WaPo Hypes Concern Over Birds Killed by Windmills, Yet Housecats Kill 200x More Per Year
"Wind farms' turbines drawing static over bird kills" blared the page A4 headline in today's Washington Post.
"Advocates want oversight," added a subheadline. Yet it took until paragraph 11 out of 28 that Post staffer Darryl Fears noted that "power lines kill an estimated 10 million, and nearly 11 million are hit by automobiles," compared to just about 500,000 birds who die each year thanks to green energy-friendly windmills.
According to information from the American Bird Conservancy included in a graphic accompanying Fears's article, hundreds of millions of birds meet their demise thanks to domestic and feral cats.
In other words, felines are at least 200 times deadlier than manmade windmills, although it'd be patently ridiculous to call for federal regulation of cat ownership.
But never mind such silly things like facts.
Fears closed his article with an over-the-top fear-mongering quote by American Bird Conservancy's Robert Johns, who said he wants to ensure that "you don't have to look up one day and say, 'Hey, we've killed all the birds.'"
- Ken Shepherd's blog
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Comments
→ Angry WhirlyBirds
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:05pm.
But let's count the number of Golden Eagles killed by house cats.
I think there might be a little bit of difference depending on "which birds" are being killed.
I'm waiting for a whooping crane carcass to be found at the base of one of these monsters.
I bet the next generation of
Submitted by Ruths husband Ben on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:21pm.
I bet the next generation of windmills will have retractable claws.
→ Retractable claws
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:55pm.
Yes! and they leave the lifeless little birds at your doorstep.
Yeah, the windmill concern is for raptors and vultures
Submitted by rolling_o on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:53pm.
While it's true that cats kill far more birds overall, the problem with windmills is that the very hills where they best perform, such as the Altamont Pass in Northern CA, are also where eagles, hawks, and vultures circle and soar using the same upslope winds that power the turbines.
Rather than look at the number of bird kills by cats, it might be better to look at what normally happens when one kills a protected eagle, vulture or hawk. Usually, there's a big fine.
Why are the wind power operators not fined for every raptor or vulture they kill?
"the problem with windmills
Submitted by Apache on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:09pm.
"the problem with windmills is that... "
energy cannot be created nor destroyed. The windmills take energy out of the air. If they were ever numerous enough to amount to squat in energy production, they would could affect climate greater than any CO2 could ever dream of even at the height of AGW alarmism. Granted it would still be small. But it would actually be detectable.
Didn't some birds almost kill
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:05pm.
Didn't some birds almost kill a whole planeload of people on the 'miracle of the Hudson River'??? I think it's time we fought back against these birds!!! I know my cats are helping in this cause..............
→ What's good for the Drake
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:07pm.
Is good for the duck.
Actually, Ken Shepherd - be
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:20pm.
Actually, Ken Shepherd - be careful what you wish for................it seems that I've read somewhere recently about some kind of pets being banned, or outlawed, or regulated!!! I'm sure that the mice and rats that live down in the valleys around my house would be happy about that!!
And, since Barama and the whackjob libs and enviromental kooks are pushing for these 'alternate energy' sources - shouldn't the finger of blame (hey, we can play Boy Blame's game against him!!!) be pointed at them???
I think we need a blue-panel commission, costing millions of dollars, to go to the Netherlands and do a study on the windmills over there, just to see what kind of information they can come up with as far as damage to birds, people, plants, and the environment. Maybe they can bring Don Quixote back from the dead..................he can vote, too!!!
Quixote is alive and well and
Submitted by stratman on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 4:14pm.
Quixote is alive and well and posting on this forum.
Killa, I'll volunteer to serve on the commission.
Submitted by UpNorth on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:55pm.
Reluctantly, of course, but Much like those who stay at Holiday Inn Expresses, I've been to Amsterdam, twice, in fact. Although I'm sure that the bars I went to are long closed, I'm sure I can find my way around. I can find the town square, De Wallen, and any bar that serves Heineken, and Amstel.
OK, UpNorth............you
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 12:28am.
OK, UpNorth............you think you can fool me??? I know what goes on in Amsterdam!!! Don't be trying to downplay it with some Heineken or Amstel - you can get them here!!! But I'll submit your name for the 'blue ribbon' comminssion, since I'm sure that you'll add a little common sense to it - most of these 'blue-collar' deals seem to be some nebulous escape-route for the 'real' politicians to get out of having to make a decision!!!
And when you get everything set up........call me and I'll fly over to check on the progress!!!
This story was done by Mother
Submitted by ant on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:12pm.
This story was done by Mother Jones magazine a few weeks ago. Must the press insist on just ping-ponging the same stories around? Man, they've gotten lazy, I am now sure I could "out-journalist" these so-called journalists. BTW, the genius solution from MJ mag to keep strays from killing birds, is for humans to stop feeding them. I'm still trying to figure out how that's supposed to work. Wouldn't hungry cats just kill more birds?
'Advocates want
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:27pm.
'Advocates want oversight'!!!! That headline is enough to give me the heebie-jeebies!!! It tells a very big story in 3 words!!! And it can be applied to many different situations in our day-to-day lives!!!
So let's assign one per windmill...
Submitted by Rover on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:46pm.
One enviro-activist nutjob per windmill, 24/7, counting bird strikes, will keep them off our backs so they can't do any more damage.
Hey, wait a stinking minute here...
Submitted by retrocon on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:29pm.
Some wildlife-wacko leftists are fighting with some greenie-weenie leftists, and ...
and...
and... well, i'm partying, dude!
"Party time....
Submitted by miss911ninja on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:54pm.
.......EXCELLENT!"
(h/t Wayne and Garth)
Ninjie-Poo!!! Aloha!!! I am
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:14pm.
Ninjie-Poo!!! Aloha!!! I am nominating you to be part of the NB's Conservative Babe's Calender.........or whatever it was that Wrathfull Brunette was proposing yesterday in another thread!!
Gotta go back to work here in Obamaville, Barackistan, USSA!!!!
Conservative Babes
Submitted by miss911ninja on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:40pm.
Why thank you, killa. Not bad company, those conservative babes! My favorite is Michele Bachmann, because we're exactly the same age.
Sorry you must toil away in Barackistan. You must really look forward to Happy Hour.
New headline: PETA Joins
Submitted by Beukeboom on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:31pm.
New headline: PETA Joins Sierra Club In Calling For The Elimination Of All Cats In North America To Save Birds.
Ban Soccer, baseball not so bad.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:35pm.
Soccer player kills bird, cruel players toss body.
Baseball is a much kinder game.
My cat kills birds this big all the time.
Suuure.
Don't even joke...Putting dog tags on cats may be the next big bureaucratic revenue enhancement plan.
Proof of Obamacare tags are being produced somewhere in china right now.
You Didn't Build That.
I dunno about that, no ka
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:48pm.
I dunno about that, no ka oi..............don't you remember how that poor bird that flew into the strike zone was absolutely annihilated by Randy Johnson a few years ago??? I think PETA should have gone after Johnson - the hitters wouldn't have minded!!!
I remember some years back - there was a tall flamethrower for the Houston Astros names J.R. Richard - he was scary. Some players would scratch themselves from the line-up on the days he was pitching, claiming that they had 'J.R.thritis'!!!!
I can't link to it now but
Submitted by Beukeboom on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:56pm.
I can't link to it now but someone should look up the video of former MLB pitcher Randy Johnson killing a passing bird with his fastball.
That will be $1.96.
Submitted by The Vet on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:00pm.
Randy Johnson Hits Bird --- warning. Bleeped language.
Bonus - no charge.
Submitted by The Vet on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:09pm.
Golfer Hits Bird Accidentally
Tennis Ball hit a bird
Girl Sucked Into Car Blower
Bird gets pummeled by football
And lastly for NewsBusters' trolls ---
Troll Gets Hit And Falls In To River
Hell, Vet............I had an
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:13pm.
Hell, Vet............I had an egret fly into my windshield recently - blew him up, but fortuantly didn't break my windshield. Scared the hell out of me - I coulda had an accident!!! Suicidal bird kills Killa!!!!
Ask upcountry about egrets, he'll know what I'm talking about..............we've got an epidemic of them over here in Hawaii. They've killed off a large percentage of the buffo toads................where's PETA on that issue???
Invasive Species
Submitted by upcountrywater on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:31pm.
Yup replacing buffo with the Coqui frogs... bring in the birds
Yea the ol days of dodging heards of buffos standing under street lights at night.
You Didn't Build That.
Yeah, we don't have any
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:02pm.
Yeah, we don't have any coquis yet over here on Kauai............although they were supposed to be marching in by the millions with the Superferry!!!
As if Young Brothers freight is "clean"
Submitted by upcountrywater on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 2:03pm.
All the freight that I shipped over the years not one box, pallet or container was ever inspected.
Just like those returning mainland aircraft declaration forms..... total JOKE.
No coquis and no mongoose wow a real paradise.
Can you say snakes on planes....\
eek.
You Didn't Build That.
Nice!
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:33pm.
Bufo toads are super poisonous. Dogs usually die when they get a hold of one. If that ever happens, best thing you can do is stick the hose in your dog's mouth and run it for about five minutes before a rush trip to the Vet.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Been there, done that,
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:01pm.
Been there, done that, Blonde!!! Back when there used to be a lot of buffos around - they're in short supply these days. But I wouldn't want to take my dog to the Vet!!!
JUST KIDDING VET!!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!
NEXT UP!!
Submitted by KornKing on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:38pm.
House cat oversight czar
I have the perfect candidate
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:47pm.
......for the HouseCat Czar.
As his agent, he requires a mid-range six figure salary, a personal chef, and a driver. And a staff of three.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
For J
Submitted by Denny Crane on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 12:44am.
And the beautiful Brunette.
These ain't normal cats!
We Are The 53%
Neither is this one.
Submitted by Beukeboom on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 9:45am.
Neither is this one.
House cat kill
Submitted by eteam on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:55pm.
Enough about the House cat kill, what about the Senate cat kill?
Always picking on the GOP... (ba-dum DUM)
This is typical liberal fuzzy
Submitted by robert108 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 1:58pm.
This is typical liberal fuzzy thinking. Whatever the number of birds windmills kill each year, it's IN ADDITION to the ones who are already dying from "natural" causes.
Between a Liberal Rock and a PC Hard Place...
Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:07pm.
I kind of like it when environmentalists get caught in the uncomfortable position between two politically correct issues of their own making. Imagine the PC anguish it causes. Birds vs. "green" energy. Wait until their compact florescent light bulbs start breaking in mass or it's found that the manufacture of batteries for electric cars is polluting the environment or "bullet train" tracks destroy "virgin" wilderness lands or split historic neighborhoods. They will be caught between a liberal rock and a PC hard place.
Statistics are your friends
Submitted by Khyris on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:17pm.
Um, the raw total numbers may be x200.... but as there are over 100 million cats in the US, unless there are over a half-million wind turbines (laf!), then the latter are the more proficient killers.
Green Power
Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:05pm.
Just think of the "green power" that could be generated if we put all 100 million cats on little treadmills attached to generators and dangled a fake bird in front of them...
Soft, hemp woven fan blades.
Submitted by E.S.Blofeld on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:17pm.
There's an industry to be made from all the pot farms.
Ernst
"Isn't it pretty to think that way?"-EH
I say one trillion birds are killed.
Submitted by Rackie on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:48pm.
just how in the hell does anyone know how many birds are killed?
SWAG for sure.
A trillion
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:51pm.
Hey, it's the Obama era...."trillion" is the new billion.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
For some reason, that reminds
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:20pm.
For some reason, that reminds me of a scene I saw in the Bob Dylan documentary, back in the mid-60's,when he was touring England, and was really causing a stir. Some reporter (apparantly they were as clueless back then as they are these days) asked him how many 'folk singers' or 'protest singers' (my memory is a little fuzzy) he had influenced by his own style.....................Dylan was a little astonished by the question, but immediatly went into a very mischievious mindset, and told the guy that the number was 247 (or something like that)................and the guy took him SO seriously, and dutifully wrote down the answer on his notepad!!!
Goodbye....and thanks for all the fish.
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:39pm.
The answer is forty-seven.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
47?
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:46pm.
Thought the answer to the universe was 42?
-Jon
Oops....42 it is
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:57pm.
In a Galaxy long ago, and far far away....the answer was 47.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Hey, I know I'm not the
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 11:17pm.
Hey, I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer - and sometimes I'm not EVEN in the drawer..........but what the hell are you guys talking about??? And what was with 'all the fish"??? The killa is mystified!!!
Hey Killa
Submitted by Denny Crane on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 12:50am.
They're talking about this.
It's one of the sequals to the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.
Or you could just watch the movie.
We Are The 53%
Mahalo
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 1:59am.
Mahalo Denny..............although I have to say that I'm even MORE mystified than I was before!!! We are talking about a REAL 'country bumpkin' here...................ME!!!!!!
Listen to Denny
Submitted by Blonde on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 2:49am.
He is spot on (as usual).
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Ya know J
Submitted by Denny Crane on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 8:35pm.
Just the other day I was talking to my friend about you.
*BIG GRIN*
We Are The 53%
You're missing the point...
Submitted by shooter on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 5:25pm.
You're missing the point...it's not so much the numbers, it's the fact that some birds are killed.
They (liberals) apply the "If only ONE ___ (fill in the blank, e.g., "child", "frog", "minnow", "dog", etc.) can be saved, it will be worth the expense to prevent it!"
And, most of the time, the real answer is, "no, it's *not* worth the expense..."
_________________________________________
"An armed society is a polite society" -- Robert A. Heinlein
Some guy smarter than me posted on this kind of topic before.
Submitted by The Vet on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:54pm.
Before we get busy rounding up the killer cats.
Submitted by The Vet on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 1:05am.
Let's work on that whole REFLECTIVE GLASS thing.
The American Bird Conservancy estimates that up to 500 million birds are killed each year by cats...
From my link above ---
From 100 million to 1 billion birds are annually estimated to be killed striking clear and reflective windows in the U.S.
My 1 billion trumps your 500 million. What is it with bird brains anyway. It is a wonder the whole species has not been wiped out. One would think they have some kind of reproductive process to keep them going or something. But what do I know, I am not a whiny liberal.
Would it be insensitive of me
Submitted by ThePickle on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 3:57pm.
Would it be insensitive of me to say that "if you want to make an omelet you have to break some "eggs".
Condors too, endangered species are getting killed by windmills
Submitted by Callawyn on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 4:14pm.
The cat comparison is ludicrous. The real issue here is that large birds, many of them endangered species, are regularly killed by windmills. These are not birds that cats can kill.
If you as an individual were to kill one, you'd face a 5 figure fine and possible jail time. If a wind farm kills a few hundred there is no consequence.
Some of these species have massive federal funding devoted to saving them. There are about as many 'scientists' trying to save the Condor as there are Condors.
The good news here is that the leftie 'environmentalists' are starting to get really upset about this. Can't be long before they start using the courts to shut down wind farms.
Break out the popcorn, sit back and enjoy...
American Leftist's Great Leap Forward
Submitted by stratman on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 4:48pm.
I thought killing birds was the Leftist's responsibility. Uncle Chairman Mao decreed it so with his Four Pests Campaign. Idiot Dictator Mao hadn't planned on birds killing pests, so less crops and more people dying of famine. Oopsie! Super cool job, Mao.
What else have American Leftists done that mimics Mao's horribly regressive and deadly Great Leap Forward?
I posit the American Left's Green Energy fantasies as akin to Mao's "everybody make steel in your backyard mud furnace" decree. Another fabulous failure for Uncle Mao that not only produced next to nothing of anything usable but also left people off worse than before by funneling productivity away from work that would benefit people in the here and now (domestic oil drilling, and building more energy production plants.)
Another mirror project of the American Left is the Global Warming Scam. "Climate Change" unproven theory parallels Mao's disasterous Hundred Flowers Campaign which Mao used to purge dissadent voices, similar to how the Left attempt to shut down any voice that does not support AWG.
Included in the American Left's neo-Hundred Flowers Campaign is the assault on the family unit (which Mao had physically broken up and family members relocated) and the attempt to further control individuals via environmental, dietary, health care, and other life decisions (lightbulbs, automobiles, shower heads, etc). All of these boil down to anti-intellectual, anti-family, anti-individual methods used to control of people under the guise of improving and advancing people (who should always bow to government for its munificence).
In this light, Obama does deserve the mocking name of "Maobama". He and the Left, whether cognizent or not, are trying to enforce policies which mirror Mao's Great Leap Forward, policies which did nothing of the sort except to further cement tyranny.
Pump Jacks v. Wind Turbines
Submitted by BigFletch on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 5:08pm.
How about the amount of birds wind turbines kill compared to oil jacks......hmmmm, probably still a lot more. Don't forget about how many more people have died over the last 10 years due to wind turbine disasters. As well as the amount of damage those things cause when they break off.
http://www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk/accidents.pdf
Nuclear power...
Submitted by shooter on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 5:20pm.
Last I knew, nuclear power hasn't killed *any* birds.
_________________________________________
"An armed society is a polite society" -- Robert A. Heinlein
liberal volunteers
Submitted by cocodrie on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 5:40pm.
I say we get liberal volunteers, strap them to the blades to shoo away the birds. That way liberals get to do something useful for a change and the birds are spared. There aren't any windmills large enough to support Algore or Mouthful Moore, but we could figure an alternative for them.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
Green=death
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:45pm.
If it hasn't been figured out by now, green energy means death. Like the windmill farms are death to birds, or the use of toxic materials to create "green" devices such as hybrids or CFLs, all these things that these liberals do, is actually death to nature.
Not to mention they place a low value on human life(other than their own and they'll even eat their own) so they are death to normal people as well, especially by the likes of the ELF, the Earth Liberation Front, a group of terrorists who attack and torch SUV dealerships, Logging industries by sabotaging those same trees thus harming the loggers, and other acts that present danger to people.
I submit that therefore, liberals, especially of the "green" variety, are the true disease against nature.
They violate the laws of nature by trying to be one with it or let it have dominion over them when it is more correctly that man must adapt to nature and learn how to live LIFE with nature(instead of just living with nature). That is civilization versus the law of the jungle.
I can't wait for some liberal to start screaming about what I said. ;-) I'm sure I'll be labeled as someone who wants dirty water and dirty air and some other such nonsense. Let's have it!
-Jon