Before the moderator shuts down this thread, i will also get my two cents in! and it is this:
I am very sure that all scientists and amatuer field naturalists want and strive for 'good science' and research, resulting in the best possible solution to the environmental concern in creating our so badly needed future sustainable fuel sources.
However like everything else, after the good sceince is done (and mostly shelved) , big business and politicians take over and that's when everything 'goes south' . don't kid yourself into thinking that everyone is talking about wind energy because we're all trying to be good citizens in furthering 'green energy'. quite the contrary, as this concept develops across our nation's hilltops, and seascapes, there are dollar signs dancing in the heads of energy companies we have not heard of yet and politicians who are looking at these companies as new sources for campaign and personal financing. This, as the non-renewable fossil fuel company's donations they have traditionally and historically siphoned into their deep well pockets, become less politically safe to accept in the public eye.
While we as a nation and a planet may well derive some benefit from wind energy, there will also be consequences to this move. if our nation was truly interested in preserving the planet, my Subaru would get 49 mph, not 29 mph right now, my house would have a reasonably priced solar or geo-thermal energy system, and regional planning, mass transit and so forth would be the topic du jour for business and politicians. but it is not because there is no money in these lofty goals.
What is happening in the Gulf of Mexico right now will having a lasting effect beyond my years on this earth. We may well lose a few species of wildlife and a segment of this country's cultural and natural history, several important industries (fishing,shrimping,tourism) and a city to the waves (New Orleans). Make no mistake about it, that there are three parties directly responsable for all of this: BP, Trans Ocean and our very own federal government. All of the 'good science' commited to making offshore and nearshore drilling safe, was put off, shelved and moth-balled in the name of money, by big oil business under the direction,permission and orchestration of our federal government, the likes of whom were both elected and appointed to their positions. And after all of this, Exxon and BP,OPEC, etc., will never, never, stop drilling for oil. They will simply find a new market for their product, like the rest of the developing world.
Suffice it to say, at this point, i have very little faith that my federal government will do anything in my or my environment's interest. I will assume that wind farms will make some people a lot of money, keep scientists very busy through their eventual retirement, create some some energy efficiency that may be marginally measurable, and further damage the environment at some level. It is all about following the very foul smell of money, really.
Gee Bill, now aren't you glad you posted ?
JPA
John Askildsen
Millbrook, New York
On Jun 8, 2010, Bill Evans <[email protected]> wrote:
Greetings birders,
In the lull between NY breeding bird atlases, I thought some birders out
there might be interested in some mid-season blockbusting. In this case,
it's not USGS blocks but the locale of a proposed wind energy project in
western NY.
The proposed Alabama Ledge wind farm, about 5 miles northwest of Batavia, NY
would consist of up to 52 wind turbines and border the southern edges of the
Iroqouis National Wildlife Refuge and the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management
Area. The Town of Alabama, NY is the lead agency and is currently weighing
the proposal and its draft environmental impact statement. The latter
included a breeding bird study in which the stated goal was:
"locating and counting breeding resident birds within the areas proposed for
development. The
surveys were conducted in the first two weeks of June based on the regional
timing
recommended for USGS BBS in western New York (USGS 2001)."
Toward that end, a consultant hired by the wind project developer carried
out two 3 minute point count surveys at 20 points within the wind project
area. That is all the breeding bird survey planned to be conducted for this
wind project and it provides the formal record for consideration of breeding
birds that might be potentially impacted by the project. To me that seems
like a grossly inadequate level of assessment, especially so for a wind
project proposed to be built in such close proximity to some of our precious
wildlife refuges. For any wind project in New York (and beyond) it seems we
should have a detailed record of what was there prior to the wind project's
construction.
I'm planning on heading over to the locality of the Alabama Ledge wind
project this Sunday to bird along the roadsides within the proposed wind
project area. I'd welcome coordinating with any similarly interested birders
this Sunday and collating sightings from birders visiting the location over
the next month. The goal would be to send the Town of Alabama, NYDEC and
USFWS a list of additional breeding species within the proposed wind project
development, that were not detected in the developer's survey, which might
be impacted by the wind project.
A map of the project area along with the species detected by the developer's
breeding bird study can be found at the following link:
http://www.horizonwindfarms.com/northeast-region/documents/under-dev/alabama-ledge/deis/Appendix%20F2%20Avian%20and%20Bat%20Studies.pdf
Please email me offlist if you are interested in participating in this
"blockbusting" effort.
Bill Evans
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