Burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas threatens wild animals by polluting their habitats, so The HSUS has long supported the development of cleaner energy sources. Wind energy appears at first glance quite promising, and 29 states now have wind energy generating plants in operation. In 2001 alone, 38 new plants began production in the United States. Many more have been proposed for construction in the next few years, including some that would be built offshore. This may seem like a step in the right direction, but wind plants in a number of places have had devastating impacts on wildlife.
One facility in Altamont, California, has killed tens of thousands of birds in the two decades it has operated—most of them eagles, hawks, owls, and migratory birds who collide with the spinning blades of the turbines. Even engineering changes to the turbine design have failed to significantly reduce the risk. And the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center plant in West Virginia killed an estimated 3,000 migrating bats—or even more—last fall. As developers scramble to find ways to reduce wildlife deaths, it's worth remembering that even the most effective facility changes are a poor substitute for choosing a low-risk location in the first place.
While no offshore wind plants now operate in the country, developers have applied for permits to build at least two new ones. Such facilities have been operating in Europe for at least five years and—as with land-based wind plants—pose potential threats to wildlife and habitats. Ocean currents would be shifted around the 16-foot bases of the turbines, potentially affecting the habitats of small animals at the base of the food chain. And electromagnetic fields generated by the many miles of cables leading to offshore turbines may disrupt fish and endangered turtles who use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate. Large fields of wind turbines (the largest proposed in the United States would have more than 100 turbines in a 24-square-mile area) might affect the migration of whales moving seasonally up and down the coast. Shifting their migratory routes might even move the whales into areas that pose greater risks of ship collisions or entanglements in fishing gear.
Because so many unanswered questions remain, The HSUS has led calls for thorough environmental study of the potential effects of offshore wind plants—as well as land-based plants—before construction of such facilities begins. We've also called on the U.S. government to follow the United Kingdom and other European countries in developing a national policy governing where wind plants may be built to minimize the risks for wildlife. And we've spearheaded the creation of the SafeWind Coalition of organizations to bring awareness of this issue to the public.
Developing "greener" energy sources is certainly a worthy goal, but we must be sure that new dangers for wildlife don't outweigh those posed by traditional technologies. We'll continue our efforts, and we'll keep you informed. For more information on how you can help, visit our SafeWind Coalition's web site at www.SafeWind.info.
