I live in Brigantine, NJ (just next to Atlantic City). Atlantic City has recently put up 5 wind turbines that are saving the city an estimated $5,000 in energy costs per day with clean energy. However, people complain that they are an "eyesore". I personally think they are a welcome addition and would love to see future innovation with wind energy come to AC. (No New Jersey jokes please.)
It should also be noted that another big complaint is from environmentalists (ironic) who claim the turbines will decimate the local bird population. My town contains a natural bird sanctuary and in the past three years there has apparently been 1 turbine related bird death...
If the birds are dumb enough to get near enough to the giant, sharp, rotating blades that it kills them, that strikes me as Natural Selection, not a bird hazard.
I don't understand why people find wind turbines an eyesore. To me they are far more beautiful than most other things people build, rest stops on the Jersey Turnpike being an example.
Bird deaths can be a genuine and serious problem with wind farms, but depend significantly on the type of turbines used, and where they are sited.
For example, it turns out that if you put the most dense wind farm in the world in the middle of the largest breeding population of golden eagles in the world, that's bad.
Don't feel bad, I'm from Jersey too. And when I drove to North Carolina the pizza guy was making fun of me for it, saying we pollute too much, as he was dropping his cigarette butt on the ground.
As for the bird, I call it semi-natural selection, they'll learn eventually.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I live in Brigantine, NJ (just next to Atlantic City). Atlantic City has recently put up 5 wind turbines that are saving the city an estimated $5,000 in energy costs per day with clean energy. However, people complain that they are an "eyesore". I personally think they are a welcome addition and would love to see future innovation with wind energy come to AC. (No New Jersey jokes please.)
It should also be noted that another big complaint is from environmentalists (ironic) who claim the turbines will decimate the local bird population. My town contains a natural bird sanctuary and in the past three years there has apparently been 1 turbine related bird death...
If the birds are dumb enough to get near enough to the giant, sharp, rotating blades that it kills them, that strikes me as Natural Selection, not a bird hazard.
I don't understand why people find wind turbines an eyesore. To me they are far more beautiful than most other things people build, rest stops on the Jersey Turnpike being an example.
Bird deaths can be a genuine and serious problem with wind farms, but depend significantly on the type of turbines used, and where they are sited.
For example, it turns out that if you put the most dense wind farm in the world in the middle of the largest breeding population of golden eagles in the world, that's bad.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4222351.html
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Altamont_Pass,_California
As the articles discuss, there are solutions.
Don't feel bad, I'm from Jersey too. And when I drove to North Carolina the pizza guy was making fun of me for it, saying we pollute too much, as he was dropping his cigarette butt on the ground.
As for the bird, I call it semi-natural selection, they'll learn eventually.