51
tential has barely been tapped. But wind energy is generated by
massive turbines, many of which stand 300 feet (91.4 m) to 400
feet (122 m) high. These towering structures with their huge spin-
ning blades carry a severe and deadly risk for birds. According
to the National Audubon Society, wind turbines kill as many as
328,000 birds each year in North America. Many deterrents have
been developed to scare birds away from the turbines, including
brightly colored blades, bright lights, different designs of blades,
and several other concepts, but none has proved to be effective
in decreasing bird deaths.
Because wind power has tremendous potential as a green
energy source for the future, environmental scientists widely tout
its expansion. But most agree that wind farms must be carefully
planned and installed in areas that are not known as primary mi-
gration pathways or bird stopover points. One example of a wind
farm that was installed without such planning is the Altamont
Pass Wind Farm in Northern California. The facility was built dur-
ing the 1960s in the midst of a major avian migration route. As a
result of its placement, tens of thousands of golden eagles, bur-
rowing owls, red-tailed hawks, and other types of birds, as well
as untold numbers of bats, have been killed. In 2015 the owner of
the wind farm announced that the oldest and most dangerous of
the turbines would be shut down and replaced.
A Choice
In any advanced society, development is inevitable as well as es-
sential. A part of population growth is growing infrastructure, in-
cluding roads and highways, housing, commercial and industrial
facilities, and energy generation. Yet wildlife, which has already
been harmed in so many ways by human actions, now depends
on humans for its very survival. If habitat preservation is not con-
sidered a high priority when any type of development is planned,
humans can blame no one but themselves when earth’s wildlife
continues to disappear.
