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WINDFARMS KILL THEM Eagles are a rare sight : often persecuted, these magnificent birds try to stay away from people. But they still get shot at, and many die from poisoned bait. Their crime is to feed on rabbits, grouse, partridges, and the odd new-born lamb left to himself. Human infrastructure also takes its toll : some eagles are electrocuted on pylons, others get maimed colliding with overhead cables or with guy wires. As a result, they have disappeared from areas where they used to be a common sight. Many are endangered as a species, nationally or worldwide. Having become rare, they are even more valued by nature lovers who see in them a symbol of our vanishing wilderness. Like the canary in the mine, an eagle in the sky sends a positive signal about the health of the environment. In the final analysis, fighting to save the eagles is a fight to save nature. But a new danger is looming over these great birds : the rush to cover our hills in wind turbines . As many as 3,000 eagles, 50,000 other raptors, and 10 million smaller birds (plus a great many bats) have already been killed by their blades, whose appearance of slowness is deceiving. Thousands of miles of new power lines are also being built to accommodate the wind farms, and these traditionally kill eagles too. This added threat, in the medium to long term, may contribute to the total disappearance of eagles and other emblematic species from our skies. It is therefore critical to control wind farm development. It would also be prudent to ascertain whether this new industry is technically and economically sound, something that many professionals are doubting. Actually, I have been investigating the subject for years : my conclusions may be found in a number of papers published on the Iberica 2000 website ( see link below ) and herein on save-the-eagles.org. They differ from the orthodoxy. Mark Duchamp Papers and articles : www.iberica2000.org/Es/Articulo.asp?Id=1228 Related pictures : http://spaces.msn.com/mark-duchamp |
