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In the wake of President Donald Trump's announcement that during his second term in office he plans to wind down renewable energy sources and refocus on oil and gas production, the hazards associated with wind farms have been a hot topic.
One of Trump's main arguments for reverting back to oil and gas is that wind farms are dangerous to wildlife and should therefore be avoided. Scientists are challenging this assertion, however.
Read through this gallery to find out more.
In January 2025, US President Donald Trump announced his plans to switch the country’s energy supply from renewable sources back to oil and gas.
During his first few days in office, President Trump reversed the ban that former President Joe Biden had placed on new offshore oil and gas drilling.
One of his main arguments for reverting back to oil and gas is that wind farms are hazardous to local wildlife.
Indeed, when Trump issued an executive order putting a stop to offshore wind farm development, he cited the importance of marine life as one of the reasons for his decision.
These developments have thrown into question the safety of wind farms, and people are questioning whether they are in fact more hazardous to wildlife than oil drilling.
The first thing to note is that wind farms do pose a threat to wildlife to a certain extent. Birds, in particular, are at risk of colliding with turbines.
In Scotland, for example, there are two species of bird–the northern gannet and the black-legged kittiwake–that are known to be at high risk of flying into turbines.
There is also evidence that seabirds may suffer indirect effects from wind turbines, in particular if they change their migration routes to avoid farms.
By changing their routes, it is thought that certain birds may spend more time and energy finding food, which naturally has a negative impact on their survival as a species.
The extent to which seabirds do actually adjust their flying routes in order to avoid wind farms is not certain, however.
It is the subject of ongoing research, and so far the evidence suggests there is a lot of variation among species.
There are even some species, such as cormorants, that appear to seek out wind farms to forage and roost there.
While it is clear that wind farms do alter the ecosystem, it is not clear that their impact is always negative.
According to research tracking, seals, for example, now use wind farms as hunting grounds to prey on fish.
In looking at the data, researchers could see that one particular seal made its way through a wind farm stopping at each turbine for a quick snack.
While there are undeniably some risks that wind farms pose to wildlife, it does not seem fair to say they are universally dangerous.
According to President Trump, the best way to reduce reliance on wind farms as an energy source is to revert back to oil and gas.
There is a wealth of evidence collected over the course of decades that shows the production of these energy sources also impacts wildlife in many ways.
Firstly, there is the obvious fact that burning fossil fuels for power releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.
Although climate change has been shown to impact different species to different extents, its effect on the global ecosystem is undeniable.
Another risk that oil production poses to wildlife is oil spills and leaks. These are hugely nefarious for a range of marine species, from seabirds to whales and dolphins.
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, for example, dolphins were shown to suffer health problems, such as chronic lung disease.
There is also research that shows whale and dolphin populations have been affected in the long term from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
A decade after the spill, studies showed that seven out of eight monitored species groups had declined in population. Numbers of beaked whales, for example, were down by up to 83%.
Another problem with oil production is that the exploration stage is very noisy. For marine mammals that rely on sound and echolocation to find food, this can be very problematic.
Although the oil and gas industry maintain that the noise from their air guns does not injure or harm marine life, this assertion is heavily disputed by environmental groups.
It seems clear, therefore, that the picture is more complicated than President Trump’s assertions and actions would suggest. Wind farms may pose certain risks to wildlife, but the benefits may outweigh the risks, particularly given the considerable risks associated with the fossil fuel alternatives.
Sources: (BBC)
Can wind farms really harm wildlife?
Challenging recent assertions
LIFESTYLE Energy
In the wake of President Donald Trump's announcement that during his second term in office he plans to wind down renewable energy sources and refocus on oil and gas production, the hazards associated with wind farms have been a hot topic.
One of Trump's main arguments for reverting back to oil and gas is that wind farms are dangerous to wildlife and should therefore be avoided. Scientists are challenging this assertion, however.
Read through this gallery to find out more.