Renewables kill a few birds – Fossil fuels kill millions
EEIS 14, Environment And Energy Study Institute, The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is an independent, bi-partisan 501 non-profit organization that aims to promote environmentally sustainable societies. Based out of Washington, DC, EESI seeks to be a catalyst moving society away from environmentally damaging fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future, How Harmful is Renewable Energy to Birds?, September 3rd, 2014[AMoss]
As renewable energy technologies expand worldwide, conservationists are concerned about the potential negative impacts of these technologies on animals, especially birds. U.S. News and World Report examined the issue in an August 22 article, and found that among the five most common energy sources, solar caused the least amount of bird deaths per year, while coal caused the largest amount. Though the article emphasizes that bird fatalities from renewable energy are less than bird fatalities from other forms of energy, it also shows that the data available on the matter is really not that good.
Reporter Alan Neuhauser gathered data about bird deaths where it was available, from government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and governmental laboratories, including the Bureau of Land Management, solar company BrightSource, and the journal Biological Conservation. According to the data, while solar is estimated to cause 1,000 to 28,000 bird deaths annually, and wind 140,000 to 328,000, coal kills far more – about 7.9 million birds a year!