www.windaction.orgfacts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impactsWindactionhttp://www.windaction.org/articles/c38+58?theme=atomXarayar2006-06-12T02:16:27ZGreen energy threatens endangered vultures in southern Spain.230312009-09-08T13:13:09Z2009-09-08T13:13:09ZA new study indicates that winds turbines could be contributing to the local extinction of an endangered vulture in southern Spain. ...The results suggest that if the number of wind turbines stays the same as it is today, the population will go extinct 10 years sooner than if there were no wind farms.Circling turbines spell doom for vultures .230082009-09-06T15:29:13Z2009-09-06T15:29:13ZCould wind farms hasten the local extinction of an endangered vulture in southern Spain?Deadly Flights .223592009-07-24T13:58:21Z2009-07-24T13:58:21ZMassive wind turbines seem to be killing more and more migratory bats, prompting research into these neglected creatures and efforts to minimize the toll. ...The deaths have led to a flurry of research on migratory bats and their behavior. "The problem with bats and wind energy has pushed a lot of work that wouldn't have occurred otherwise," says Edward Arnett of the Austin, Texas-based nonprofit Bat Conservation International. Indeed, at a January conference in Berlin on migratory bats, wind farms were a dominant theme. Scientists are racing to figure out what brings the bats in contact with wind turbines, and what can be done to save them. Wind farm threat to golden eagle.221472009-07-15T21:54:23Z2009-07-15T21:54:23ZWind farms in Italy threaten to wipe out the Golden Eagle, farmers` organisation Coldiretti and national environmental organisations said Wednesday.
A conference against wind power in Rome heard that huge numbers of birds are already being killed when they collide with the spokes of wind towers in Italy.
Natura 2000 blows away wind farm .215892009-06-16T13:09:48Z2009-06-16T13:09:48ZPlans to build an ecologically friendly wind farm in northern Poland are being scrapped, after environmentalists pointed out that it would break EU laws on bird protection.
The Debki beaches, on the Baltic coast, were set to see the construction of wind turbines but the project will not be realized as it would pose a serious risk to the region's birds.
Wind farms may hurt sea life, say scientists.188142008-11-16T03:08:30Z2008-11-16T03:08:30ZWind farms could be having a radical impact on North Sea wildlife, a new study warns. ...In a paper published this month in the Journal of Marine Systems, Goran Brostrom, of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, warns that generating power at sea threatens marine life.
Offshore wind power could alter ocean currents.188152008-11-12T03:25:37Z2008-11-12T03:25:37ZExtracting energy from wind changes regional air currents, which can in turn affect how the nearby ocean circulates, according to Goran Brostrom of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Oslo.
In a paper published this month in Journal of Marine Systems, Brostrom shows in a model that winds swirling at 11 to 22 miles per hour downwind of large farms are uneven. As they blow over the ocean they can roil the waters, causing upwelling. ...the effect is enough to bring nutrient-rich waters up from the depths, which marine life can thrive on.
Renomar to keep 43 wind turbines in operation despite closure order .164872008-06-22T11:53:05Z2008-06-22T11:53:05ZRenomar will continue operation of the wind farms of Arriel (Vilafranca) and Folch II (Castellfort) wind farms, with 43 wind turbines, despite a closure order on the Environment, "until a final decision." The company behind the wind turbines has appealed arguing the closure order "does not conform to law nor to reality." The May 30 order demanded the stay of the two wind parks in the Wind Zone 3 of the Plan de la Comunidad Valenciana, due to the high mortality of vultures recorded. The two parks have a Declaration of Environmental Impact (DIA), which adopted its own conselleria.
The company insists it has complied with all environmental measures that have been demanded including "painting the blades of wind turbines with zebra" stripes as well as conducting several studies on the impact of birds prior to the installation of the windmills ".
Environmentalists lodge new complaint in Brussels over Natura 2000.143582008-02-26T14:18:25Z2008-02-26T14:18:25ZThe complaint claims that unique natural habitats in the north-eastern Kaliakra region have been destroyed in the process of building a wind farm. It has been backed by 12 other environmental and civil non-governmental organisations. The environmentalists believe that Kaliakra "is emblematic of how innovations and investment are used to mask criminal encroachment on bio-diversity". The complaint package includes documents, photos and maps showing the damage that the wind farm projects have done to nature.Staking all on a renewable future.142862008-02-22T17:03:16Z2008-02-22T17:03:16ZThe government wants 45% of the country's electricity to come from renewables such as wind, hydro, and solar by 2010. And that's just a start.
"This challenge will create a new industrial revolution," Portugal's economy minister, Manuel Pinho, told the BBC. ...The campaigners are torn between their concern about climate change and their love for the wildlife.
"We should have renewable power but not at any price," Joao says.
Fish industry fighting windmills.125242007-11-05T23:28:33Z2007-11-05T23:28:33ZThe Norwegian fish industry fiercely fights goverment plans to build windmill parks at sea. The windmills will hinder fishing and shipping, a fish industry association argues.
In its annual conference this weekend, the Norwegian Fishery Association unanimously supported a proposal to fight the development of windmill parks at sea.
Talks aim for cross-border protection of birds of prey.123212007-10-23T22:39:16Z2007-10-23T22:39:16ZSome 51 per cent of African-Eurasian migratory raptor species have an "unfavourable" conservation status.
John O'Sullivan, of Birdlife International, a global alliance of conservation organisations, said: "We have recently heard about the sad case of the golden eagle being poisoned in Scotland, but birds of prey face additional problems trying to settle in networks of suitable habitats along their migration paths. We know little about the status of raptors in Africa, and in Asia species are poorly understood." The main threats to the birds, Mr O'Sullivan said, were habitat loss, illegal hunting, power lines, and wind farm initiatives.
Conference aims to preserve birds of prey.123132007-10-22T22:35:46Z2007-10-22T22:35:46ZBirds of prey have been hard-hit by a variety of human induced threats including loss of habitat, persecution, illegal shooting and poisoning. Collisions with TV masts and wind turbines and electrocution on power lines have also added to population declines.
Birds of prey are not prolific breeders which makes it hard for them to recover from losses and scientists believe that climate change will only add to the problems.
Their position at the top of their food chain means they are an excellent indicator of the health of the ecosystem but unless there is an effort across borders and continents to help them their future looks bleak.
Birding news: arrivals and alarms.103652007-06-23T10:31:34Z2007-06-23T10:31:34ZConcern about dangers to Britain's biggest birds of prey from windfarms came as 15 White-tailed Eagle chicks were flown to Scotland for a new comeback scheme. The youngsters, when able to fly, will be released in about two months in the first phase of a new project to restore this species to eastern Scotland where it was wiped out by human persecution almost 200 years ago. Now they [up to 80 more to be released over the next four years] and the new population in the Hebridean islands following a similar, post-1970s re-introduction project will face a new hazard - if they happen to move into areas well stocked with wind turbines. Wind turbines or bird Cuisinarts?.94772007-05-11T11:24:16Z2007-05-11T11:24:16ZMILAN, Italy, May 10 New technologies are making an effort to mitigate environmental concerns over bird fatalities caused by wind turbines in Europe.
A new monitoring program called WT-Bird has passed preliminary tests and will enter the next phase of testing. The WT-Bird, created by the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands, uses several techniques to monitor bird collisions. Fall in bat numbers prompts plans for census.89942007-04-17T11:31:54Z2007-04-17T11:31:54ZSchemes to monitor the bat population will be carried out all over Ireland this summer amid concerns the population of the endangered species has dropped dramatically.
Despite being protected by law, the nocturnal flying mammals are being affected by hedgerow removals, the renovation of old buildings, bridge work and pesticides. Wind farm company refutes bird danger claims.62542006-11-10T12:34:06Z2006-11-10T12:34:06ZThe recent deaths of nine vultures in the Torremiro park near Morella is at the centre of a storm of controversy. Members of the âEolicas-Noâ collective stated that the birds were âsliced to deathâ by the blades of the giant wind collectors that can reach speeds of up to 290km an hour.
However, a representative from the Renomar company that runs the installations, stated that the reason the birds died was that they had consumed the carcasses of other animals that had been dead for a considerable time.
Eco storm blows up over Irish wind farm pollution.40652006-07-23T12:44:01Z2006-07-23T12:44:01ZIRELAND'S wind farms have a devastating impact on fragile ecosystems and contribute to global warming, according to an international study published last week.
Watch the birdie.38312006-07-08T14:37:21Z2006-07-08T14:37:21ZOngoing research in Norway adds weight to the idea that turbines and large birds don't mix. Wind farm 'hits eagle numbers'.36152006-06-23T14:05:37Z2006-06-23T14:05:37Z Wind farm turbine blades are killing a key population of Europe's largest bird of prey, UK wildlife campaigners warn.