By Betty Ross, Tribal Client Services Deputy Director
With the increase of turbines in this age of wind energy, there have been a few studies conducted on the impact of the turbines on migratory birds. According to the MIT Climate Portal Writing Team (2023), studies of bird deaths in the United States from a decade ago indicate about 680,000 birds have died due to wind turbine collisions. That was ten years ago! Imagine what the numbers are now.
The National Audubon Society, an American non-profit environmental organization, answers key questions associated with wind turbines and birds as well as Just Energy, an electricity, natural gas, and green energy provider. The major advantages and disadvantages are as follows.
Advantages:
- A renewable energy source
- Avoids air pollution (clean energy)
- Reduces dependency on fossil fuels
- Does not cause planet warming
Disadvantages:
- Dangerous to some wildlife
- Noisy
- Expensive upfront costs
- Wind can be unreliable/unpredictable
Inexpensive renewable energy is helpful to any area, creating an environment that reduces air pollution and will not contribute to global warming. Additionally, wind energy is an alternative to other forms of energy while reducing dependency on fossil fuels. The downside is that wind turbines have been known to harm a large number of birds during their migration period. Depending on the size of the turbine, this could be a costly effort. There is a risk that the wind turbines will “degrade or destroy habitat, cause disturbance and displacement, and disrupt important ecological links” (National Audubon Society, 2020).
Considering the pros and cons of wind turbines, it would be in the best interest of energy firms to recognize the impact on wildlife as well as what the structures will do to the land. According to the Bureau of Land Management’s Environmental Impact Study “construction of a turbine can disturb as much as three acres, with tower foundation extending 35 to 40 feet below the surface” (PEIS, 69 FR 175, p. 5-7). No doubt since the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), measures have been taken to improve the construction impact. There are different sized wind turbines, and the smaller turbines may cause less harm.
Resources:
- Bureau of Land Management. (n.d.). Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS Information Center.
- National Audubon Society. (2020). Wind Power and Birds.
- Just Energy. (2023). Wind Energy: Pros and Cons.