I think this is a new right wing rumor......does anyone know for sure?

[hedgehog]

I was told today that environmentalists don't have their act together because a wind turbine farm in California (designed to lower dependence on fossil fuels) was blocked by environmentalists protecting an endangered species; a newt.

This sounds like a re-working of the snail darter case.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snail_darter_controversy

[The Straight Story]

1. Partially true

Just off hand without checking - when I lived in Tehachapi I worked for Enron/Zond wind energy. One of the issues we had with expansion (not just there) related to how various groups were opposed to the turbines because some bird (or bat) or other might be harmed by them.

Everything it seems has an environmental impact. But IMHO we have to weigh things.

[salvorhardin]

2. Partly right.

Delayed, but not blocked. And it was in the UK, not California. This is the only reference I can find quickly.

Newts are OK so windfarm work goes ahead
09 September 2009

Work has begun on a multi-million pound substation at Salle as part of the Sheringham Shoal offshore windfarm development.

The final hurdle before construction started was the granting of a newt licence from Natural England.

Before work could start on the preparation of the substation site, the developers had to safeguard some possible site inhabitants, great crested newts.

The great crested newt is the UK's largest newt species but due to diminishing numbers it has legal protection against harm and destruction of its natural habitat.

The contractor building the substation, Areva, had to check for the presence of newts and then erect specially-designed newt fencing. This fencing aims to create a safe corridor for the newts' natural activity while keeping them out of the construction area.

The substation will take approximately a year to complete with commissioning scheduled for June 2010.

The power generated by the wind farm will be transported to shore at Weybourne, then some 14 miles via underground cables to the new substation.

It will then be transported via existing cables to the national grid. The 315MW windfarm itself should be completed towards the end of 2011.

The Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is owned equally by StatoilHydro and Statkraft through the joint venture company Scira Offshore Energy Limited. StatoilHydro is the operator for the project during the development phase.

http://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/content/northnorfolknews/news/story.aspx?brand=NNNOnline&category=news&tBrand=NNNonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED08%20Sep%202009%2018%3A50%3A05%3A337

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

3. typical crap - no details of what wind farm or where

there is valid reasons to fight locating wind farms in certain areas but .....
without knowing what wind farm where sounds like they are speaking in flatulence.

[Catshrink]

4. I know of another Newt that's endangered...

jumped the shark, that one.

[blondeatlast]

6. Do I lose my tree-hugger cred if I hasten the extinction of that particular breed? nt

[notadmblnd]

5. newts don't fly.

How could a windmill hurt them? Also, I didn't know they were endangered, I thought only their eyes were?

[tularetom]

7. She turned me into a newt!

I got better.