Alternatives

Commentary by Joe McWilliams

Speaking of alternative energy, there are probably no ‘absolutely’ safe forms of generation. Critics of wind farms complain – with justification – of the hazard to birds. It does happen, but how much? Not much, according to some sources. When you start comparing the other hazards migrating birds face, wind turbines aren’t not really even in the picture. Mind you, there’s probably a lot more documentation of other causes of bird mortality than the relatively new wind turbine phenomenon. But in any case, the really big numbers are elsewhere. Here’s what Curry and Kerlinger, a wind power consulting firm lists on its website: A Dr. Klem of Muhlenberg College has been studying bird deaths caused by birds flying into windows. He estimates the annual death toll at something between 100 million and 900 million, making window glass the single biggest human factor in bird mortality. According to the National Audubon Society, house cats kill an estimated 100 million birds per year. Electric transmission lines finish off up to 174 million. Automobiles? Fifty to 100 million. Agricultural pesticides may finish off 60 million more annually, says the Smithsonian Institution. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services estimates one to two million birds are killed in tar ponds annually. And let’s not forget hunting. Again, U.S. Fish & Wildlife estimates 100 million are killed legally each year. These are U.S. figures, but many of the birds are migratory and would spend part of their year in Canada. In any case, new studies show that wind turbines don’t kill very many birds at all. But even so, new types of bird and bat-friendly turbines are coming on the market. There’s a video on a Popular Mechanics website showing one being installed on late night talk show host Jay Leno’s garage (a really big garage) in Los Angeles. It doesn’t have the traditional ‘blades’ at all. Others, we hear, operate within a screen of sorts, so the wind, but not birds or bats, can get through. Not everybody can afford what Jay Leno can. But we look forward to the day (hopefully soon) when regular folks can afford to power their homes or shops with wind power. Or solar if they prefer. If the government (or governments) were serious about promoting clean energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels, they would provide incentives for people to hook up to alternatives and get off the carbon treadmill. That said, it is possibly to sell independently (and alternatively)-generated power back to the ‘grid’, as long as it’s one megawatt or more. That said, however, there is no ‘perfect’ method of producing energy, which there are no side effects. But using bird mortality as a reason not to explore the wind power alternative is looking pretty weak. As such, we look forward to the success of the demonstration project for wind and solar power that has been proposed for the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation.