The Pennsylvania Game Commission issued its second report on bird and bat impacts at PA wind farms, finding that on average 3.9 birds were killed per turbine from July 2009 to June 30 2010. Bat mortality was 24.6 per turbine.
The PGC said that there were no large mortality events defined as more than 50 birds or bats dying in one day.
88% of wind power developers cooperated in the survey with the PGC. Of these companies, the PGC said that they "have proven to be partners in developing conscientious renewable energy with the highest regard to the Commonwealth's wildlife resources and have set an example that others should aspire to follow."
For some 1 bird or bat is too many. For some 1 turbine in a viewscape is too much. Some are as opposed to wind farms as others are to gas drilling or mountain top coal mining or nuclear plants or burning biomass.
Wind has impacts but it also has major environmental and health benefits. In fact, wind is like medicine with side effects. It does a lot of good but has some negative impacts. Wind reduces heat trapping pollution that is raising global temperatures and pushing whole bird species to extinction. Wind has no air emissions and uses no water.
Pennsylvania right now has 16 operating wind farms with another 4 under construction.
Is there an accurate, clear chart or study online that shows the prodution of each energy source in Pennsylvania alongside the inherent ecological impacts?
ReplyDeleteI feel like I hear a lot of arguments for or against all the energy sources you've mentioned above, yet we rarely hear accompanying statistics (i.e. how many birds, mountain ranges, well fires, etc.).
Thanks!
at 25 bats per turbine with a planned 3000 turbines that is 75000 bats EVERY YEAR! On top of white nose syndrome...this means a number of bats species will be wiped out!
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