Reply To: CLP wind farm to impact southeast Hong Kong

#8388

I’ve visited above link, and commented.

Re benefits, I put:

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Reducing air pollution, inc CO2 outputs; may prove a step towards sustainable energy for HK.

Re concerns:

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Yes: not sure it’s been well thought out. Not sure enough power will be generated. Impacts on environment, inc scenic aspects – esp with Geopark coming soon; plus bird strikes in part of HK crossed by many migrants (esp at night) could be serious. [The bird surveys were during daytime, in fine weather; surely chances of bird strikes highest at night, and during weather with poor visibility. We know from Po Toi observations – curiously not even mentioned in the EIA that I can see – that many migrants such as Chinese Goshawks may arrive on certain days, inc during poor visibility.)

Also commented on HK Birdw Soc forum thread re the wind farm, with my above remark re birds, plus:

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Indeed seems lacking that EIA doesn’t include radar studies of migrants; could have been very useful, albeit bird detecting radars maybe not so readily available.

In writing the comment, I was mindful of day Richard Lewthwaite and others experienced on Po Toi, with hundreds of Chinese Goshawks coming down from misty sky [as I recall being told]. Such an arrival surely also possible over and through wind farm site; I find the EIA lacking in not discussing such a possibility.

Writing this, wonder too re shorebirds, say. How sad if, say, a godwit arriving direct from Australia was smacked from the sky by a turbine.

Yes, we need to use way less fossil fuel, or will wreak far more carnage on the planet than wind farms ever could. But this might not be best way for HK to achieve such reductions; indeed it misses core issues like slashing energy use, properly green buildings. Not that CLP is likely to be real helpful w cutting energy use.