Golden Eagle's Death Sparks Shutdown of Wind Farm
The pack of riders cycles past wind turbines during the 120th edition of the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic cycling race, between Compiegne and Roubaix, northern France, on April 9, 2023. On December 13, 2023, a court in France ruled that several wind turbines must be taken down following the deaths of several birds, including a Golden Eagle.
Several wind turbines will soon be dismantled following outrage over the deaths of a number of birds, including a golden eagle, in France.
Last week, British newspaper The Times reported that an appeals court in the French city of Nîmes ruled that seven wind turbines must be taken down after protests, saying they posed a threat to birds in the area. The wind turbines are located near Montpellier and are owned by German energy company EnBW.
According to The Times, in January, a Golden Eagle was killed after flying into the wind turbines prompting widespread criticism and protests.
“This is a veritable cemetery at the foot of the turbines,” said Nicolas Gallon, a lawyer for the groups in opposition of the wind turbines, according to The Times.
Gallon also said that over 1,000 birds have been found dead near the wind turbines since 2019, The Times reported.
The decision by the court last week comes shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to increase the country’s efforts in developing renewable energy sources, like wind turbines.
“We need a massive acceleration…I want us to go at least twice as fast for renewable energy projects,” Macron said, during a speech in September. “Our neighbors often managed to do more, better and, above all, faster.”
According to the Associated Press, Macron previously called for France to increase its renewable energy sources to 23 percent by 2020, but it failed. The French president also previously called for the country to create 50 new wind farms by 2050.
Macron cited the ongoing war in Ukraine, saying the war “disrupted the European model, because many countries were depending on Russian gas for (energy) production.”
“And clearly, for the first time, energy has become a weapon of war,” Macron added during his speech.
Many in France are opposed to these wind farms and according to The Times, Marjolaine Villey-Migraine, a spokesperson for the Collective for the Protection of Biodiversity Landscapes, told the newspaper that the ruling is “a great victory and without precedent in France.”
While speaking with the French news station BFMTV, Villey-Migraine added that the turbines also cause sound issues for residents. “The nuisance in summer is really very unpleasant. It’s good if they remove them,” Villey-Migraine told BFMTV.
According to The Times, judges in the case said that the turbines have caused “serious and proven” damage to the area’s environment and ruled that the company will have just over a year to dismantle the wind farm.
Newsweek reached out to EnBW via email for comment.
Related Articles
Start your unlimited Newsweek trial