Diverse Range of Experts Team Up On Wind Turbine Issue

August 5, 2009

With a potentially large increase in wind turbines appearing likely, concerns continue to mount over the potential impact that the spinning blades may have on birds and bats. To help address that issue, a consortium of 30 experts in various fields announced July 24, 2009, that it has agreed on priorities for investigation. They expect to explore interlinked topics such as placement, design, and operation of turbines; aerodynamics of turbines, birds, and bats; and habitat, topography, and weather conditions, using tools such as weather surveillance radar, thermal imaging, and microphones.

It will be some time before the results of their work begin to emerge. Meanwhile, the coalition members, who represent a variety of industry, environmental, university, government, and foundation organizations, from the US, Mexico, Denmark, and the World Bank, could be good resources as you cover wind energy issues. They include:

Richard L. Anderson, Retiree
California Energy Commission
Tel: 530-758-4672
Email: danderson@cal.net

Edward Arnett, Conservation Scientist and Co-Director of Programs
Bat Conservation International
Tel: 512-327-9721
Cell: 541-520-5252
Email: earnett@batcon.org
Web: www.batcon.org

Bart M. Ballard, Associate Professor
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Tel: 361-593-3954
Cell: 361-522-3210
Email: bart.ballard@tamuk.edu

Peter H. Bloom, Zoologist
Bloom Biological, Inc.
Tel: 714-544-6147
Cell: 714-313-8678
Email: PHBloom1@aol.com

René Braud, Director
Horizon Wind Energy
Tel: 713-356-2480
Email: rene.braud@horizonwind.com

Michael F. Burger, Conservation and Science Director
Audubon New York c/o Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Tel: 607-254-2441
Email: mfb22@cornell.edu

Kraig M. Butrum, President and CEO
American Wind and Wildlife Institute
Tel: 202-216-9700
Cell: 202-262-9931
E-Mail: kbutrum@awwi.org
Web: www.awwi.org

Christopher Clark, Director
Bioacoustics Research Program
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Tel: 607-254-2408
Cell: 607-227-7205
Email: cwc2@cornell.edu
Web: www.birds.cornell.edu

Mark Desholm, Scientist
National Environmental Research Institute
University of Aarhus (Denmark)
Tel: 011-45-89201728
Cell: 011-45-31136077
E-Mail: mde@dmu.dk or markdesholm@yahoo.dk

Robert H. Diehl, Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Southern Mississippi
Tel: 601-266-4740
Email: robert.diehl@usm.edu

John R. Ehrmann, Senior Partner
Meridian Institute
Tel: 303-756-3513
Cell: 970-390-7659
Email: jehrmann@merid.org
Web: www.merid.org

William R. Evans
Old Bird, Inc.
Tel: 607-272-1786
Cell: 607-227-4804
Email: wrevans@clarityconnect.com
Web: www.oldbird.org

Andrew Farnsworth, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Conservation Science Program
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Tel: 212-688-0658
Cell: 914-672-5971
Email: af27@cornell.edu
Web: www.birds.cornell.edu

John W. Fitzpatrick, Executive Director
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Tel: 607-254-2410
Cell: 607-351-1480
Email: jwf7@cornell.edu
Web: www.birds.cornell.edu

Peter C. Frumhoff, Director of Science and Policy & Chief Scientist Climate Campaign
Union of Concerned Scientists
Tel: 617-301-8035
Cell: 617-230-1651
Email: pfrumhoff@ucsusa.org
Web: www.ucsusa.org

Michael Fry, Director, Conservation Advocacy
American Bird Conservancy
Tel: 202-234-7181 ext. 205
Cell: 703-424-4203
Email: mfry@abcbirds.org
Web: www.abcbirds.org

Sidney A. Gauthreaux, Professor Emeritus
Biological Sciences
Clemson University
Tel: 843-869-2383
Email: sagth@clemson.edu
Web: www.clemson.edu/birdrad

Douglas H. Johnson, Research Statistician
USGS Northern PrairieWildlife ResearchCenter
University of Minnesota
Tel: 612-624-4716
Email: douglas_h_johnson@usgs.gov

Imogene P. Johnson, Member
Board of Trustees
The Johnson Foundation
Tel: 262-639-3211

Thomas H. Kunz, Professor and Director
Department of Biology
Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology
Boston University
Tel: 617-353-2474
Cell: 617-620-2152
Email: kunz@bu.edu
Web: www.bu.edu/cecb/BATS

George C. Ledec, Lead Ecologist
Latin America and Caribbean Region
The World Bank
Tel: 202-473-9267
Cell: 703-346-0814
Email: gledec@worldbank.org
Web: www.worldbank.org

David S. Mizrahi, Vice President
Research and Monitoring
New Jersey Audubon Society
Tel: 609-861-1608, ext. 17
Cell: 609-408-7735
Email: david.mizrahi@njaudubon.org
Web: www.njaudubon.org

David N. Pashley, Vice President
Conservation Science
American Bird Conservancy
Tel: 540-253-5780
Email: dpashley@abcbirds.org

Rafael Villegas Patraca, Research Associate
Applied Ecology
Instituto de Ecologia AC (Mexico)
Tel: 228-842-1847
Email: rafael.villegas@inecol.edu.mx
Web: www.inecol.edu.mx

Martin D. Piorkowski, Project Coordinator
Conservation Science
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Tel: 607-254-2119
Cell: 405-612-1385
Email: mp362@cornell.edu
Web: www.birds.cornell.edu

David Redell, Bat Ecologist
Ecological Inventory and Monitoring
Bureau of Endangered Resources
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Tel: 608-261-8450
Email: david.redell@wisconsin.gov
Web: www.wiatri.net/inventory/bats

Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Director
Conservation Science Program
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Tel: 607-254-2412
Cell: 607-342-4594
Email: kvr2@cornell.edu
Web: www.birds.cornell.edu

David J. Stout, Chief
Division of Habitat Conservation
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Tel: 703-358-2555
Cell: 571-432-8533
Email: dave_stout@fws.gov
Web: www.fws.gov

Dale Strickland, President and Senior Ecologist
Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
Tel: 307-634-1756
Fax: 307-637-6981
Email: dstrickland@west-inc.com
Web: www.west-inc.com

Genevieve S. Thompson
Vice President and Executive Director
American Wind and Wildlife Institute
Audubon Dakota
Tel: 701-298-3373
Cell: 701-866-9249
Email: gthompson@audubon.org
Web: www.audubon.org

Some of these people are with organizations that belong to the American Wind and Wildlife Institute, a coalition of industry and environmental groups that was formed in December 2007. Its members, who might provide additional insights for your coverage, belong to organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Audubon Society, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, AES Wind Generation, BP Alternative Energy, GE Energy, and Vestas Americas.