New Study: Enviromental Damaged Caused by Wind Turbines

A new paper was published last month by a group of ecologists, highlighting research that shows the effect of utility-scale wind energy production “can be far reaching and sometimes have large and unexpected consequences for biodiversity”.

The study reveals an annual figure of approximately one million bats killed in countries with the highest number of turbines, along with adverse effects on many other parts of the ecosystem.

Science teams have noted that turbines have killed birds, bats, and insects, altered animal behavior, physiology, and demography, and impacted ecosystems.

The Installation of wind turbines resulted in habitat degradation, and in regions rich in biodiversity with minimal existing infrastructure that suffer the most.

The authors state that wind facilities “are recognized as an important driver for losses and degradation of irreplaceable habitats that are important for conservation.”

The BP Deepwater Horizon accident is generally considered the worst US offshore oil spill. Estimates vary, but it is thought to have led to the deaths of around 600,000 sea birds, and the incident led to widespread condemnation by environmentalists that continues to this day.

Slightly less publicity is given to the 500,000 bats killed onshore in the US by wind turbines every single year. In the UK, 30,000 is the estimated annual kill number, with Canada at 50,000 and 200,000 in Germany.

Many bird species are also at risk. These turbines threaten species such as cinereous and griffon vultures in Europe and the Eurasian skylark in Portugal. In states like Wyoming in the USA, it is the golden eagle population, among other soaring birds, that is at greatest risk.

The UK Bat Conservation Trust states that climate change poses a “significant threat” to UK bat populations.