Wind Power and Wildlife: Set the Record StraightJim and all-
Here is an AWEA alert about some of what I was telling you about at the ExCom meeting Saturday. I am not familiar with the draft guidelines USFWS has formulated. But AWEA is obviously mounting a campaign to weaken them.
Frank
----- Original Message ----- From: Denise Bode, AWEA To: Franklin Young Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 5:36 PM Subject: Wind Power and Wildlife: Set the Record Straight
Dear Franklin,
The future of the American wind industry is at stake - draft guidelines from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) threaten to halt the development of 34,000 megawatts of wind projects (enough to power nearly 9 million homes) and endanger 27,500 American jobs, all without achieving benefits to wildlife beyond those available from less intrusive means.
The deadline for public comments is just two weeks away and we need you to write to FWS and set the record straight. Let them know that:
a.. Deploying wind power and protecting wildlife are important and complementary goals - and that the wind energy industry has worked with states, wildlife conservation organizations, scientists, tribes, and federal officials to provide recommended guidelines that would achieve just that. Click here to read more about this initiative. b.. Expanding the use of wind power improves environmental conditions for wildlife because wind power has none of the harmful emissions, water use, mining, drilling and hazardous waste of other energy sources. c.. While birds do collide with wind turbines at some sites, modern wind power plants are collectively far less harmful to birds than numerous other manmade projects like radio towers, tall buildings, airplanes or vehivcles. The National Academy of Sciences estimated in 2006 that wind power is responsible for 3 of every 100,000 bird detahs caused by humands and pets. With two weeks left in their public comment period there's still time for you to submit a comment to FWS to urge them to adopt guidelines that are workable for wind power and wildlife.
We have drafted a letter for you that includes the facts referenced in this e-mail. Please personalize this letter with a sentence or two about the importance of growing wind energy development in the U.S. and click submit to send it along to FWS.
Thanks so much for your help on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Denise Bode CEO, American Wind Energy Association
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