It has been clearly documented that IWT’s kill birds (particularly Birds of prey like Golden Eagles, hawks and other raptors), bats, and wildfowl. In a rush to produce “green energy”, our own government is rewriting endangered species laws specifically to allow for the “take” (read kill) by Industrial Wind Turbines. Below are links to articles about this issue and the huge loss of life caused by IWT’s.
“The Service will regard a developer’s or operator’s adherence to the Voluntary Guidelines, including communication with the Service, as appropriate means of trying to avoid the take of migratory birds. “
Wind Turbines as Landscape Impediments to the Migratory Connectivity of Bats—
Unprecedented numbers of migratory bats are found dead beneath industrial-scale wind turbines during late summer and autumn in both North America and Europe
Comparing Bird and Bat Fatality-rate Estimates Among North American Wind-energy Projects— Abstract of an article published in Wildlife Society Bulletin by K. Shawn Smallwood, finds that bird studies to monitor fatalities have varied greatly and lack scientific peer review. His estimate for 51,630 MW installed wind-energy capacity in 2012, is 888,000 bats and 573,000 bird fatalities/year. This number includes 83,000 Raptors fatalities/year.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Role in Wind Development
USFWS Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines – An 82 page PDf
Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance – Eagle take (kill) will be acceptable up to 5% of the local population but there are no positive ways to predict the take until after the turbines are in place.
Estimates of bird collision mortality at wind facilities in the contiguous
United States—An article published in the Biological Conservation Journal. “However, our results suggest that the amount of U.S. bird mortality caused by collisions at monopole
wind turbines is non-trivial. Furthermore, the projected trend fora continued increase in turbine size coupled with our finding of greater bird collision mortality at taller turbines suggests that precaution must be taken to reduce adverse impacts to wildlife populations
when making decisions about the type of wind turbines to install.”
Will Newer Wind Turbines Mean Fewer Bird Deaths?— “Loss estimates that between a quarter to half a million birds are killed by the new larger turbines each year, a number that is sure to increase as wind power projects proliferate.”
Numerous bats are killed by German wind turbines. The number of such turbines, already very high, is planned to be increased further.
Hiding Avian Mortality – “It is time for responsible people who care about our environment and wildlife to step forward – and demand investigations; prosecutions for fraud, dereliction of duty, and receipt of taxpayer subsidies and other payments made in reliance on false and misleading reports; a suspension of all payments to wind turbine companies, government officials and environmental groups involved in the deception; termination of permits for wind turbines in or near bird and bat habitats; and enforcement of endangered species and migratory bird laws fully and equally against all industries, including industrial wind power.”
Economic Importance of Bats in Agriculture—”If loss of bats from White Nose Syndrome and wind turbines continues unabated, we can expect noticeable economic losses to North American Agriculture in the next 4-5 years.”
Bats Killed in Large Numbers at United States Wind Energy Facilities—In 2012 it is estimated that over 600,000 bats may have died as a result of interactions with wind turbines. Read the original proof.
WInd Turbines are Killing the Lesser Prairie Chicken—A Newsweek article on the effect of Industrial Wind Turbines on the habitat and survival of the protected Lesser Prairie Chicken.