Interesting article, particularly in relation to the lack of data on other causes of bird deaths: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/5046460?fb_action_ids=10202121490456956&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1404414256460883%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au http://birding-aus.org ===============================
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7 comments to Birds and windfarms |
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At this point in time, I feel the need to defend Dr Cindy Hull. I probably know more about Cindy’s research into Australian wind farm impacts than many other people in the Birding-aus community, as a result of our respective involvements in advising the King Island community on this topic earlier this year. Cindy is respected as a scientist by her ornithological peers, both in Australia and overseas. The research that she (and students that she has supervised) have conducted into ecological impacts of operational Australian (Tasmanian) wind farms follow rigorous scientific standards and procedures, and are the only systematic and long-term studies of their kind in Australia. I might remind everyone here that the results of these studies have been published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals or as published international conference proceedings, not as impartial company or consultancy reports. When addressing the King Island community about wind farms, Cindy showed great integrity, honesty and openness about Australian and overseas ornithological impacts of wind farms – an approach that went down extremely well with the audience. At the same time Dr Hull has been critical of the standard of some consultancy reports that have assessed potential impacts of wind farms on bird and bat populations because of their impartiality and lack of scientific rigour. Rather than being sceptical about Dr Hull’s motives, the Birding-aus community should be grateful that we have someone like her involved in wind farm research. Mike Tarburton posted a title of one of her papers in an earlier email. There is nothing wrong with debating the results of any scientific study, that is an important aspect of science, and by all means, let’s have a relevant scientific debate about wind farms on Birding-aus. But I invite people to read the paper that Mike has brought to our attention (and there are other scientific papers too), rather than being scientifically uninformed critics and sceptics. Kind regards, Stephen Dr Stephen Ambrose Ambrose Ecological Services Pty Ltd Ryde NSW —–Original Message—– [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Denise Goodfellow Sent: Tuesday, 29 October 2013 7:55 PM Not always. Brett Lane and I were consultants to a particular engineering company on the Mt Todd Gold mine, north of Katherine, NT. We were always going to tell the truth of what we found, and unhappy with some of the company’s actions, reported them. They lost the consultancy. However, since then I’ve seen other PRs and am amazed at some of the guff written. For example in one such report on Howard Springs near Darwin, one excuse given for removing the monsoon forest trees edging the pool, was that vegetation matter was responsible for the high bacterial count in the water. When that didn’t appear to hold up, the report stated that the vegetation posed a danger to people. Perhaps they were afraid visitors would trip on a branch or something. Whatever, it seemed to fit the political motives of the day ie to refocus the loss in water quality away from the tens of thousands of bores sunk willy nilly thus dropping the water table by eight metres, to some other cause. Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71, Darwin River, NT 0841 043 8650 835 PhD candidate, SCU Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia On 29/10/13 4:14 PM, “Gary Davidson” < gsd37@yahoo.ca> wrote: =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org =============================== =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
David et al Cindy Hulls scientific paper on the subject is: Hull et al 2013. Avian collisions at two wind farms in Tasmania, Australia: taxonomic and ecological characteristics of colliders versus non-colliders. N.Z. J of Zoology 40:1, 47-62. Happy hunting Mike Mike Tarburton ————————- Email sent using Optus Webmail =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Not always. Brett Lane and I were consultants to a particular engineering company on the Mt Todd Gold mine, north of Katherine, NT. We were always going to tell the truth of what we found, and unhappy with some of the company’s actions, reported them. They lost the consultancy. However, since then I’ve seen other PRs and am amazed at some of the guff written. For example in one such report on Howard Springs near Darwin, one excuse given for removing the monsoon forest trees edging the pool, was that vegetation matter was responsible for the high bacterial count in the water. When that didn’t appear to hold up, the report stated that the vegetation posed a danger to people. Perhaps they were afraid visitors would trip on a branch or something. Whatever, it seemed to fit the political motives of the day ie to refocus the loss in water quality away from the tens of thousands of bores sunk willy nilly thus dropping the water table by eight metres, to some other cause. Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71, Darwin River, NT 0841 043 8650 835 PhD candidate, SCU Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia On 29/10/13 4:14 PM, “Gary Davidson” < gsd37@yahoo.ca> wrote: =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Well, I don’t think you can argue with the punch line: “Wind farms are one of the few sources of impacts to birds and bats that are being systematically monitored. Most other forms of energy generation do not monitor impacts. Nor do we have widespread systematic monitoring of all the other human-related activities that we inflict on species—such as collisions with cars, powerlines, windows, poisoning, shooting, pollution, etc. No data does not mean no impacts, it means no data.” On 29/10/2013, at 4:44 PM, Gary Davidson wrote: =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
It is interesting to note that Dr Hull works for Hydro Tasmania. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with her position, because I don’t have the background, the knowledge, nor the evidence to do so. But I have noted in the past, that many of the scientists that try to downplay our influence on the environment, such as global warming and oil extraction, for example, are often employed by industry! Curious! Gary On Monday, October 28, 2013 10:18:38 PM, David Clark < meathead.clark5@gmail.com> wrote: Interesting article, particularly in relation to the lack of data on other causes of bird deaths: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/5046460?fb_action_ids=10202121490456956&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1404414256460883%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org =============================== =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi all, Interesting article but I would like to some analysis of the data presented. Like most TV or radio shows it skims the surface and probably has bias. It appears to be at odds with a number of papers presented at the last Australian Raptor Association conference in Adelaide. From my basic understanding the wind farms overseas, particularly those in Scotland, are positioned only after detailed monitoring of the local raptor population and their use of the airspace over the proposed wind farm site. I also understand post construction monitoring is much better overseas. My understanding is that in Australia the wind companies are always wanting to reduce monitoring, the monitoring that is carried out is not sufficient and that they have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do any monitoring at all. It also seems that the Australian Government is complicate in this as well. I also wonder if the wedge-tailed eagles, and other birds, that are observed avoiding the rotors are only those that have recognised the hazard of the rotors and that ones that didn’t recognise the threat are dead and buried. You don’t need to loose many individuals in a small population to have a significant impact. So, I would like to believe the report but I have my doubts. If anyone has more links to research papers (not newspaper articles) I would be very interested. Regards David —–Original Message—– [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of David Clark Sent: Tuesday, 29 October 2013 4:14 PM Interesting article, particularly in relation to the lack of data on other causes of bird deaths: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/5046460?fb_action_ ids=10202121490456956&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&act ion_object_map=%5B1404414256460883%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&a ction_ref_map=%5B%5D =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org =============================== =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Yes an excellent article. It would be interesting to see a comparison of the effects of other energy sources, particularly coal mining and fracking, on birdlife. Carl clifford On 29/10/2013, at 16:13, David Clark < meathead.clark5@gmail.com> wrote: =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================