The level of cynicism and hypocrisy among wind power advocates is breathtaking. The wind industry is slaughtering millions of birds and bats every year and yet there’s barely a peep from those who continue to berate us about ‘saving the planet’.
Clear-felling swathes of forest and destroying natural habitats across the globe to make way for these things, is all in a day’s work for the wind industry.
Untroubled by depriving birds and animals of their homes, the renewable energy cult seem even less troubled by the wholesale slaughter of birds and bats. At least in Victoria, aka Chairman Dan’s People’s Republic.
Hundreds of bird, bat carcasses detected at Morton’s Lane Wind Farm
The Standard
Jessica Howard
16 September 2020
Hundreds of bird and bat carcasses, including five wedge-tailed eagles, have been detected at a south-west wind farm in the past three years.
The Morton’s Lane Wind Farm is located in the north-west corner of Moyne and comprises six turbines in Moyne Shire and seven in Southern Grampians.
Since 2015, the operator of the wind farm CGN Energy was required to prepare a Bat and Avifauna Management Plan (BAMP) in consultation with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), and to document the findings of a bat and bird monitoring program. The report, which was endorsed by Moyne Shire councillors during Tuesday’s ordinary council meeting, revealed 238 birds and 677 bats were found to have collided with turbines in three years.
The report revealed there were at last 12 species of birds and fives species of bats, none of which were listed as threatened or migratory.
The two most commonly recorded species were Gould’s Wattled and White-Striped Freetail bats, which were referred to as “abundant high-flying bats which inhabit open areas” and were expected to be present in the carcass searches.
Moyne planning manager Michelle Grainger said the report did not show a concerning level of fatality. She said any significant impact would be reported to DELWP and both Moyne and Southern Grampians shires.
She noted the definition of “significant impact” was any death of a bird or bat species identified within a 130-metre radius of a wind turbine, or two or more carcasses found at the same or adjacent turbines in a two-month successive search.
When asked if there was a level of fatality that was considered unacceptable, Ms Grainger said it was “an area that is evolving”.
“It is something which DELWP are developing,” she said.
“When it comes to common species, it’s not really a numbers issue but when we’re dealing with more endangered species, numbers are definitely part of the equation.”
Cr Ian Smith noted five wedge-tailed eagle carcasses were located at the site during the reporting period.
The Standard
Chairman Dan’s Department of Planning reckons that the bird and bat fatalities caused by Victoria’s wind farms is an ‘evolving area’. The birds and bats themselves might beg to differ. And with thousands being crushed, sliced and diced, it won’t be long before these species cease to be as common as suggested.
One species that most certainly is threatened – by wind turbines, that is – is Europe’s Red Kite.
Natur&ëmwelt react after red kite is found dead beneath wind turbine
RTL
15 September 2020
A red kite was found dead under a wind turbine in Wincrange on 8 September.
Analysis of the bird’s corpse determined that its wing had been severed, most likely by one of the wind turbine’s blades.
Legislation provides that during the red kite’s reproduction period, all wind turbines located on fields where agricultural work takes place must be shut down for five days. In fact, by stirring up the land, agricultural work can provide these birds with a surplus of food, towards which they will rush without being aware of the blades of the wind turbines.
As the red kite is on the list of endangered animals, the environmental organisation “natur&ëmwelt” is calling for the obligation to stop wind turbines for five days in the event of agricultural work to be extended to the entire period during which the red kite is present in the Grand Duchy, and not just its breeding period.
What ‘saving the planet’ looks like – the bird’s eye view.
About stopthesethings
“He’s just a Liberal?” Well at least we now know what you’re really thinking Dan! As do millions of other Liberal voters around Australia.
Its all very well for those who so carelessly cheer on the wind industry while calling themselves Environmentalists – but the one thing they are not is lovers of the environment.
What they forget is ever time a turbine is installed it is another area taken from the natural environment. Multiply that by hundreds, thousands and thousands and that is a LOT of environment removed for all creatures to survive and thrive.
Every time a turbine is installed it is less land for not only the Endangered but those who are not listed to flourish. Eventually all will be listed and then of course ignored as these so called environmentalists will continue to pat themselves on the back saying ‘see we told you the world was coming to an end.’
An “evolving area” really? I for one would be very surprised if avian or bat species ever encountered 110 metre rotating blades with tip speeds of around 300 kph anywhere down their journey through evolution? Species extinction is supposedly a hot button item with the “save the planet”, woke, warrior class, but it seems certain species matter more than others.
The Green lobby are hypocrites, couldn’t care less about the natural world. Sadly the RSPB in UK sits on the fence as it supports wind energy. They have started worrying about offshore birdkill but not nearly enough about onshore. This is a sight we see all too often in Scotland https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/destruction-of-osprey-nest-condemned-as-wildlife-crime-215056/
This is bullshit! Blow the goddamn things up. Not worth having around. Stupid enviromentalists.
Reports generated on mortality by the wind industry are as valid as hen house counts done by a fox.
Their genius response is “but cats kill X of birds per year”….and my answer..so $#%$#v what?
Like the Tassie Barking Owl, it would appear the ‘evolving area of significant impact’ is creating endangered species, that in the interim, can be said as they decline, than turbines will have no significant impact on flying creatures.
That was the finding of a ScoMo government report into seven proposed wind projects in Tassie if I’m not mistaken.