Environmental Considerations
Wind turbines are environmentally freindly. Here are some facts:
- The production of electricity is the largest source of industrial air pollution in the U.S.
- Wind Power generates zero emissions.
- One megawatt hour of electricity reduces CO2 emissions by 1,200 pounds.
Some critics have disingenuously argued that wind power adversely impacts wildlife. In fact, it has been demonstrated that quite the reverse is true. For example, consider the following data on bird deaths caused by wind turbines.
As this graph demonstrates, birds are far more likely to be killed by fenestration than by wind turbines - by a ratio greater than 5,000 to one. Even cats cause a thousand times more bird deaths than wind turbines (and they are not without emissions).
It is notable that high tension lines used to transmit electricity are 800 times more likely to kill a bird than wind turbines.
The image at left shows an Aerostar 6 Meter wind turbine running on an 80 foot guyed tower. The guy wires are covered with migrating birds. They don't seem to mind the presence of the turbine. Indeed, the system has provided them a temporary habitat - a convenient place to rest before continuing on their perilous journey.