EPA Declares Wind Turbines Illegal

There are plenty of variations on wind turbines that don't require massive spinning blades of death...

For example, the various airborne variants.

67 eagles is nothing.

... Well, it is something, but it is a low number.

Bats have a hard time with the sound. There were an estimated 600,000 - 900,000 bat deaths from wind farms last year in the US alone.

Eagles act like texting drivers when they search for prey and slam into massive turbines.

If an eagle slammed into a building or mountain or pole, would those be illegal too? Also, in the case of a texting driver that slams into another person, do we sue that person for standing in the way?

Our priorities are strange.

If an eagle slammed into a building or mountain or pole, would those be illegal too?

Last I checked, buildings don't have sharp edges and spin rapidly.

If an eagle slammed into a building or mountain or pole, would those be illegal too?

Last I checked, buildings don't have sharp edges and spin rapidly.

And when birds manage to slam into them and fall to their deaths anyway? More birds are killed flying into skyscrapers than wind farms every year from the last I heard from friends who were bio majors.

Much better link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/11/22/wind-energy-company-pleads-guilty-to-eagle-deaths/3681687/

The company is being fined because the government proved that the company ignored the danger to wildlife when they sited the turbines, not that all turbines everywhere in the US are illegal. Seriously, reading comprehension + two seconds of Googling = less rage.

+ 1 for the link to actual knowledge.

Thanks!

The company is being fined because the government proved that the company ignored the danger to wildlife when they sited the turbines, not that all turbines everywhere in the US are illegal.

That's not terribly clear to me from the link you provided. Yes, it states that the Duke Energy knew there were likely to be avian casualties, but it doesn't say that was specific to the site.

Any wind turbine of the 'spinning blades of death' variety is likely to result in avian casualties, no matter where it is situated. Perhaps the proximity to endangered species habitat is at issue, but again, the article doesn't actually say that.

The company is being fined because the government proved that the company ignored the danger to wildlife when they sited the turbines, not that all turbines everywhere in the US are illegal.

That's not terribly clear to me from the link you provided. Yes, it states that the Duke Energy knew there were likely to be avian casualties, but it doesn't say that was specific to the site.

Any wind turbine of the 'spinning blades of death' variety is likely to result in avian casualties, no matter where it is situated. Perhaps the proximity to endangered species habitat is at issue, but again, the article doesn't actually say that.

From the AP article I linked:

"In this plea agreement, Duke Energy Renewables acknowledges that it constructed these wind projects in a manner it knew beforehand would likely result in avian deaths," Robert G. Dreher, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a statement Friday.

The Endangered Species Act apparently has nothing to do with this case. EDIT: It doesn't seem the EPA is involved either!

The gist of the case as I understand it is that companies will have to do more to prevent bird mortality by both taking better preventative measures on existing turbines and avoiding constructing turbines in high-risk areas or face very expensive government action:

While the settlement with Duke is a first, there could be more enforcement. The Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating 18 bird-death cases involving wind-power facilities, and about a half dozen have been referred to the Justice Department.

Regardless of my interpretation, the initial post is flat-out inaccurate in addition to being sensationalistic. As for new types of turbine, they're probably a good idea.

Why aren't cat owners subject to the same laws? Cats are much better at killing birds than windmills.

@Paradigm: Because two can play at that game.

You cropped that picture, there's an enormous turbine the eagle is about to fly into just to the right.

You cropped that picture, there's an enormous turbine the eagle is about to fly into just to the right.

And that, kids, is the circle of life.

'Murica

And when birds manage to slam into them and fall to their deaths anyway? More birds are killed flying into skyscrapers than wind farms every year from the last I heard from friends who were bio majors.

I second this by just adding that one of the worst bird killers are large glass windows (or scyscrapers out of glass) - these are definitely a problem. Although I'd second that birds don't really hit just brick wall often, but more likely a window - as it reflects sorroundings and the animal thinks it can fly through that way.

The possible solution is using "bird predator imposters" (I'm not sure whether I translated it correctly from my language) - image http://www.harmony-shop.cz/fotky4924/fotos/_vyr_155nalepka-od-krchove-420.jpg - these imposters really work especially for smaller birds and on classical houses decrease the number of birds that hit the windows. Note that on houses, you most likely have small windows and larger bird predators don't even try to fly through them. The problem is with large glass areas.

I'd also second the problem with wind power plant farms and bats (or generally a lot of animals that fly in the night). They use echolocation (bio sonars) which are disturbed by the noise of wind power plants (and it is even worse for farms of wind power plants)... but they are same much disturbed by light caused by city lights (they basically harm the day/night cycle and year cycle for huge amount of insect species, and not just insects).

I don't want to sound like a fully green guy here (I'm definitely not, even though I at least try a bit ... I've even proposed a local law to turn off lights between 12am and 6am, last party declined, I wonder whether I should try again), but as long as money will be more important than anything (and most importantly science and progress), there is no way out of it (and current political scene in whole world just wants to keep status quo (and when some politic says he doesn't, he is lying, nuff said ... got a ton of experience in this area) - which is bad for both, people and environment).

#Servant of the Lord - You don't realize the size of cats and kittens, you mixed images taken from different distance, as this correctly represents how my (and generally all) cat looks in terms of size:

Some are even larger and able to destroy planet whenever they want.

The giant spinning blades are really loud, when I hiked through SoCal on the PCT they were everywhere and sounded like trains. I can only imagine how disruptive to wildlife they must be..

Can't they just, I don't know, put a cage around it?

Can't they just, I don't know, put a cage around it?

I would imagine that if the put a cage around it that was dense enough to keep birds out, it would dramatically reduce the strength of the wind.

I would imagine that if the put a cage around it that was dense enough to keep birds out, it would dramatically reduce the strength of the wind.

It also drastically increases the cost of manufacturing and installing the turbine.

As with solar panels, many turbines only barely break even over their lifetime, so you really can't absorb that extra cost upfront.