My dear Tim et al.
Tim Allwood said:
love them
build em and lots of them quickly. Yes, birds get killed.
...but it's a step in the right direction to start the move away from oil and the potential and actual conflicts that will doubtless happen otherwise. And the problems coming will make the deaths of a few birds seem very very insignificant.
I can quite understand your enthusiasm and optimism; but life's not that simple. For example - IMHO:
1. First and foremost we must use less energy. WHATEVER we do, and wind energy is not a passive form of energy, we will affect our environment - climate change, 'industrialisation of natural habitats (for humans as well) etc., If those who make money out of us** really wanted to, we could have 1 liter (pre 100 km) and zero energy hoiuses tomorrow (we could have had them 10 years ago!).
2. Politicians must serve the majority of voters and not just those with the loudest and lmost lucrative voices. If they hadn't kow-towed and lickspittled to industry over the years ( and NO major party, in UK or elsewhere is exempt) we could have had heavy investment in wind, wave, tidal, geo-thermal, solar and other renewable energies. It's still not too late; but the longer we leaver it the more we lose in terms of irreversible habitat and species population loss in the long term.
3. "Deaths of a few birds. Can the Uk (or the world) afford to have only 50 Golden eagles literally 'chopped' in the "lifespan of the facility". Do a snapshot of that - and we're only talking about one small Scottish offshore island.
The end NEVER justifies the means. Birds do not have to die or populations and habitats shrink and disappear just to fuel our enormous appetite for energy. We can make sacrifices (switch off all those devices on standy.by at home; buy more efficient machines) and industry must be made to do better.
There are people who know much more about the whole problem who will comment here in greater quality (and quantity). I just want to keep the whole discussion on the rails. And if WE go off the rails ..... I despari (almost).
David