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#WindFarms

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alojapan.com/1259847/hokkaidos Hokkaido’s Wind Power Dilemma: Balancing Energy Needs with Environmental Impacts #Economy&Tech #Editor'sPick #EndangeredSpecies #environment #Hokkaido #HokkaidoTopics #j2e #Japan2Earth #MigratoryBirds #OnshoreWind #RenewableEnergy #TakahiroSakamoto #wakkanai #WindFarms #WindPower #WindTurbines #北海道 Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth – Hokkaido’s Wind Power Dilemma: Balancing Energy Needs with Environmental Impacts Japan’s nor…

Typical anti-windfarm/generic rightwing astroturf campaign
abc.net.au/news/2025-03-30/ill
1. Amplify every conceivable objection, including ridiculous ones and some that contradict others
2. Shout down, smear and intimidate anyone who disagrees
3. Exaggerate the size of your support base
4. Make links to conservative political parties so they can pretend they are riding on a wave of popular discontent
5. Presumably, after this electoral wrecking job for the conservatives is over, smugly go back to their comfortable middle class lifestyle

ABC News · The offshore wind debate could influence this federal election and it's already an 'absolute blood-fest'By Steve Cannane

A Surprisingly Simple Solution to Protect #Birds From #WindTurbines Gets its Biggest Test Yet

Painting one turbine blade black has shown promise for preventing collisions. Now researchers are seeing if it can work in #Wyoming.

By Kylie Mohr, Summer 2024

"A year ago, a Golden Eagle approaching the Glenrock/Rolling Hills wind farm in Wyoming might have seen a dangerous optical illusion: A turbine’s blades, spinning at more than 150 miles per hour, would appear not as solid objects to be avoided, but as a blur the bird could fly through. Scientists believe this disorienting visual phenomenon, known as motion smear, contributes to the collisions that kill an estimated 140,000 to 679,000 birds per year at #WindFarms in the United States.

"The same eagle soaring over the area’s scrubby sagebrush today will see warning signs. Those once indistinct and innocuous-seeming blurs will present clearly as physical masses, signaling to birds that they should steer clear.

"Such is the hope, anyway, of a study now testing a surprisingly simple tool for making wind farms less hazardous to birds: black paint. This summer, PacifiCorp, which owns the facility, aims to finish painting one blade on each of 36 turbines there. Over the next several years the company and its partners, including the federal government, will keep track of how many eagles and other daytime-flying birds those turbines kill compared to their previous toll and to the remaining 100 or so that have not been painted. Search teams will look for eagle carcasses, while specially trained dogs will sniff out other birds and #bats. 'We’re trying to have as little impact as possible while also trying to provide electricity to customers,' says Jona Whitesides, a spokesperson for PacifiCorp."

Read more:
audubon.org/magazine/surprisin
#SolarPunkSunday #RenewablesNow #ProtectWildlife #FlyingWildlife

Audubon · A Surprisingly Simple Solution to Protect Birds From Wind Turbines Gets its Biggest Test YetBy Kylie Mohr

6 Ways to Protect #Bats and #Birds From #WindTurbines

By Russell McLendon
Published October 22, 2019

"Wind turbines are an important source of clean, #renewable energy. They're one of the fastest-growing power sources in the U.S., outpacing even natural gas. Unfortunately, they also sometimes kill birds and bats.

"That may sound like an environmental Catch-22, but it doesn't need to be. From new designs and smarter locations to high-tech tracking systems and ultrasonic 'boom boxes,' many American #WindFarms are experimenting with various ways to make their turbines safer for flying #wildlife. "

Read more:
treehugger.com/ways-to-protect
#SolarPunkSunday #RenewablesNow #ProtectWildlife #FlyingWildlife

Treehugger6 Ways to Protect Bats and Birds From Wind TurbinesWind turbines can kill birds and bats, but they don't have to. Here are a few ways to help them coexist.

Solar, Windfarms, #rewilding, #housing -- all are way better uses for the land!

Should #GolfCourses Be Converted Into #Solar Or #Windfarms?

by Tom Hale, 2/25/2025

"It sounds like one of President Donald Trump’s most dreaded nightmares: what if the world’s golf courses were transformed into wind and solar farms? A new study has highlighted that the land occupied by golf courses in the 10 countries with the most courses could generate up to 842 GW of solar power and 659 GW of wind power – far exceeding the existing installed capacity in many cases.

"If the US were to transition entirely to #Renewable energy by 2035, it would require thousands of square kilometers for onshore wind and even more for solar farms. In theory, the space occupied by US golf courses alone could provide about 20 percent of this capacity, the study concludes.

"Another finding was that more land is allocated to golf courses than renewable energy production across many countries, including the US and the UK.

"Maintaining these lush greens comes at a steep environmental cost too – sapping #water resources, destroying #wildlife habitats, and relying heavily on #fertilizers and #pesticides. The researchers point out that golf courses occupy vast amounts of land yet serve a relatively small, often #rich subset of the population.

"'Golf courses, which often occupy vast areas of land and are accessible only through exclusive membership, highlight significant land use conflicts. The concept of energy justice argues that the benefits and burdens of energy supply and land use should be distributed equitably across society. In this context, the general public could benefit if decision-makers decide to use these exclusive golf courses for renewable energy projects,' the study authors write.

"Some countries have taken this idea seriously in the past. For instance, Japan has turned some of its disused golf courses, built in the 1980s during a boom of interest in the sport, into fields of solar panels.

"While the researchers say they’re not proposing that renewable energy companies swoop in to seize the world’s golf courses, they do suggest their project highlights the need for better discussions on land use and energy infrastructure.

"'Our study does not advocate for the direct conversion of golf courses, but it highlights the vast potential for renewable energy on similarly large and #underutilized areas,' Dr Jann Weinand, lead author of the study and Head of the Integrated Scenarios department at the Institute Jülich Systems Analysis at Forschungszentrum Jülich, said in a statement.

"'In light of the ongoing debates about land use for renewables, it is crucial to consider how we allocate land overall – especially when significant space is dedicated to activities that benefit only a limited segment of the population,' added Dr Weinand.

"The study is published in the journal Environmental Research Communications."

Source:
msn.com/en-us/weather/topstori
#Degrowth #Capitalism #EatTheRich #SolarPunkSunday #RenewablesNow

www.msn.comMSN

Global #GolfCourses take up more land than #solar, wind plants

Researchers say the 10 countries with the most golf courses could install up to 842 GW of utility-scale solar or 659 GW of wind capacity on land equivalent in size to that used for the sport.

by Patrick Jowett, February 24, 2025

"There is more land taken up by golf courses across the world than by solar or wind energy plants, according to the findings of a new study.

"The research paper, 'Countries across the world use more land for golf courses than wind or solar energy,' was recently published in Environmental Research Communications. The researchers used the OpenStreetMap database to locate 38,400 golf courses in the world, of which 80% are located in the 10 countries with the most courses.

"The United States tops the list, with more than 16,000 golf courses, followed by the United Kingdom (around 3,100) and Japan (around 2,700). Canada, Australia, Germany, South Korea, France, China and Sweden round out the top 10 countries.

"The research team calculated that the renewable energy potential of the land taken up by golf courses and found that these 10 countries could install between 281 GW and 842 GW of utility-scale solar on 25% to 75% of the golf courses’ land area.

"The research paper said the 75% figure exceeds the 646 GW of cumulative solar capacity currently installed in these 10 countries. In comparison, the 10 countries could install between 174 GW and 659 GW of onshore wind across the golf course areas, depending on spacing.

"The researchers said that golf courses typically require large amounts of water and chemical treatments, while renewable energy installations offer a sustainable land use option. They said utility-scale solar farms require approximately 0.01 square km of land per megawatt, while wind farms require around 0.12 square km of land per megawatt.

"The researchers said their findings 'underscore the untapped potential of rethinking land use priorities to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.'

"The lead author of the study, Jann Weinand of German research institute Forschungszentrum Jülich, emphasized that the study is not advocating for the direct conversion of golf courses, but rather aims to highlight the vast renewables potential of similarly large and underutilized areas.

"'In light of the ongoing debates about land use for renewables, it is crucial to consider how we allocate land overall – especially when significant space is dedicated to activities that benefit only a limited segment of the population,' added Weinand."

Source:
pv-magazine.com/2025/02/24/glo
#Windfarms #Solarfarms #GolfCourses #SolarPunkSunday

pv magazine InternationalGlobal golf courses take up more land than solar, wind plantsResearchers say the 10 countries with the most golf courses could install up to 842 GW of utility-scale solar or 659 GW of wind capacity on land equivalent in size to that used for the sport.

The UK and Ireland announce a deal to connect offshore windfarms to energy networks.

The countries have announced closer collaboration on subsea energy infrastructure to “harness the full potential” of the Irish and Celtic seas as part of efforts to reset post-Brexit relations.

A new data-sharing arrangement will lay the groundwork for connections between the growing number of offshore windfarms and national energy networks.

mediafaro.org/article/20250306

The Guardian · The UK and Ireland announce a deal to connect offshore windfarms to energy networks.By Lisa O'Carroll

#Greenwashing #Scotland #WindFarms #Conservation highland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/ there are over 20 windfarms in or planned for around nr us and several in the UNESCO Areas on deep peat ,Caithness and Sutherland are the last wilderness areas ,Blanket bog ione of the worlds rarest ecosystems and, the land north of the Cairngorms massively important yet all the windfarms in Scotland are being planned for here and on Skye including the Cuillen hills,one corner of caithness has several hundred planned