Let’s think about this: birds still haunt wind power

Bad news for wind power is coming out of Britain today, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone. It’s the same problem with wind power we’ve known about for decades: turbines kill birds. Sometimes they kill rare birds. A wind farm in Texas is using radar to detect birds so it can shut off its turbines as they approach, which is great for flocks, but not for power generation or for solo birds, like raptors. Why hasn’t anyone figured out how to screen the turbines instead of, say, giving up:
An aquarium in Devon has taken down two wind turbines after seagulls were killed when they collided with the blades.
The 15m (50ft) high 6kW turbines at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth were installed in 2006 for a £3.6m sustainable energies project.
But the Hoe-based attraction has taken them down after several birds died, it said.
The aquarium also said they had not produced as much electricity as hoped.
Caroline Johnson, of the aquarium, said: “The major problems included where they were positioned.
“The eddying effect of the wind meant they weren’t producing as much energy as they potentially could have.
“The loss of life of seagulls flying into the turbines was also a problem and, following a gale, the turbines were damaged.”
via BBC.
Meanwhile, concern for birds may scuttle a wind project, proposing 150 turbines, on the Scottish island of Shetland.