Photo: Screenshot/Cicero
The Norwegian Environmental Protection Association campaigned today, 1 March 2019, at CICERO and NVE's meeting on the influence of people's acceptance of wind power by displaying a turbine-killed sea eagle from Smøla from the podium.
NVE and CICERO are two of twelve partners in the EU-funded project WinWind, whose stated aim is to "investigate factors that influence people's acceptance of wind power in different regions of Europe".
NVE, as a "neutral" administrative authority, receives EU support to map how people's acceptance of wind power can best be influenced. At the same time, it is NVE that provides consultation statements, case management and finally gives its recommendation to the Oil and Energy Ministry OED in wind power cases.
The Environmental Protection Association therefore campaigned on the presentation of WinWind by showing a protected sea eagle that has been killed by the turbine blades at the wind power plant on Smøla. The sea eagle is a protected bird. Which, together with other endangered and vulnerable species, result in high fines and penalties if they are shared illegally, while the same birds have now become free game in the massive development of wind power in central parts of the Norwegian landscape. Research programs BirdWind which mapped the problem of collisions started in 2007 at Smøla show a significant impact of wind turbines on the number of birds killed in and around the facility. The mapping program ended in 2010.
In 2013-2016, the INTACT program was carried out at Smøla to reduce the number of collisions without this having mitigated the problem. A three-digit number of sea eagles have already been killed at the wind industry plant on Smøla alone, and now large parts of the Trøndelag coast and coastal areas are already under development or under license processing. The same also applies to the rest of the country from Lindesnes in the south and all the way up to Nordkapp in the north. All types of landscape are under pressure and wherever development takes place, nature and bird life will be negatively affected.
In addition to white-tailed sea eagles, the experience from Smøla is that the osprey is severely vulnerable. While human hunting only takes away the surplus in the autumn, the turbine blades make a strong impact on the local populations all year round. For grouse and other bird species, a death during the breeding season will cause irreparable damage, as nesting can be interrupted if one bird in the pair is killed. A ptarmigan litter can consist of as many as 8-12 eggs, while the ptarmigan lays 7-11 eggs. Anyone who understands simple mathematics understands the catastrophic consequences of a wind power plant. Around the whole country, quite extensive care measures are carried out by volunteers and organizations to ensure that we will have a surplus to harvest from time to time for protection.
The Norwegian Environment Protection Association is strongly opposed to the abuse wind power represents for our last natural values and areas, for our common local environment and local communities across the country. This is power we do not need, because in Norway we already export more than we use. In addition, a number of licenses have already been granted that have not been developed within both hydropower and wind power. Wind power is unnecessarily extensive in its enormous encroachment on our last natural and landscape areas. Each wind turbine installation requires an enormous network of oversized construction roads, giant foundations and staging areas. Each turbine requires an average of 800 meters of construction road, crags are blasted and CO2-storing bogs are dug up and filled again with rubble and gravel. This causes extensive and eternal damage to nature, and for what? A 25-year concession where funds have not even been set aside for the most essential dismantling of the turbines when they are worn out after 15-25 years.
Nature is no longer something that has any value for our authorities, if it cannot be directly measured in kroner and ears, use and disposal. This is completely contrary to the Norwegian Environmental Protection Association's basic principles and at the same time also against ordinary people's general perception and appreciation of their close natural areas. We are now in the process of losing our entire natural heritage, and will soon no longer have any intervention-free areas left in this country to leave to our children or to future generations.
That is why we campaigned today, and why we are working so hard to expose the wind power fraud and their accomplices in the public administration. The day's action also marks the fact that we as an organization have intensified our efforts against the biggest assault on our common values in recent times. The people are waking up.
Link: Odd calf with sea eagle stunt at wind power meeting
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