Guilty plea in bird deaths at wind farms a first

[Vendzilla]

http://news.yahoo.com/guilty-plea-bi...--finance.html

The Charlotte, N.C.-based company pleaded guilty to killing 14 eagles and 149 other birds at its Top of the World and Campbell Hill wind farms outside Casper, Wyo. All the deaths, which included golden eagles, hawks, blackbirds, wrens and sparrows, occurred from 2009 to 2013.

"Wind energy is not green if it is killing hundreds of thousands of birds," said George Fenwick, president of the American Bird Conservancy, which supports properly sited wind farms. "The unfortunate reality is that the flagrant violations of the law seen in this case are widespread."



That's just one farm, so much for green energy, I know there are ways they can fix this

[arock10]

fossil fuels much more bird friendly

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by arock10

fossil fuels much more bird friendly

You're not very informed
In 2009, Exxon Mobil pleaded guilty and paid $600,000 for killing 85 birds in five states. The BP oil company was fined $100 million for killing and harming migratory birds during the 2010 Gulf oil spill. And PacifiCorp, which operates coal plants, paid more than $10.5 million in 2009 for electrocuting 232 eagles along power lines and at its substations.

[crockett]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

You're not very informed
In 2009, Exxon Mobil pleaded guilty and paid $600,000 for killing 85 birds in five states. The BP oil company was fined $100 million for killing and harming migratory birds during the 2010 Gulf oil spill. And PacifiCorp, which operates coal plants, paid more than $10.5 million in 2009 for electrocuting 232 eagles along power lines and at its substations.

So time and time again I've seen you foaming at the mouth to bash wind farms as being anti bird. Yet just with 2 or 3 oil spills, fossil fuel companies have killed two times the amount of birds, not to mention affected countless other wildlife and contaminated water.

Why oh why is our great GFY conservationist Vendzilla only worried about protecting birds from wind farms? Are not all bird deaths equal or do you only care when bird deaths are related to renewable sources of energy? Why have we not seen you bring this up before Vendzilla? More importantly are you going to be sure to show the same disgust toward fossil fuels as you hold toward wind power?

Do you now plan to join Green Peace and tie your self to trees in the Forrest in order to protect bird habitats? Please tell us your plans on how to kill less birds.

[arock10]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

You're not very informed
In 2009, Exxon Mobil pleaded guilty and paid $600,000 for killing 85 birds in five states. The BP oil company was fined $100 million for killing and harming migratory birds during the 2010 Gulf oil spill. And PacifiCorp, which operates coal plants, paid more than $10.5 million in 2009 for electrocuting 232 eagles along power lines and at its substations.

So they are guilty of it too? This is just cases about directly killing birds btw. Fossil fuels still contribute to killing all sorts of nature well past these incidents. Or did you fall for "clean coal"

Yes I'm not very informed on birds, but I've seen you bring it up repeatedly as if someway it negates every other perk to green power. I am surprised the penalties have been this high.

Kill birds = $100 million
destroy economy = few billion here and there

[MaDalton]

<sigh...>

[MaDalton]

https://www.google.com/search?q=oil+...w=1920&bih=950

https://www.google.com/search?q=oil+...off&tbm =isch


seriously - how ignorant can one single person be..

[crockett]

I suspect bird deaths will suddenly become a non issue for our resident bird watcher, now that big oil has been linked to killing far more eagles in just 1 oil spill than wind farms have..

[Fat Panda]

aarp members need oil for their mopeds

[Vendzilla]

Gebus, are you guys fucking kidding me, Have you guys ever seen a big bird in the wild?

Fucking idiots think it's ok to give a pass on killing birds in anyway? Well fuck you, it's not! Add all the words you want to what I have said, truth be told, Obama had given the wind farms a pass till now, guess he doesn't give a shit about Eagles either

I can't believe you assholes think it's ok that an industry, any industry should get a pass on killing endangered birds, fucking hypocrites saying "Well the oil industry is worse" You're all fucking morons !!!!!


The oil industry has it's problems but it's a hell of a lot bigger than the wind farm industry. The wind farms have options they have not explored because of people giving them a pass (Obama) Maybe now they will explore those options

[MaDalton]

[crockett]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Gebus, are you guys fucking kidding me, Have you guys ever seen a big bird in the wild?

Fucking idiots think it's ok to give a pass on killing birds in anyway? Well fuck you, it's not! Add all the words you want to what I have said, truth be told, Obama had given the wind farms a pass till now, guess he doesn't give a shit about Eagles either

I can't believe you assholes think it's ok that an industry, any industry should get a pass on killing endangered birds, fucking hypocrites saying "Well the oil industry is worse" You're all fucking morons !!!!!


The oil industry has it's problems but it's a hell of a lot bigger than the wind farm industry. The wind farms have options they have not explored because of people giving them a pass (Obama) Maybe now they will explore those options

So I ask once again, why is it you only care about protecting birds from wind farms and not from big oil? You are a hypocrite that is so fucking fanatical about being anti Obama you just foam at the mouth about anything you can possibly even remotely link to him..

So tell us when will you start protesting big oil for doing much worse to endangered species all over the world? Why do these birds not matter to your agenda?

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/201...n_the_oil.html

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by crockett

So I ask once again, why is it you only care about protecting birds from wind farms and not from big oil? You are a hypocrite that is so fucking fanatical about being anti Obama you just foam at the mouth about anything you can possibly even remotely link to him..

So tell us when will you start protesting big oil for doing much worse to endangered species all over the world?

Wow, where did I say that? You really do have shit for brains!
The op was about wind farms, but somehow , you equate that some how to big oil, you're a fucking moron.

I think you guys need some hooked on Phonics, because no where did I say it's OK for big oil

[arock10]

this thread delivers

edit: and yea I've these birds in the wild

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by arock10

this thread delivers

edit: and yea I've these birds in the wild

I was lucky as a kid and saw a California Condor in the wild, Amazing!
I'm leaving on Vacation in a few, going to Redding California where my family lives, they have nests set up for Bald Eagles. Going out on Shasta lake to show my GF. She's going to love it

[MaDalton]

here's some more to think about:
http://www.livescience.com/27971-bir...-roadkill.html

1. I am sure more birds die from cars than wind farms so let's just don't drive cars anymore

2. They will get used to wind farms over a couple of generations - but not to oil spill

now what?

[crockett]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Wow, where did I say that? You really do have shit for brains!
The op was about wind farms, but somehow , you equate that some how to big oil, you're a fucking moron.

I think you guys need some hooked on Phonics, because no where did I say it's OK for big oil

We are questioning your obvious agenda to equate these bird deaths to somehow being Obama's fault. We are simply asking why it is, that since you seem so legitimately upset by these bird deaths, that bird deaths from big oil are also not sharing the same scorn. After all I've seen you mention these deaths of birds by wind farms in several topics, but not once did you ever mention scorn toward birds killed by big oil.

Are not all bird deaths equal and their cause due equal scorn? Is it something to do with the color of the birds black tar colored feathers that grants them unequal support in your scorn against the cause of their death?

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by MaDalton

here's some more to think about:
http://www.livescience.com/27971-bir...-roadkill.html

1. I am sure more birds die from cars than wind farms so let's just don't drive cars anymore

2. They will get used to wind farms over a couple of generations - but not to oil spill

now what?

Wind farms have been around for a long time.

And I have hit birds myself, scared the shit out of me!

[BaliPimp]

i am more concerned about those fucking native americans. How many eagles have these sons of bitches slaughtered????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is why the us government scalped these haters of nature!!!!!

[MaDalton]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Wind farms have been around for a long time.

so what now - they are around for a long time or evil Barry put them up?

[Sly]

Originally Posted by MaDalton

1. I am sure more birds die from cars than wind farms so let's just don't drive cars anymore

Are you cool with me using that logic in the next gun control thread?

[crockett]

Originally Posted by MaDalton

so what now - they are around for a long time or evil Barry put them up?

Actually George Bush Jr, at the time he was Governor of Texas, made that state, the number one state in producing energy from wind by allowing many wind farms to be built.. Of course that's been many years ago and Texas may or may not still be the leader in wind created energy.


That does beg the question, of how many birds lay dead at the hands of George Bush.. Then again, perhaps big oil already killed all the birds in Texas and wind farms are now free to operate unrestrained by Eco warriors such as our resident GFY bird watchers.

[Fat Panda]

the stupidity of amerikan babyboomers is comical

boomer aarp members thanks for bankrupting amerika you fucking maggots

[MaDalton]

Originally Posted by Sly

Are you cool with me using that logic in the next gun control thread?

i am just striking back with their own "weapons"

[2MuchMark]

Vendzilla, you just don't get it.

Oil spills kill birds, but oil causes alot more damge. The oil industry itself kills alot more people than any other industry, and the damage oil causes lasts for generations. So what if oil pays a fine? big fucking deal. The fines they pay do nothing to repair the damage. I would rather see Oil companies properly clean up their shit rather than just pay a fine.

Everyone loves birds and animals, me especially and yes it is tragic that any animals die thanks to Man-made things. But Windfarms are super-clean, and super green. Only total fucking idiots think otherwise.

I pick on you sometimes Vendzilla because you are typical of the type of person who can't see the big picture. People like you jump on 1 small thing such as bird deaths at wind farms in a weak attempt to ignore SCIENCE because they're afraid of the truth, or they simply can't handle the possibility that they have been lied to by corporations for decades.

[Tom_PM]

This shit again? You're just against every piece of progress on the planet Earth aren't you?

"The Exxon Valdez oil spill killed more sea birds than any oil spill in history, according to a study by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists.

The new study estimates the total number of birds killed at between 90,000 and 270,000. About 30,000 sea birds killed by the oil spill were recovered last summer, the biologists concluded. They said that represents between 10 percent and 30 percent of the total dead."


You talk about 200+ birds known dead and a quote speculating about "hundreds of thousands" being killed by wind farms. And then you talk about 85 birds killed by BP or something and ignore the countless known hundreds of thousands dead just from the SPILLED oil. What the f..? At least have some integrity with your argument.

Hey I bet soon we'll all be brushing our teeth with clean coal, right?

[JockoHomo]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Gebus, are you guys fucking kidding me, Have you guys ever seen a big bird in the wild?

I have seen Andean condors in the wild in Peru and I can tell you they are an incredible sight.

They are also delicious.

[ilnjscb]

They should probably have the turbines emit some sort of bird of prey sound. Eagles can hear well enough to avoid other birds of prey. It wouldn't cause noise pollution because it wouldn't make it to the ground.

[arock10]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

I was lucky as a kid and saw a California Condor in the wild, Amazing!
I'm leaving on Vacation in a few, going to Redding California where my family lives, they have nests set up for Bald Eagles. Going out on Shasta lake to show my GF. She's going to love it

nice nice. I've just been to the yellowstone area a shit load of times, they have it all there

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Selective Conservationists: Right Wing Only Worried About Birds When Attacking Wind Energy

A network of ultra-conservative groups is ramping up an offensive on multiple fronts to turn the American public against wind farms and Barack Obama's energy agenda.

A number of rightwing organisations, including Americans for Prosperity, which is funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, are attacking Obama for his support for solar and wind power. The American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), which also has financial links to the Kochs, has drafted bills to overturn state laws promoting wind energy.

There's a problem with the bird-mortality argument: The vast majority of research shows that wind turbines kill relatively few birds, at least compared with other man-made structures. The statistics are shocking if you consider just how many people are crying out against wind power for the birds' sake:

Man-made structure/technology
Associated bird deaths per year (U.S.)

Feral and domestic cats = Hundreds of millions [source: AWEA]

Power lines = 130 million to 174 million [source: AWEA]

Windows (residential and commercial) = 100 million to 1 billion [source: TreeHugger]

Pesticides = 70 million [source: AWEA]

Automobiles = 60 million to 80 million [source: AWEA]

Lighted communication towers = 40 million to 50 million [source: AWEA]

Wind turbines = 10,000 to 40,000 [source: ABC]

Vendzilla should be happy to know that the green industry and government are already aware of the issue and working to create more bird-safe technology:

Collisions with wind turbines account for about one-tenth of a percent of all "unnatural" bird deaths in the United States each year. And of all bird deaths, 30 percent are due to natural causes, like baby birds falling from nests [source: AWEA].

So why the widespread misconception that labels wind turbines "bird-o-matics"? It all starts with California, raptors and the thousands of old turbines that make up the Altamont Pass wind farm.

In this article, we'll find out where the statistics went wrong, how thousands of birds do end up flying into wind turbines each year, and what's being done to reduce the number of bird-turbine collisions.

Even though up to 1 billion birds die each year by flying into windows, no one is brushing off the tens of thousands of turbine-related deaths every year. So what are we doing to lower that number?

In the past couple of decades, turbine designs have changed dramatically. Turbine blades are now solid, meaning no lattice structure to attract birds looking to perch. Also, the blades' surface area is much larger, so they don't have to spin as fast to generate power. Slower-moving blades mean fewer bird collisions.

Perhaps the biggest change in wind-farm safety, though, has to do with location. Now, all new turbine proposals are reviewed for ideal, bird-friendly placement. Wind farms cannot be built in migratory pathways, in areas with high bird populations, or in areas with special features that could possibly attract high bird populations in the future. Also, the growing trend toward offshore turbine construction bodes well for birds, since offshore wind farms have fewer bird collisions than land-based farms.

Possibly the greatest indicator that wind turbines are not, in fact, bird-o-matics, is the growing number of endorsements by bird conservation groups. The American Bird Conservancy supports wind power with the caveat that bird-friendly placement and design be primary factors in construction [source: ABC].

The Wisconsin Bird Initiative states that wind turbines have a "low impact" on avian mortality compared to window glass and communication towers [source: WBCI]. And in 2006, the Audubon Society gave its figurative seal of approval to the American Wind Energy Association. The president of the national organization is quoted by Renewable Energy World as stating, "When you look at a wind turbine, you can find the bird carcasses and count them. With a coal-fired power plant, you can't count the carcasses, but it's going to kill a lot more birds" [source: REW].

There are many other proposed solutions being looked at:

Use of operational modifications ? raising the speed at which turbines start turning or not operating during key migratory times or using radar to turn off turbines when flocks pass was suggested.

Further testing on other measures, such as multicolored turbines, and effects, such as turbine noise on birds, were suggested.

Proponents of wind energy have offered a range of solutions to reduce the killings of birds at wind farms. Siting wind turbines away from prime raptor habitat to reduce the likelihood of collisions with eagles and hawks is a relatively easy alternative.

And newer designs of wind turbines -- with a vertical axis and/or no lattice-work structure (which attracts birds of prey) -- should virtually eliminate the chance of a bird-turbine collision.

According to some reports, these mitigation strategies are already working at places like California's Altamont Pass, home to one of the largest wind farms in North America, which is now seeing fewer bird deaths than in years past.

While the government may not be moving fast enough for your liking V, the fact is, that there is a growing awareness of this problem, and resources are being allocated to come up with better solutions.

Meanwhile, the people behind the "grassroots" anti-green energy, anti-wind turbine movement, are among the greatest corporate polluters on earth...



ADG

[crockett]

Go figure once again Vendzilla pulls is hate for Obama straight from the talking points of groups like Americans for Prosperity... It's time and time again he can't come up with a original thought on his own, he just spews out what ever talking point is being pushed by the right wing talking heads as if it were the gospel.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in one of these right wing lobbyist offices as they banter back and forth of what the next big sin is they can start spewing about Obama.. Honestly I wish we could elect Obama for another four years just to drive these fuckers even more bat wing crazy.. ( obviously I'm joking )

Really it's just fucking sad that people are so fucking ignorant..

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Originally Posted by crockett

Go figure once again Vendzilla pulls is hate for Obama straight from the talking points of groups like Americans for Prosperity... It's time and time again he can't come up with a original thought on his own, he just spews out what ever talking point is being pushed by the right wing talking heads as if it were the gospel.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in one of these right wing lobbyist offices as they banter back and forth of what the next big sin is they can start spewing about Obama.. Honestly I wish we could elect Obama for another four years just to drive these fuckers even more bat wing crazy.. ( obviously I'm joking )

Really it's just fucking sad that people are so fucking ignorant..

One more bit of irony, is that it is the Obama Justice Department which prosecuted the wind energy company and obtained the guilty plea. You would think that an astute caring conservationist like Vendzilla would be applauding the Obama Justice Department.

I'm sure that his position is consistent on global warming as well (oh wait, global warming doesn't exist on Vendzilla's planet)...



ADG

[adendreams]

Vendzilla once again proves that the worthless steaming pile of grey slime inside his skull is bought and paid for by the dirty power propaganda machine.

Dude you just sit there and watch Hannity and then come on here and regurgitate the hate they feed you and you think ANY of us are going to slurp it up - hahaha dude you are a maggot.

Don't get me wrong I like big birds too - been to Alaska and seen bald Eagles swarming at a dump like seagulls - they arent even endangered anymore.

You know anything about islands like the Maldives Mr. Fox News Maggot? Well they are going to disappear under the waves soon thanks to motherfuckers like you and your favorite billionaires the Koch Brothers.

[2MuchMark]

Originally Posted by ilnjscb

They should probably have the turbines emit some sort of bird of prey sound. Eagles can hear well enough to avoid other birds of prey. It wouldn't cause noise pollution because it wouldn't make it to the ground.

Good idea... maybe the sound could be ultrasonic. I don't know what frequencies birds can hear to but if its similar to dogs then maybe that might help.

[2MuchMark]

Hey Vendzilla, this is for you.

Main cause of death to birds:

Man-made structure/technology

Associated bird deaths per year (U.S.)

Feral and domestic cats : Hundreds of millions [source: AWEA]
Power lines: 130 million -- 174 million [source: AWEA]
Windows (residential and commercial): 100 million -- 1 billion [source: TreeHugger]
Pesticides: 70 million [source: AWEA]
Automobiles: 60 million -- 80 million [source: AWEA]
Lighted communication towers: 40 million -- 50 million [source: AWEA]
Wind turbines: 10,000 -- 40,000 [source: ABC]

Source : http://science.howstuffworks.com/env...kill-birds.htm

[Seth Manson]

Nobody here crying about the birds that fly into buildings and die?

[directfiesta]

Vendzilla posts makes a thread .... lol ,,,

[adendreams]

Originally Posted by **********

Hey Vendzilla, this is for you.

Main cause of death to birds:

Man-made structure/technology

Associated bird deaths per year (U.S.)

Feral and domestic cats : Hundreds of millions [source: AWEA]
Power lines: 130 million -- 174 million [source: AWEA]
Windows (residential and commercial): 100 million -- 1 billion [source: TreeHugger]
Pesticides: 70 million [source: AWEA]
Automobiles: 60 million -- 80 million [source: AWEA]
Lighted communication towers: 40 million -- 50 million [source: AWEA]
Wind turbines: 10,000 -- 40,000 [source: ABC]

Source : http://science.howstuffworks.com/env...kill-birds.htm

[Coup]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Gebus, are you guys fucking kidding me, Have you guys ever seen a big bird in the wild?

Fucking idiots think it's ok to give a pass on killing birds in anyway? Well fuck you, it's not! Add all the words you want to what I have said, truth be told, Obama had given the wind farms a pass till now, guess he doesn't give a shit about Eagles either

I can't believe you assholes think it's ok that an industry, any industry should get a pass on killing endangered birds, fucking hypocrites saying "Well the oil industry is worse" You're all fucking morons !!!!!


The oil industry has it's problems but it's a hell of a lot bigger than the wind farm industry. The wind farms have options they have not explored because of people giving them a pass (Obama) Maybe now they will explore those options

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! god damn

[Coup]

Haha, god damn I'm rolling at this heated idiot!

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Gebus, are you guys fucking kidding me, Have you guys ever seen a big bird in the wild?

Fucking idiots think it's ok to give a pass on killing birds in anyway? Well fuck you, it's not! Add all the words you want to what I have said, truth be told, Obama had given the wind farms a pass till now, guess he doesn't give a shit about Eagles either

I can't believe you assholes think it's ok that an industry, any industry should get a pass on killing endangered birds, fucking hypocrites saying "Well the oil industry is worse" You're all fucking morons !!!!!


The oil industry has it's problems but it's a hell of a lot bigger than the wind farm industry. The wind farms have options they have not explored because of people giving them a pass (Obama) Maybe now they will explore those options

Originally Posted by Coup

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! god damn

I like Vendzilla, but re-reading his comments made me chuckle too, since the wind turbines that cause the most bird lives have been around for decades, and the Obama Justice Department was the first administration to successfully prosecute a wind farm operator, yet all Vendzilla can do is rage at Obama.

Under the Obama Administration the Bureau of Land Management has issued new stricter guidelines for wind farms designed to improve a situation which many people in the Obama Administration undoubtedly felt as passionate about as Vendzilla.

By coincidence, one of my summer jobs during college in the early 80's was working for the Meterology Department and going out to a windy area called Altamont Pass, where we road around hilltops on 4-wheel ATVs, and flew these cool kites that took various wind speed and direction measurements (smoking some killer buds on the way...good times, hehe).

I guess this means that technically I can list professional kite flyer on my resume...

Strange that the fruits of my labor, something so well meaning, would turn out environmentally destructive in it's own way. Nonetheless, people are aware of the problems, and are acting in ways to do a better job with regards to avian protection, as this video shows (damn, I spent a lot of hours out on those hills one summer, decent pay for a college kid):





ADG

[RyuLion]

That sucks but there are bigger issues in America today..

[PornDiscounts-V]

Bird brains