Biology 1000
Lab 1: Environment in the Media
Danger Caused by Wind Turbines on Winged Animals
Name: Aiya Abdulrazak
TA: Rhodri Taylor
Due: Jan 26 2012
S/N: 211495074
Course: BIOL 1001
Section: M.05
Danger Caused by Wind Turbines on Winged Animals
Wind turbines have been used for many years now. Wind turbines are affordable, charges batteries, and were the first kind of renewable energy. To humans, this was a great invention, but for birds it was not. Some issues regarding wind turbines was addressed in a newspaper article, “Turbine risks weighed; Developers to assess impact of wind farms on migratory birds” by Gary Rennie. The article states that AIM PowerGen Corp. have planned to redesign the structure of wind turbines to a bigger blade that have a slower motion so that it is less likely for the migrating birds to nest on the turbines or collide with the fast moving blades. Patterns of migration of birds have been spotted around Point Pelee National Park but the wind turbine project management will not take migration patterns into account. This article also states that the number of birds killed by cats, cars, and buildings are bigger than the numbers killed by the wind turbines, but still is a big danger for birds and other flying animals. Wind turbines causes light pollution, which will attract species such as bugs, bats, butterflies, and birds to fly straight into the turbines (Rennie 2007). From this, one could say that although birds can be killed from buildings, cars, or cats, it is still important to pay close attention to the placements of wind turbines. The major concern now is how can companies/ farmers prevent this issue?
The issue of the danger of Wind turbines can be prevented in many ways, two being, study migration patterns or replace them with solar harvesters. Knowing where, when and how the birds or other flying species migrate will reduce the risk of them colliding with the wind
Danger Caused by Wind Turbines on Winged Animals
Name: Aiya Abdulrazak
TA: Rhodri Taylor
Due: Jan 26 2012
S/N: 211495074
Course: BIOL 1001
Section: M.05
Danger Caused by Wind Turbines on Winged Animals
Wind turbines have been used for many years now. Wind turbines are affordable, charges batteries, and were the first kind of renewable energy. To humans, this was a great invention, but for birds it was not. Some issues regarding wind turbines was addressed in a newspaper article, “Turbine risks weighed; Developers to assess impact of wind farms on migratory birds” by Gary Rennie. The article states that AIM PowerGen Corp. have planned to redesign the structure of wind turbines to a bigger blade that have a slower motion so that it is less likely for the migrating birds to nest on the turbines or collide with the fast moving blades. Patterns of migration of birds have been spotted around Point Pelee National Park but the wind turbine project management will not take migration patterns into account. This article also states that the number of birds killed by cats, cars, and buildings are bigger than the numbers killed by the wind turbines, but still is a big danger for birds and other flying animals. Wind turbines causes light pollution, which will attract species such as bugs, bats, butterflies, and birds to fly straight into the turbines (Rennie 2007). From this, one could say that although birds can be killed from buildings, cars, or cats, it is still important to pay close attention to the placements of wind turbines. The major concern now is how can companies/ farmers prevent this issue?
The issue of the danger of Wind turbines can be prevented in many ways, two being, study migration patterns or replace them with solar harvesters. Knowing where, when and how the birds or other flying species migrate will reduce the risk of them colliding with the wind
References: Rennie, Gary. May 31 2007. Turbine risks weighed; developers to Asses impact of wind farms on migratory birds. The Windsor star; News: A2. Baisner AJ, Andersen JL, Findsen A, Granath SWY, Madsen K, Desholm M. 2010. Minimizing collision risk between migrating raptors and marine wind farms: development of a Spatial Planning Tool. Environ Manage. 46: 801– 808. Tong CW, Zainon MZ, Chew PS, Kui SC, Keong WS, Chen PK. 2010. Innovative Power-Augmentation-Guide-Vane Design of Wind-Solar Hybrid Renewable Energy Harvester for urban high-rise application. Amer Inst Phys. 1225: 507-521.