Wind energy consequences. (4A)

Consequences of windmills.

We can differ the consequences of the wind farms in two stages. The process when they are being built and when they have already built the windmills.

The period of building:

• Atmospheric emissions: the trucks and all the machinery which is essential to build the wind farm give off a lot of fumes and dust to the environment.
• Soil erosion: the construction of roads and trenches damage the soil. As a consequence, many kinds of plants and vegetation is destroyed.
• All the facilities that are needed to the appropriate working of the wind farm take away the habitat. The fauna of flora is removed and normally the vegetation is not replanted.

The period of exploitation:

• Noise, wind turbines produce some noise when they operate and often we are not able to listen to natural noises.

• Visual Impacts, windmills are often placed in exposed areas and are really visible.

• Birds are the animals which most suffer wind turbines.  However, lighthouses, tall buildings, radio and television towers have been associated also with birds deaths.

As we can see in this picture, in OIZ, in the area where the wind turbines are located, the vegetation is very scarce

Information sources:

- http://www.adurcal.com/mancomunidad/viabilidad/59.htm

- http://www.greenrhinoenergy.com/renewable/wind/wind_environment.php

.