[Tweeters] USA TODAY: Do windmills kill birds? Fact checking clean energy myths.

[Deli Kiz via Tweeters]

Simplifications in articles like this is what creates the divide as “pro
energy” or “anti-energy”.

Similar arguments are used with the 4 Lower Snake River Dams (LSRDs)
turning a very important and nuanced discussion about “how do we save wild
chinook salmon and southern resident orca” to you’re either pro-energy or a
hippie who wants everyone to live in caves so the salmon and black fish can
survive.

As Scott points out some details are missing in the article, one being the
conservation status of affected birds. Does that mean we cannot have wind
or solar power? No. It means we need to do better and find solutions with
our ever evolving human intelligence where we can have both without trying
to downplay a very real human survival story.

By the way, the LSRDs, as with majority of dams in the US,  were built in
the 60s and 70s using the technology we had back then. Name one other
technology we still use today from the 70s and have industry dig in their
heels that they can’t do better?
Cars? Radio? Planes? Maybe telephones? ☎️

No the only other “technology” that hasnt changed in the US only is rail.
And we are way behind compared to other countries in that too. Lets keep
wind and solar on the side of true “green” energy and unlike dams avoid
having to describe something so damaging to entire ecosystems as “green.”

Let’s aim to do better and find solutions rather than denying that we are
observing an impact on wildlife we can very well prevent with just better
engineering.


Deli K
Coastal PNW



On Sun, Feb 22, 2026 at 9:31 AM Scott Downes via Tweeters <
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:


> Regarding bird and bat fatalities at wind farms, unfortunately the article

> makes a very simplistic conclusion, that all birds and bat populations are

> the similar. We know that’s not true. While some fatalities are of more

> common birds (Horned Lark is a very common fatality at wind farms in the

> Columbia Plateau), other species such as Ferruginous Hawk or Golden Eagle

> are in a population status that even one or two fatalities can drastically

> affect the population. Bats are similar, both Hoary and Silver-haired Bats

> are the most common fatalities at Washington facilities and given their low

> fecundity, wind farms were listed as a threat to their populations in the

> Washington State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP).

> https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/at-risk/swap

>

> Unfortunately this piece reads more like they are trying to convince

> readers than provide them with detailed facts, which in the case of wind

> and solar effects on wildlife  is a very detailed and nuanced subject. For

> solar they focus on fatalities, yet their size and location, impacting

> wildlife connectivity and habitat impacts are a far larger issue in areas

> such as Washington and Oregon.

>

>

> Scott Downes

> Downess at charter.net

> Yakima Wa

>

> On Feb 22, 2026, at 3:03 AM, Dan Reiff via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>

> 

>

> 

>

> *Do windmills kill birds? Fact checking clean energy myths.*

> Some objections to wind and solar farms are matters of opinion. Others are

> based on false information. We explain.

>

> Read in USA TODAY: https://apple.news/AtIYzqtHVT8ySvkXOwUmi_Q

>

>

> Shared from Apple News <https://www.apple.com/news>

>

> Sent from my iPhone

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