tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post5050470228508302527..comments2024-03-13T19:28:05.813-04:00Comments on Ohio Birds and Biodiversity: Blackpoll Warbler kill at wind farmJim McCormachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07444322057532066466noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-87987211398962422982012-08-21T10:21:21.346-04:002012-08-21T10:21:21.346-04:00Dear Jim McCormac, Thanks for letting us know that...Dear Jim McCormac, Thanks for letting us know that Wind power is not perfect either, but it is better than mountian top removal for coal. Perhaps thay can better predict when these migrations happen and turn off the turbines, or better placement is needed. Also, putting them on top of a mountian like this is really does destroy the natural view. Do you know what can be done to prevent damage to the enviroment so was can preserve the enviroment and still have enough power for all of us?<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Jeff<br />I love Wind and Solar Power, but we also must conserve energyJeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07252671265851158759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-44163106783881702242011-11-11T04:35:04.857-05:002011-11-11T04:35:04.857-05:00It's sad to hear that. That windmill is genera...It's sad to hear that. That windmill is generating a huge amount of power. The community leaders must be able to do something about the birds.Pest Control Portlandhttp://www.columbiapestcontrol.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-18234346157141182312011-11-03T12:53:56.648-04:002011-11-03T12:53:56.648-04:00Definitely not a perfect solution, but at least it...Definitely not a perfect solution, but at least it's a step in the process of trying to find a better alternative to flattening manhattan-sixed swathes of incredibly biodiversity-rich Appalachia and dumping toxic chemicals into adjacent valleys and streams. Mountaintop removal (http://ilovemountains.org/ http://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/) is such an absolutley sickening process, and I am glad that efforts are being made to find other ways to produce energy. Although wind farms are by no means highly effecient or without significant environmental impact, especialy in highly sensitive migration routes, I feel that it is at the very least a step in the right direction.abbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01166421364422400271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-25710304768740840322011-11-02T12:25:55.996-04:002011-11-02T12:25:55.996-04:00The 2+story arched window in our new high school c...The 2+story arched window in our new high school cafetia in Perry County where I taught for 35yrs was a bird killer,even after we got most of the lights turned off. Never did I see one starling or house sparrow,always hooded,indigo buntings,grosbeaks,you get the ugly picture.Windows+lights+night=bird fatalities.Ricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-69467683723797032252011-11-01T22:23:30.679-04:002011-11-01T22:23:30.679-04:00For those not familiar with West Virginia’s growin...For those not familiar with West Virginia’s growing collection of ridge top wind farms, the Mountaineer wind farm is visible from the AES Laurel Mountain wind farm in question. AES Laurel Mountain is fourth in a string of wind farms starting with Criterion and Roth Rock in Maryland. None of these wind farms is very far from the next in the string. Perhaps the birds were lucky to have made it this far south.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-3641283125486803162011-11-01T21:20:14.868-04:002011-11-01T21:20:14.868-04:00Lots of good comments and I appreciate them all. I...Lots of good comments and I appreciate them all. It's clear that "green" wind energy stamps out large footprints of its own, in addition to sometimes causing outright bird/bat mortality, as was the primary subject of this post.Jim McCormachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444322057532066466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-74449450718748138592011-11-01T21:16:56.268-04:002011-11-01T21:16:56.268-04:00This comment posted on behalf of Dan Boone of Mary...This comment posted on behalf of Dan Boone of Maryland:<br /><br />The number of reported dead birds (carcassess found) is likely far less than the actual number of birds killed during this collision mortality event at the AES Laurel Mountain "wind farm". Many of the bird carcassess probably were carried off by scavengers (such as ravens, crows, raccoons, fox, coyotes, etc.) before anyone tried to find them, plus about half or more of the carcasses might have been present but missed by anyone searching for them (due to difficulty in finding bird carcasses that fall into concealing vegetation or rocky terrain. <br /> <br />Also, it is important not to forget that the previous highest-ever bird mortality event involving an industrial wind energy facility occurred on May 23, 2003 at the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center atop Backbone Mountain in Tucker County, WV. This bird kill involved the discovery of 29 bird carcasses by University of MD graduate students who were studying the facility in order to assess its wildlife mortality impact. However, the searches which detected the 29 bird carcasses occurred ONLY AFTER these students were informed by wind turbine maintenance staff of the location where a bobcat was seen carrying away dead birds.<br /> <br />In addition, the report which provided the results of the Mountaineer windplant's wildlife mortality study concluded: <br />"In contrast, the multiple-fatality event that occurred at the MWEC on May 23, 2003 suggests that sodium vapor lights should never be used at or near wind power facilities. These lights have commonly been shown to attract birds to hotels, ski lifts, water towers, and communication towers in West Virginia as demonstrated by several researchers and the WV DNR. The location of sodium vapor and other non-FAA lighting at or near wind power facilities should be assessed and managed before the wind power facility begins operation." (see p. 20 in: http://www.wvhighlands.org/Birds/MountaineerFinalAvianRpt-%203-15-04PKJK.pdf ).<br />It's clear that the wind industry ignored this important and widely publicized conclusion, which supposedly evolved into a standard operating procedure for wind energy facilities - see also: http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/111028.html .<br /> <br />Some will argue or imply that industrial wind energy facilities have a net positive environmental impact when viewed in relation to the environmental harm caused by natural gas or coal-fired electricity production. However, this is a false comparison given that wind energy is ONLY a supplementary power source within our grid region (PJM). The electric contributions of so-called "wind farms" in our region have not (and will not) result in meaningful reductions of the adverse environmental impacts associated with electric power generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Sadly, no power plants have been shuttered due to wind energy development, and the amount of fossil fuels that power plants annually burn is not projected to decrease in the future.Jim McCormachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444322057532066466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-20898288982298668222011-10-31T20:53:57.571-04:002011-10-31T20:53:57.571-04:00On our yearly trip to Pendleton County,we saw the ...On our yearly trip to Pendleton County,we saw the windmills coming into Elkins.They are massive,and that is seeing them from the bottom of the mountain. I can't find any info now,but I thought I remember reading that these were to only run when the bats are hibernating. The highly lighted substation is baffling,considering all we know about these sort of things in the cities.RLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-86424323028153951562011-10-29T14:35:48.985-04:002011-10-29T14:35:48.985-04:00The number of reported dead birds (carcassess foun...The number of reported dead birds (carcassess found) is likely far less than the actual number of birds killed during this collision mortality event at the AES Laurel Mountain "wind farm". Many of the bird carcassess probably were carried off by scavengers (such as ravens, crows, raccoons, fox, coyotes, etc.) before anyone tried to find them, plus about half or more of the carcasses might have been present but missed by anyone searching for them (due to difficulty in finding bird carcasses that fall into concealing vegetation or rocky terrain. <br /><br />Also, it is important not to forget that the previous highest-ever bird mortality event involving an industrial wind energy facility occurred on May 23, 2003 at the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center atop Backbone Mountain in Tucker County, WV. This bird kill involved the discovery of 29 bird carcasses by University of MD graduate students who were studying the facility in order to assess its wildlife mortality impact (using once-a-week searches of ground below each of this project's 44 wind turbines). However, the detection of the 29 bird carcasses occurred during unscheduled search ONLY AFTER these students were informed by wind turbine maintenance staff of the location where they saw a bobcat carrying away dead birds.<br /><br />In addition, the report which provided the results of the Mountaineer windplant's wildlife mortality study concluded: <br />"In contrast, the multiple-fatality event that occurred at the MWEC on May 23, 2003 suggests that sodium vapor lights should never be used at or near wind power facilities. These lights have commonly been shown to attract birds to hotels, ski lifts, water towers, and communication towers in West Virginia as demonstrated by several researchers and the WV DNR. The location of sodium vapor and other non-FAA lighting at or near wind power facilities should be assessed and managed before the wind power facility begins operation." (see p. 20 in: http://www.wvhighlands.org/Birds/MountaineerFinalAvianRpt-%203-15-04PKJK.pdf ).<br /><br />It's clear that the wind industry ignored this important and widely publicized conclusion, which supposedly evolved into a standard operating procedure for wind energy facilities - see also: http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/111028.html .<br /><br />Some will argue or imply that industrial wind energy facilities have a net positive environmental impact when viewed in relation to the environmental harm caused by natural gas or coal-fired electricity production. However, this is a false comparison given that wind energy is ONLY a supplementary power source within our grid region (PJM). The electric contributions of so-called "wind farms" in our region have not (and will not) result in meaningful reductions of the adverse environmental impacts associated with electric power generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Sadly, no power plants have been shuttered due to wind energy development, and the amount of fossil fuels that power plants annually burn is not projected to decrease in the future.Dan Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07366380440065457562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-56683916053361069652011-10-29T12:40:08.195-04:002011-10-29T12:40:08.195-04:00Thanks for sharing the info. We do need to be car...Thanks for sharing the info. We do need to be careful where we site wind turbines, and we do need to be very careful to turbines the lights off. However, we need to think about how we will power this country for the next 20-50 years. Conservation and local renewable energy should be our first choice, but if we do not take control, we will get coal and gas fired power plants which cause 2-3 cents per KW hour in human health effects (asthma, emphysema, etc.)(National Acedemy of Sciences Report on Unrecovered Costs of Energy Production 2010). This is about like adding 30% to your utility bill, and it affects your health. Wind energy has a lot lower environmental impacts than most energy sources (see the NSYRDA report on comparative ecological effects of energy production ~2009). So yes, let us be careful where we site wind turbines, but let us also consider all the alternatives carefully.Caitlin Coberlynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-59036998284794641992011-10-28T23:23:45.961-04:002011-10-28T23:23:45.961-04:00Hi Jim, Good post. Did you say fracking, (not once...Hi Jim, Good post. Did you say fracking, (not once, but twice)?! Well that sure piqued my interest.<br /><br />Good comments, too.Jan Kennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13055088935429792940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-16665045221833824782011-10-28T18:03:28.533-04:002011-10-28T18:03:28.533-04:00Jim:
I understand in some places the turbines are ...Jim:<br />I understand in some places the turbines are stopped during migration. Perhaps these folks are just stupid and need some education?<br /><br />DonnaDonna Williamsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-25217196319416448952011-10-28T13:24:11.992-04:002011-10-28T13:24:11.992-04:00Nine years of experience on the subject of bird an...Nine years of experience on the subject of bird and bat mortality at windfarms have taught me one thing: do not trust the official line. <br /><br />They tell us the birds were killed hitting a one story building (the electrical substation) in an environment where 150-feet wind turbine blades were spinning at anywhere from 100 to 200 mph at the tip. Sounds likely to you?<br /><br />Why do you think they waited 2 weeks to leak the story? - They needed to get the "stakeholders" to agree on what would be said. This includes AWEA (the wind lobby), USFWS (the government), and the bird societies (all in favour of windfarms, and receiving millions of dollars each year for their "cooperation"). <br /><br />Now they are working hard on the text of a press release. The truth is not always easy to cover up... <br /><br />If you want to know the truth about birds and windfarms, check this webpage:<br /><br />www.savetheeaglesinternational.orgWCFNhttp://www.wcfn.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-42008879279796615882011-10-28T00:12:11.932-04:002011-10-28T00:12:11.932-04:00Thanks for your comments. After writing the piece,...Thanks for your comments. After writing the piece, I learned that this wind farm has been up and running for a few months. So the turbines were spinning at the time of the Blackpoll catastrophe, but the official line is that the mortality was NOT due to spinning blades.Jim McCormachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444322057532066466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-63131452550457101222011-10-27T22:04:27.776-04:002011-10-27T22:04:27.776-04:00People keep talking like wind power is the perfect...People keep talking like wind power is the perfect answer to everything - "clean" "unlimited" People think we're crazy to say it isn't perfect. If they would at least keep it away from major migration routes.<br />nellieNellie from Beyond My Gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01149596937067869426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072479063452233450.post-80379907374340645232011-10-27T21:54:13.531-04:002011-10-27T21:54:13.531-04:00Thanks for sharing this sad important story.Thanks for sharing this sad important story.auntcindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02860528957990687955noreply@blogger.com