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Wind turbine concerns

EDITOR

It is my understanding that there has been an interest in building wind turbines. For many years there have been discussions about the impact on bird, bats and other wildlife. Please do more research. I had hoped to see follow-up articles from The Daily Press on the impact of wind turbines, but so far, I have not read anything more on this…as if this is a done deal.

Wind turbine Impacts on birds and bats: 2016 Summary by the American Wind Wildlife Institute: birds under 12 inches in length account for the substantial majority (approximately 60 percent) of bird fatalities at wind energy facilities in North America.”

Three different species of bats: hoary bat. Eastern red bat, and the silver-haired bat “account for almost 80 percent of reported bat fatalities from wind turbines.”

When eagles hunt for fish on a coast, lake or river, “the mortality rate for bald eagles will skyrocket.” According to “Conventional Wind Energy – A Design Deadly for birds” by the American Eagle Foundation. “The number of birds taken annually by wind energy facilities (not including associated power lines and tower) has been estimated to exceed 1.4 million birds by 2030 if there is no change in U.S. policy toward wind energy development.”

The city has encouraged adding solar panels in an area where there are more cloudy days than there are sunny days — that’s what I learned when I first moved here and did some research on Delta County. Yes, some solar energy is acquired when it is cloudy, but logic says that solar is best used in areas of a larger percentage of sun. Let’s not add wind turbines in a quest for cheaper energy when the cost is to high for our local and migratory birds.

Josephine Danielson

Escanaba

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