Spain’s Extremadura region has up to now been free of wind farms, but his could all change in 2013. The chosen site of a wind farm project couldn’t be worse, being located smack in the middle of Monfragüe’s Important Bird Area (IBA). Making matters much worst it is proposed to locate the project only 5 km from the Special Protection Area (SPA) and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and 12 km to the north of the National Park of Monfragüe, the jewel in the birdwatching crown of Extremadura. Moreover, the town of Plasencia, only 3 km from the threshing wind vanes, is in the process itself of being declared an SPA in its own right on the strength of its Lesser Kestrel colony. To cap it all these Lesser Kestrels roost for several months each year in the SPA of Monfragüe, winging back and forth daily through the projected line of the “wind mills”.
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The proposed wind turbines would be located only 5 km from the nests of Egyptian Vulture and Black Stork and 8 km from the nests of Golden Eagle and 12 km from hundreds-strong colonies of Cinereous and Griffon Vulture and nests of Imperial and Bonelli’s Eagle. Monfragüe needs no presentation here; it is considered to be one of the world’s most important raptor reserves, with outstanding populations at world level of Cinereous Vulture (340 pairs and the world’s largest density), Griffon Vulture (800 pairs), Egyptian Vulture (35 pairs), Imperial Eagle (12 pairs), Golden Eagle (6 pairs) and Bonelli’s Eagle (6 pairs). The area is also home to the handsome Black Stork (30 pairs) and a long list of other birds. As already pointed out the wind farm would be very close to the Lesser Kestrel colonies of Plasencia (65 pairs) and Malpartida de Plasencia (10 pairs) and some nests of Black Stork, Egyptian Vulture and Peregrine Falcon in that neighbourhood. Furthermore the wind farm would also be situated in breeding territories, even directly affecting nests, of Short-Toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Sparrow Hawk, Black Kite, Red Kite and Buzzard. It would directly occupy the hunting grounds of Lesser Kestrel and many other raptors, including Imperial Eagle, recently observed flying over the planned wind turbine zone. Neither should we forget the impact on the local bat population and orchid colonies (for example Giant Orchid) as well as other plant species.
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In any case this project is almost surreal, riding roughshod too over nearby human populations. In line with the wind turbines and only 300 metres from their base is a therapeutic community of “Proyecto Hombre” (Man Project); there are dwellings only 500 metres away and the project threatens the budding tourism of Plasencia, Extremadura’s fourth most populous town. More information here.
It seems that the people who authorise the senseless building of windfarms in some of Spain’s most ecologically and tourism sentivive areas, have about as much wit as the moronic Scottish first minister who is doing exactly the same thing to Scotland.
An energy addiction, is that what I have and you have?
You and me, those 7 billion of us humans.
What I think we all need is to get into recovery and get some counseling for our habit, and fast.
Having gotten another addiction in my life under control, I know the first step in recovery is admitting to myself that I have an energy addiction and that it is a very, very serious problem, and that it goes against my true values.
-h
We have to stop these projects inside on near IBA’s! otherswise we will end like in Tarifa (southern tip of Spain) with thousands of wind milds and a super-high concentration of rapors (several thousands every day from August to October). All tolareted by some enviriment-bird-foundations that get paid and accept this projects. We have to make as much oposition as possible in IBA’s(Important Bird Areas)!!
At the heart of these decisions is money and power. The money will be made by the few at the expense of the many. Unfortunately, most politicians (the world over) cannot do simple math. For every new job created by a wind farm there will be four times as many lost in the tourism sector. Costings for the wind farms need to include increased spending in the health service for people living near the farms, people unemployed as a consequence of them and people who seek compensation because their casa rural/tourism business is rendered unviable.
Extremadura is beautiful. Instead of capitalising on its assets, politicians seem hell-bent on destroying what makes Extremadura unique. Once Extremadura is as ugly as everywhere else what, exactly, will Extremadura have? Nothing. However, a few people, who live nowhere near a wind farm will have money.