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<TITLE>Re: [BCNnet] wind power projects and birds</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Lucida Grande">I will definitely take a look at your work at WBCI. I have nothing but respect for your work there and I didn’t mean to criticize what you are doing. This is a frustrating subject to me.<BR>
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I am tired of the wind companies siting these farms on or next to some of best wildlife habitat areas. I think that is a really sorry choice for everyone involved, most of all the critters.<BR>
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The wind companies seem most often to focus on lands that are of great interest and concern for wildlife. I think there must be an economic connection here but I don’t have those dots connected yet. These companies do studies and they seem to look into EIS, but then many seem to go ahead and pick critical natural habitat areas for these farms. There seems to be a real disconnect in my opinion between the lip service of taking siting concerns into consideration and what many of these companies actual do.<BR>
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There are many brownfield and other damaged areas that would be ideal for wind farms in my opnion. It upsets me that the turbines are so regularly going up in critical areas for wildlife.<BR>
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I also am dismayed that wind is the only possible economic choice for green energy now that our government has decided to choose it as the only competitor to coal. Solar could be on every roof doing no harm to our environment but there is no real will do make it affordable etc. There would not be a business boom from solar either- only houses getting off the grid so to speak.<BR>
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Anyway, I appreciate your point of view Bill and I will certainly apprise myself of your findings. I think very highly of your work at WBCI and know that you are making the best choices you can.<BR>
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I just wish there were better choices out there.<BR>
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I agree that sitings are critical. As we are in a major throughway for birds, additional lit hazards for night migrating birds is a major concern for me.<BR>
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Do you know what lighting options will be available? or will the turbines be low enough not to require tower type lighting?<BR>
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Best<BR>
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Robbie<BR>
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Robbie Hunsinger<BR>
Founder & Director<BR>
Chicago Bird Collision Monitors<BR>
http://www.birdmonitors.net<BR>
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I hate to disagree with folks I respect, I really do. But to me, the opposition to most wind power projects is misguided. Climate change poses a risk to birds, other wildlife, (and humans) that is 1000s of times greater than the limited mortality that results from wind turbines. There are exceptions, of course - siting of wind turbines is critical. Having said that, there are few examples where wind projects have caused serious levels of avian mortality. Bats may be more at risk; there needs to be more study of the effects of wind turbines on bats. To read more, please see WBCI's Issues Committee's "Issues Paper" on wind power at http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/IssuesPapers.htm<BR>
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William P. Mueller<BR>
Issues Committee Chair, Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI)<BR>
Conservation Chair, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO)<BR>
1242 S. 45 St.<BR>
Milwaukee, WI 53214<BR>
(414) 643-7279<BR>
E-mail: iltlawas@earthlink.net<BR>
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