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Wind farms |
Wind farms
The UK Government has committed to obtaining 20% of electricity from renewables by 2020, but this target will need to be revised upwards, and possibly even doubled, in the light of new EU legislation. The Scottish Government has already pledged a more ambitious target of obtaining 50% of electricity from renewables by 2020. To meet these targets, the RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables, including solar, wind, and marine power, wherever they are used in ways that minimise unnecessary damage to wildlife and the natural environment. We particularly support solutions that enable individuals and communities to generate their own power close their homes and businesses. Switching to renewable energy now, rather than in ten or twenty years time, is essential if we are to stabilise levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at safe levels. Wind power is the most advanced renewable technology available at a large scale during this time period. For this reason, the RSPB supports a significant growth in offshore and onshore wind power generation in the UK. We believe that this growth can be achieved in harmony with, rather than at the expense of, the natural environment. We will therefore continue to require that wind farms are sited, designed and managed so that there are no significant adverse impacts on important bird populations or their habitats. The RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables, including solar, wind, and marine power, wherever they are used in ways that minimise unnecessary damage to wildlife. Renewables targets can be achieved without endangering sensitive wildlife areas, with the right level of appropriate planning, and with good co-operation between developers and conservationists. How do wind farms affect birds?The available evidence suggests that wind farms can harm birds in three possible ways – disturbance, habitat loss or damage (both direct or indirect), and collision. Poorly sited wind farms have caused some major bird casualties, particularly in Tarifa and Navarra in Spain, and the Altamont Pass in California. At these sites, planners failed to consider adequately the likely impact of putting hundreds, or even thousands, of turbines in areas that are important for birds of prey. Tragically, killing many hundreds of birds as a result. If wind farms are located away from major migration routes and important feeding, breeding and roosting areas of those bird species known or suspected to be at risk, there is a strong possibility that they will have minimal impact on wildlife. The environmental impact of wind farms needs to be monitored and analysed as they operate – and policies and practices will need to adapt as we learn more about the impacts of wind farms on birds closer to home. We scrutinise hundreds of wind farm applications every year to determine their likely wildlife impacts, and object to about 7%, because they threaten bird populations. A strategic approachWe are also calling for a more strategic and long-term planning approach to wind development than is currently being taken, including a closer examination of the effects of interactions among wind farms and between wind farms and other forms of development. Wind power has a significant role to play in the UK’s fight against climate change. With the right strategic approach and planning safeguards, it can be expanded without significant detrimental effects on birds of conservation concern or their habitats. We will work with Government and developers to ensure this outcome. Last modified: 18 September 2008 |
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Rape seed, close up - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Three puffins standing on a rock - Steve Round
Ice glacier, Jökulsárlón, Iceland - (iStockPhoto, Ref: 1809179)
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)