Wind turbines killing birds is a common argument used
Concerns regarding the possible harmful environmental implications of commercial wind turbines have remained since their introduction in the 1980s. Critics have voiced concerns about the aesthetic impact of turbines on the environment, questioned the technology’s complicated mineral needs, and expressed dissatisfaction with the noise created by the whirling blades. As a result, the resistance to wind energy has been constant and strong.
Some opponents of the installation of new wind turbines in the United States frequently highlight bird mortality as a major worry related with wind-generated power. Their ultimate objective is to avoid a high number of bird deaths caused by the blades of these massive turbines, which they want to do through litigation and rallies against proposed legislation.
Most experts, however, see a flaw in the bird-mortality argument: the great majority of evidence shows that wind turbines kill comparatively few birds, especially when compared to other man-made buildings. When you examine the amount of people who oppose wind power on behalf of birds, the figures are startling.
Cats vs. Wind Turbines: A Comparison
According to data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, cats are responsible for 2.4 billion avian fatalities, outnumbering the impact of wind turbines. Cats and glass buildings cause more harm to bird populations than land-based wind turbines, which only account for a small percentage of bird deaths.
According to a landmark study by Dr Scott Loss and colleagues, terrestrial wind turbines killed about 200,000 birds, but accidents with building glass killed almost 600 million birds.
