the species most frequently killed by turbines in North America. Using expert elicitation and population projection models, we show that mortality from wind turbines may drastically reduce population size and increase the risk of extinction. For example, the hoary bat population could decline by as much as 90% in the next 50 years if the initial population size is near 2.5 million bats and annual population growth rate is similar to rates estimated for other bat species (λ = 1.01). Our results suggest that wind energy development may pose a substantial threat to migratory bats in North America. If viable populations are to be sustained, conservation measures to reduce mortality from turbine collisions likely need to be initiated soon. Our findings inform policy decisions regarding preventing or mitigating impacts of energy infrastructure development on wildlife.

by twic 7y ago

barry-cotter 7y ago

Wind turbines kill animals cats don’t. You think a cat is going to kill a golden eagle, a vulture or a stork? Different animals have very different generation times and life cycles. Wind power kills fewer animals per KWH than coal but it kills different ones and that matters. > Fatalities at wind turbines may threaten population viability of a migratory bat > Large numbers of migratory bats are killed every year at wind energy facilities. However, population-level impacts are unknown as we lack basic demographic information about these species. We investigated whether fatalities at wind turbines could impact population viability of migratory bats, focusing on the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), the species most frequently killed by turbines in North America. Using expert elicitation and population projection models, we show that mortality from wind turbines may drastically reduce population size and increase the risk of extinction. For example, the hoary bat population could decline by as much as 90% in the next 50 years if the initial population size is near 2.5 million bats and annual population growth rate is similar to rates estimated for other bat species (λ = 1.01). Our results suggest that wind energy development may pose a substantial threat to migratory bats in North America. If viable populations are to be sustained, conservation measures to reduce mortality from turbine collisions likely need to be initiated soon. Our findings inform policy decisions regarding preventing or mitigating impacts of energy infrastructure development on wildlife.