Supposedly green wind turbines pose their own environmental risks

Linn County supervisors are currently considering an ordinance to regulate wind turbines.

Wind farms cause irreversible damage to thousands of bird species, including those listed as endangered.

In 2021, scientists completed a study of 825 peer-reviewed articles examining the effects of industrial wind installations on animals. This study concluded that wind turbines are responsible for approximately 888,000 bat and 573,000 bird fatalities in the United States each year, including a large number of bald eagles.

Killing one bald eagle is a felony, normally subject to a maximum fine of $250,000 and two years’ imprisonment. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has now authorized a “take limit” (killing) of 15,000 bald eagles per year for wind energy companies.

Turbine blades are made of fiberglass. Over the next 20 years, the U. S. may need to dispose of 720,000 tons of used turbine fiberglass. Where will all that waste go? What environmental damage will be done in the process? How long will it take to degrade?

Low frequency vibrations and shadow flicker from the rotating blades cause health problems. Our taxes and electrical rates increase to subsidize the higher costs. The electricity provided is unreliable — wind doesn’t always blow. Battery storage requires large amounts of heavy metals — creating another layer of environmental damage.

We currently get less than 10% of our electricity from wind. If we continue this massive build-out of wind facilities, both the total life cycle cost and the environmental damage will be astronomical.

Nelson Baethke

Mount Vernon