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  • 标题:The avian and wildlife costs of fossil fuels and nuclear power
  • 本地全文:下载
  • 作者:Benjamin K. Sovacool
  • 期刊名称:Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences
  • 印刷版ISSN:1943-815X
  • 电子版ISSN:1943-8168
  • 出版年度:2012
  • 卷号:9
  • 期号:4
  • 页码:255-278
  • DOI:10.1080/1943815X.2012.746993
  • 语种:English
  • 出版社:Taylor & Francis
  • 摘要:Environmentalists and environmental scientists have criticized wind energy in various forums for its negative impacts on wildlife, especially birds. This article highlights that nuclear power and fossil-fuelled power systems have a host of environmental and wildlife costs as well, particularly for birds. Therefore, as a low-emission, low-pollution energy source, the wider use of wind energy can save wildlife and birds as it displaces these more harmful sources of electricity. The paper provides two examples: one relates to a calculation of avian fatalities across wind electricity, fossil-fueled, and nuclear power systems in the entire United States. It estimates that wind farms are responsible for roughly 0.27 avian fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity while nuclear power plants involve 0.6 fatalities per GWh and fossil-fueled power stations are responsible for about 9.4 fatalities per GWh. Within the uncertainties of the data used, the estimate means that wind farm-related avian fatalities equated to approximately 46,000 birds in the United States in 2009, but nuclear power plants killed about 460,000 and fossil-fueled power plants 24 million. A second example summarizes the wildlife benefits from a 580-MW wind farm at Altamont Pass in California, a facility that some have criticized for its impact on wildlife. The paper lastly highlights other social and environmental benefits to wind farms compared to other sources of electricity and energy.
  • 关键词:wind power; avian mortality; wind turbines
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