Better Plan: The Trouble With Industrial Wind Farms in Wisconsin - Today's Special Feature - 1/19/08 How Green is a Bird Killing Machine? And Have You Seen the Bald Eagle at Magnolia Bluff Park?

1/19/08 How Green is a Bird Killing Machine? And Have You Seen the Bald Eagle at Magnolia Bluff Park?

Have you seen the bald eagle at Magnolia Bluff County Park? The park is located on North Croak Road between Hiway 59 and Finneran. If you find yourself in that area, be sure to look up. If you don't like sad news about raptors like our Magnolia Bluff bald eagle and 40 story industrial wind turbines, read no further--

Though the wind industry continues to downplay the impact industrial wind turbines have on birds, the latest scientific studies are causing concern among environmentalists everywhere.

Scientists recommend stronger action to decrease bird kills

February 19, 2008 by H. Sterling Burnett in Heartland Insitute (Click Here For Source)

After years of trying to get wind farm operators to act voluntarily to reduce bird deaths at the Altamont Pass, California wind farm, environmental groups have filed multiple lawsuits in an effort to change the way the plant operates.

Under a January 2007 settlement agreement, wind farm operators agreed to shut down or relocate 300 of the most lethal wind turbines during the high point of the migration season in November and December. In addition, a team of scientists officially known as the Scientific Review Committee was established to study the ongoing number of bird kills.

On December 21, the Review Committee released findings indicating raptor deaths had not declined. In response, the committee recommended the shutdown be extended from two months to four months, through February each year, and an additional 309 new turbines be shut down or relocated during the peak migration period. Even so, the committee estimated the four-month shutdown might reduce deaths by only 30 percent.

"We are deeply concerned that we haven't seen a reduction in bird deaths, and concerned as well that certain terms of the settlement were apparently not fully implemented on the agreed-upon timeline," said Elizabeth Murdock, executive director of the Golden Gate Audubon Society.

Murdock also expressed concern that the Altamont Pass wind farm operators are objecting to the Review Committee's recommendations to extend the time period for shutting down some turbines. "The highest raptor migration is during these four winter months, which coincide with the lowest amount of power generation at Altamont," said Murdock.

"Taking the latter point into account, shutting down shouldn't be a hardship," Murdock observed.

-- H. Sterling Burnett

(Here is where we found the story)

VIDEO LINKS:

Feel like watching a video of what goes into the construction of a 40 story wind turbine? Click Here

How about a video of a wind turbine on fire? Click here

This one is burning from the bottom. Click Here

Or, why not watch a high-speed train shooting through a wind farm? click here

How about some footage taken from the top of a 400 foot tall industrial wind turbine with improvisational jazz playing in the background? If you have a fear of heights or improvisational jazz do not CLICK HERE

Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 06:35PM by