What Wind Power Is and Its Impact On Wildlife

Converting energy from wind into electricity by the use of wind turbines is called wind power. When someone uses a windmill, the energy from that is used to pump water or crush grain. Wind power is not used as much in the United States as it is in other countries around the world. Globally, the use of wind power between the years 2000 and 2007 increased more than five times the amount. This type of energy is used on large wind farms that are connected to electrical grids. They can also be connected to individual turbines that provide isolated locations with the electricity they need. When it cuts out fossil-fuel-drawn electricity, energy from the wind can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and it is renewable, plentiful, clean, and widely distributed.

Wind Power and Wildlife

This form of energy does have a down side. It is harmful to the world’s wonderful wildlife. The danger to birds is the most common thing that people complain about. However, the actual numbers of birds killed by wind turbines is very low compared to other activities of humans, like hunting, traffic, power lines, unclean power sources, and buildings that are very tall. Bats are a different problem, though. In just six weeks, 63 onshore turbines were responsible for the deaths of more than 2,200 bats on the eastern coast of the United States. Wind power has also been known to wipe out vegetation and fish stocks in Europe. This is most likely caused during the construction of the wind farms where sediment from the construction pollutes the water the fish live in.