Claire Zimmerman: "US firm Duke Energy Pays Out Over Wind Farm Eagle Deaths"

When eagles hunt, they are not focussing on what is ahead of them: they're looking at the ground, you know, where their food is. This has become rather problematic, because sometimes while they're not looking, they run into wind turbines and are killed. Since 2008, sixty-seven eagles were killed in this manner. The US Fish and Wildlife Service made the Duke Energy Company pay $1 million in compensation for the death of these majestic creatures. They have been developing technology to prevent the deaths of the golden eagles, such as radar to detect when they are approaching the turbines so they can turn them to avoid any collision.

I do not believe that this is the energy company's fault. The eagles accidentally flew into these turbines. It's like when manatees swim into boat propellors. I don't believe they should have been sued, but I do believe that it's good that they're taking up precautions like that. That money could have gone more towards preparing technology to protect these creatures rather than to the organization. The organization is doing good with the money, hopefully, but it could have lessened the cost of developing this technology from the backs of the company.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25058346