treehugger.com — I've been waiting for someone to blow this myth out of the water, so to speak - wind energy technology is not a threat to birds, it's a clean safe technology that ought to be far more widespread that it is!
Apr 6, 2006 View in Crawl 4
eastshoresApr 6, 2006
@bryguy000 .. well since you have the apparent open mind of not seeing alternative energy sources as technologically related stories , do those such as yourself a favor and lay out the discreet information that demonstrates that harnessing wind for electrical energy is not worth it's benefits in terms of the cost it takes on the environment.+Digg for being technology related... +Digg just to spite mr. BryGuy000
dlvolkApr 7, 2006
Windturbines don't kill birds.I kill birds.
micrasturApr 8, 2006
Well, Koshak, you're halfway right. I think you misunderstood the purpose of that analogy (to show that the force of a blow is not due to speed alone), but nonetheless I see that a more direct analogy like yours would be better. But what numbers to choose? How much bigger and slower did the blades get? How about a pick-up going 20mph and a bicycle at 30mph? Still choose the truck even though it's slower? The point was that the author seems to think that if you make a bullet heavier, it will move slower (given the same amount of powder), and that will automatically make it a safer bullet.Did the author cite any evidence for lower bird deaths with slower blades? NO! He throws that assertion in under "recapping:" even though it is the first and only time he mentions this idea.You and many others seem to be following his lead by using your imagination to come up with explanations. My favorite ones have to do with how obvious the turbines are to birds. Your particular fantasy about how birds are safer wtih fast turbines even contradicts the authors'! I remember when I was a bird I could clearly see their spinning blades, lol!Even though I believe that turbines are presently focused threat to our raptors (screw the seagulls, really) and thus to our ecosystem than windows, at least Web_Weasel came with a real observation, not what he thinks/hopes should be true. I thank him for that.
micrasturApr 8, 2006
Well, Koshak, you're halfway right. I think you misunderstood the purpose of that analogy (to show that the force of a blow is not due to speed alone), but nonetheless I see that a more direct analogy like yours would be better. But what numbers to choose? How much bigger and slower did the blades get? How about a pick-up going 20mph and a bicycle at 30mph? Still choose the truck even though it's slower? The point was that the author seems to think that if you make a bullet heavier, it will move slower (given the same amount of powder), and that will automatically make it a safer bullet.Did the author cite any evidence for lower bird deaths with slower blades? NO! He throws that assertion in under "recapping:" even though it is the first and only time he mentions this idea.You and many others seem to be following his lead by using your imagination to come up with explanations. My favorite ones have to do with how obvious the turbines are to birds. Your particular fantasy about how birds are safer wtih fast turbines even contradicts the author's! I remember when I was a bird I could clearly see their spinning blades, lol!Even though I believe that turbines are presently a more focused threat to our raptors (screw the seagulls, really) and thus to our ecosystem than windows, at least Web_Weasel came with a real observation, not what he thinks/hopes should be true. I thank him for that.
srw777Apr 8, 2006
So which birds, exactly, can survive a blade hit at 250km/h?(Do the math... you can find the specs here: <a class="user" href="http://www.vestas.com/uk/Products/v100/v100_UK.asp">http://www.vestas.com/uk/Products/v100/v100_UK.asp</a> )
srw777Apr 8, 2006
Alphgeek,While I freely admit I have no idea how much power a city takes, I take issue with your assertion that one can put 1500 turbines in 20km^2. My calculations show it would require more like 220km^2, or about 1/3 the size of Greater Toronto Area. I'm basing my calculations on the Vestas 1.8MW, 78m high, 39m blade length. (the model used at Lake Huron, Ontario) Turbines need to be spaced about 3 diameters apart, and rows spaced 8 to 10 diameters to avoid problems due to turbulence.
micrasturApr 8, 2006
Actually you find many birds having had their wings chopped off.
thuggerMay 27, 2007
My swastika brained neocon friends have been telling me that wind mills have a circle of dead birds around them sounds like some crap that Rash Dumbaugh or Ann Coulter would put out.
hahajohnnybDec 24, 2007
Wind mills DO kill Birds, and they don't just kill trash birds either. They are really hard on raptors, migratory birds and cranes. The effect would most likely not be too bad until you start to build these sprawling wind farms that cover thousands of square miles. At last count, there were only 160 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles in the State of Texas. There used to be thousands of Eagles here, towns and lakes still bear testament to this fact. The University of North Texas has an eagle for a Mascot, there's an Eagle Mountain Lake, a Town called Eagle Pass, and the train rolling out of Texas is called the Texas Eagle.We do not need any additional stress on our raptor population, now that Eagles are finally making a comeback in this State. These Wind Farms are an attractive nuisance for our raptors as they attract the vermin that raptors prey on and seemingly provide a high perch. Honestly, if these thing were slaughtering pidgeons, I would not care less. Perhaps if they provided some sort of economic benefit for ratepayers in this State, I could make an argument for these Wind Farms, but thats not the case. Wind Farms are a scam. They exist so politicians can pay lipservice to their commitment to the environment while hooking their buddies up with welfare payments for millionaires. The truth is that these things are extremely damaging to the local ecosystems where they are sited, cost ratepayers MORE money, take up MORE land space and do very little to reduce CO2. The Wind Industry LIES! They are manipulated millions of well intentioned people into signing off on this scam that provides no benefits to anyone or the Environment.Stop these Wind Farms now! If you live near one, do anything in your power to vandalize it. Blow them up. Shoot them with high powered rifles. It might be possible to sabotage them with a kite and a rope or chain. These things have no reason for existing at all, there existence is destructive to our wildlife and our wallets, while they provide no benefit what so ever. Destroying windmills is a creative act, not a destructive one.
captobliviousJan 1, 2009
_skin_As a Chicagoin I endorse your idea 100%Rats + Wings = Pigeons
doom650May 11, 2009
no s**t sherlock