Audubon Society supports wind energy

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The president of the National Audubon Society has said he backed wind power.

Previously, members of the bird-loving organization were skeptical of the massive turbines used in wind power that frequently caught birds in their blades. Recently, however, other causes of bird mortalities have taken precedent over wind turbines.

"Modern wind turbines are much safer for birds than their predecessors, but if they are located in the wrong places, they can still be hazardous and can fragment critical habitat," said John Flicker, president of the NAS.

Flicker said the advocacy also stems from the misconception that just because you can't see the carcasses around coal-fired plants, doesn't mean its impossible that more birds aren't being killed there than at wind turbines.

Birds are much more likely to be killed by buildings, vehicles, cats or pesticides than turbines. The latest concern for birds among scientists is global warming, reported Carl Levesque of the AWEA.

"As the threats of global warming loom ever larger, alternative energy sources like wind power are essential," Flicker said. "We want to figure out ways to cooperate as much as we can to make the wind industry grow while making wind power safer for birds."

The AWEA has worked with avian and other environmental groups in the past to try and build support for wind energy, including the forming an initiative called Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative.