This is a complex subject, and I'm not the expert. My son, who is an environmental scientist, provided the following information: There is ONE location in North America where wind power has a significant negative impact on birds. In Altamont Pass, California (one of the oldest wind power installations in the US), a unique design has caused many birds to meet an untimely end. What is special about this location is that the turbines are spaced very close together, sit low to the ground, spin faster than most designs, and are mounted on a lattice framework instead of a single mast. The framework is an attractive place for birds to nest whereas they simply ignore newer high mast turbines. Citation: *http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea//news/article/2007/05/wind- turbines-not-a-threat-to-u-s-bird-population-says-study-48393 Practically all other available research shows that turbines have no significant effect on birds. Much greater threats to the avian population come from cars, airplanes, power lines, domestic cats, and global warming. In fact, it has been shown that fossil-fuel power is far more harmful per GWh generated than wind. Citations: *http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V2W-4VVW4W3- 3&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30% 2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000 050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=e5ff6861ac0b333363dc9899a784 6019 *http://www.audubon.org/bird/cat/ *http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2008-11-06-birddogs_N.htm Aesthetics is always a debatable subject. Certainly cluttered installations such as the aforementioned Altamont Pass might be seen as unattractive. That being said, most new installations look quite different and surveys have shown that 70% of people either like them or are indifferent. Also of note is that wind farms actually attract tourists instead of repel them, as has often been claimed. Citations: *http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/12/windpower.alternativee nergy *http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html? id=63a5438a-ae99-4b76-9629-b7b59d238932 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]