[EBB Sightings] "The Deadly Toll of Wind Power", front page SF Chronicle, Jan. 2, 2008

I sent the below message to BayAreaRaptors yesterday.

It is even more pertinant to we EBBers, since
Altamount and its wonderful raptor population falls
well within our purvue. Watching and listing birds is
all very well and good, but if we don't stand up and
speak out for our feathered friends, we'll be watching
them on video only. And that would be a sad world,
indeed. 

Help to make 2008 a great year for all of our
planetary residents, one person/bird/your favorite
animal here at a time.

Lend your voice, and make a difference.

Debbie Viess
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Good news for raptor lovers.

The front page of yesterday's SF Chronicle had a huge,
bird-positive article on the ongoing problem of raptor
killing windmills at the Altamont Pass. It
specifically targets the inadequacy of the "deal"
hammered out by the Alameda County Board of
Supervisors last year (I was present at that final
meeting, with the room packed with earnest raptor
lovers and a multitude (two tables worth!) of Windfarm
lawyers), and seems to be a real call to arms for the
BA community, providing many links for more info as
well as places to express your displeasure at the
ongoing and unacceptable raptor kills. The numbers of
birds killed that they list in the article seems way
low to me; I would love to get access to some of
Howard Cogswell's original data on bird deaths at
Altamont; I will speak to a colleague who has access
to his papers. 

For those not in the Chronicle area, you can access
the article by going here:

http://www.sfgate. com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?
file=/c/a/ 2008/01/02/ MNITTM9FA. DTL

This link will change over time. If the above link
doesn't work, just go to www.sfgate.com and search for
"The Deadly Toll of Wind Power".

It is encouraging to see such a positive and forceful
front page story on the first real news day of the New
Year. May 2008 bring hope and positive change for all
of us, feathered or not.

Debbie Viess
Oakland, CA