Thousands of Golden Eagles in Danger, Due to Wind Farms
No matter what source of energy a nation uses to move its goods and services across this country there is a price to pay for any energy source. With oil we can expect accidents to happen, and they have, most recently the Gulf of Mexico. But for this administration and environmentalists, wind farms and solar are renewable and cleaner. However they too come with a price. No I am not talking about the price to build and manufacture solar panels and wind turbines, but the effect that they have on local environments.
California is attempting to make the switch to wind power and is building wind farms. However these wind farms are posing a danger to the national bird, The Golden Eagle. Hundreds of birds are dying each ear after colliding into the turbines. Author David Gardner notes …
The death count along the ridgelines of the Bay Area’s Altamount Pass Wind Resource Area has averaged 67 a year for three decades. The 200ft high turbines, which have been operating since the 1980s, lie in the heart of the grassy canyons that are home to one of the highest densities of nesting golden eagles in the US.
‘It would take 167 pairs of local nesting golden eagles to produce enough young to compensate for their mortality rate related to wind energy production,’ field biologist Doug Bell, manager of East Bay Regional Park District’s wildlife program, told the Los Angeles Times. ‘We only have 60 pairs,’ he added.
Statistical studies carried out by Hawk Mountain organization states the following
North American Golden Eagles represent 47% of the global population and number an estimated 79,900 birds …. A recent aerial survey estimated the Golden Eagle population of the continental northwestern United States at 27,392
I accept the fact that animals go extinct, this is the way of life. However when a group of people feel that its better for the environment and its society to use alternative energies do they ever question the effect that they have on wild life populations, good for bad?
Read more at the DailyMail and check out the Hawk Mountain Bird Study.
If a lizard will shutdown oil drilling, well then The Eagle should shut down wind farms. To take it further nuclear power can have an adverse affect on people so lets shut that down too.
Apparently birds are incapable of governing themselves as well. Seems they need?some government regulations?to protect them from themselves. Airbags and helmit requirements maybe?
Just a minor correction. The national bird is the bald eagle, not the Golden Eagle
OMG… I just don’t know what I was thinking….I apologize….really….that is a major error I accept responsibility….thanks for the notations Beekeeper….
How many golden eagles died as a result of fossil fuels?
Nobody was counting, Dims. On the other hand we KNOW that coal burning, the way it was done 40 years ago, caused acid rain that killed trees and decimated fish in countless lakes.
I guess that leaves us with our vast untapped natural gas to produce electricity with. Oh I forgot obama not issueing any permits to drill for it.
How many?soldiers died as a result of fossil fuels??
You mean the way China is burning coal today, sammy?? That is why ecological efforts would be better spent bringing China and others up to our standards than trying to make us 100% clean.
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It is good that you recognize that coal burning has been significantly cleaned up.? Someone should tell ?bama.
Coal burning as been cleaned up of SO2, not CO2. I prefer energy sources that do not emit CO2.
BTW, China also has a large nuclear construction program under way.
I remember hauling ashes every week like everyone else & no one keeled over. I remember tent city at Ft Jackson being completely hidden every morning from the soft coal being used in the pot belly stoves. We didn’t even think of complaining & continued training.
All wealth comes initially from the earth-ALL-including food.
I wonder if a Golden Eagle tastes like chicken?
Middle of the Road, I read your post and it got me thinking, If we drilled and had our own domestic?supply then I guess we wouldn’t have to jump into those wars.
You mean that those wars were about oil and not about spreading democracy??
LMAO.
No Sammy, if you ask the troops they will say , the wars are to protect us.
TomTGR, Thanks for the post, nice job! Keep ’em coming
I have not asked the troops, I commented on TomL’s remark.