According to the Associated Press, the goal of the Biden administration to construct more wind turbines in the American West is responsible for the deaths of a significant number of golden eagles and may be endangering the existence of one of the two species of eagles that are indigenous to North America.
According to the Associated Press (AP), which cites research from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), President Joe Biden is accelerating the advancement of wind energy, which according to scientists could result in the deaths of 20,000 golden eagles over a ten-year period. This would represent almost 50% of the species' estimated 40,000 population. According to the Associated Press (AP), the number of wind turbines has more than doubled in the previous ten years to reach over 70,000. This is due to the fact that development has been encroaching on prime golden eagle habitat in states such as Wyoming, Montana, California, Washington, and Oregon.
The expansion of wind energy is a crucial component of President Joe Biden's climate plan. This plan aims to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like wind turbines by the year 2050 in order to achieve economy-wide net-zero carbon emissions. Wind turbines are one example of this type of renewable energy source. The Democrats' $369 climate plan, which was signed into law on Tuesday by Vice President Joe Biden, would provide tax breaks and subsidies to developers, which will encourage them to invest in wind farms. These benefits will be provided as part of the plan.
In addition to being killed when they collide with turbine blades that can measure hundreds of feet in length, golden eagles can also be killed when they come into contact with electrical wires and other equipment that is associated to wind energy.
The Associated Press reports that in order to compile information on the number of golden eagles that have passed away, government officials use a system that is also utilised by tribes, businesses, other government organisations, scientists, and private organisations. However, authorities assert that knowing the exact number of eagles that have been killed by wind farms is essential information for law enforcement to have.
According to the Associated Press, in 2021, federal permits were given out to owners of wind farms across the country, allowing them to get away with accidentally killing up to 170 golden eagles without facing any consequences. This is despite the fact that the businesses are required to ensure that at least one death of an eagle is prevented elsewhere for every loss.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the energy company NextEra Energy, which has its headquarters in Florida, admitted guilt to felony violations of wildlife protection laws in April in a federal court in Wyoming. This came after its wind turbines were responsible for the deaths of more than one hundred golden eagles in eight different states. Within the last decade, it has been determined that three key enterprises in the wind energy industry were to blame for the deaths of eagles.
An environmentalist non-governmental organisation called the Sierra Club has estimated that wind turbines are responsible for the deaths of over a million birds annually.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on WND.
