{"id":376078,"date":"2025-04-23T19:33:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T17:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=376078"},"modified":"2025-04-23T19:33:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T17:33:39","slug":"the-blade-stops-here-france-holds-wind-industry-accountable-at-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=376078","title":{"rendered":"The Blade Stops Here: France Holds Wind Industry Accountable at Last"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Charles Rotter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent shutdown of the Bernagues wind farm in H\u00e9rault, France,<\/a>\u00a0marks a long-overdue reckoning with the lethal impacts of wind energy on wildlife\u2014particularly raptors like the golden eagle. On April 9, 2025, a French court ordered the entire site to cease operations for one year following the confirmed death of a golden eagle, a protected species, that collided with one of the farm\u2019s turbine blades in January 2023. The decision also slapped Energie Renouvelable du Languedoc (ERL), the farm\u2019s operator, with a \u20ac200,000 fine, half of which was suspended, and imposed an additional \u20ac40,000 fine on the company\u2019s director.<\/p>\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.ouest-france.fr\/environnement\/apres-la-mort-dun-aigle-royal-la-justice-ordonne-larret-dun-parc-eolien-dans-lherault-ba605342-153e-11f0-9759-9654df6b878b<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t just a one-off judicial reaction. It represents a seismic shift in how the French legal system\u2014and perhaps the broader public\u2014are beginning to confront the uncomfortable truth about wind energy\u2019s collateral damage. Despite the Green orthodoxy that surrounds renewables, wind turbines kill birds. And not just any birds. In this case, the victim was the breeding male of a golden eagle pair that had nested just three kilometers from the turbine site, a distance well beyond typical disturbance buffers used in wildlife protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Environmental groups hailed the court\u2019s decision as a victory, but the implications go much deeper. For years, bird deaths caused by wind turbines have been ignored, downplayed, or dismissed as unfortunate but tolerable trade-offs in the race toward \u201cnet zero.\u201d But the Bernagues case shatters that illusion. Here, a single incident carried enough legal weight to halt energy production for a year\u2014an implicit admission that the risks to protected species may outweigh the supposed benefits of wind energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this isn\u2019t happening in isolation. Another French wind farm in Aumelas was also ordered to suspend operations just two days earlier, along with a \u20ac5 million fine against EDF Renewables. Add to this the December 2023 ruling from the N\u00eemes Court of Appeal ordering the demolition of the Bernagues wind farm for lacking a valid building permit, and a pattern begins to emerge: the renewable energy sector, long shielded from scrutiny, is now being subjected to long-overdue consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s changing? In part, a growing recognition\u2014backed by research\u2014that wind farms are not as benign as their PR teams suggest. Two recent studies underline the broader threat to golden eagles. One, in Ecological Applications<\/a><\/em>, shows that annual mortality already exceeds the threshold that eagle populations can sustain. Another, in Biological Conservation<\/a><\/em>, tracks a rise in turbine-related eagle deaths in the western U.S., from 110 in 2013 to 270 in 2024. These are not rounding errors. They are statistical red flags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, the political and ideological machinery behind wind power continues to roll forward, impervious to facts. The push for \u201cgreen\u201d energy is not driven by data but by dogma. It\u2019s a crusade rooted in carbon hysteria and the romanticization of renewable energy, regardless of ecological consequences or economic efficiency. Wind power has become the cathedral of the climate faithful, and turbines their spires\u2014never mind the feathered corpses accumulating at their base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not rational policymaking; it\u2019s ideological fixation dressed up as science. If the goal were genuinely to balance human needs with environmental stewardship, the conversation would look very different. We\u2019d be assessing energy sources on their real-world merits\u2014reliability, cost, land use, ecological impact\u2014not blindly throwing subsidies at whichever technology aligns with green slogans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France\u2019s court system has done what most governments have failed to do: impose real accountability on an industry that\u2019s been operating with impunity. The Bernagues decision should serve as a precedent, not an anomaly. It\u2019s a milestone in holding the wind industry to the same environmental standards it pretends to uphold. And it invites a critical question: if even the eagle\u2014the emblem of nature\u2019s majesty\u2014isn\u2019t safe from the blades of climate dogma, what exactly are we saving?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H\/T alexander v<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The recent shutdown of the Bernagues wind farm in H\u00e9rault, France, marks a long-overdue reckoning with the lethal impacts of wind energy on wildlife\u2014particularly raptors like the golden eagle. On April 9, 2025, a French court ordered the entire site to cease operations for one year following the confirmed death of a golden eagle, a protected species, that collided with one of the farm\u2019s turbine blades in January 2023. The decision also slapped Energie Renouvelable du Languedoc (ERL), the farm\u2019s operator, with a \u20ac200,000 fine, half of which was suspended, and imposed an additional \u20ac40,000 fine on the company\u2019s director.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":376084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819450,691834684,691834683,691819118,691834682,691824157],"class_list":{"0":"post-376078","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-green-energy-2","9":"tag-bernagues-wind-farm-herault","10":"tag-energie-renouvelable-du-languedoc-erl","11":"tag-france","12":"tag-french-court","13":"tag-golden-eagle","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0-Golden-Eagle.jpeg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1zPM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":275782,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=275782","url_meta":{"origin":376078,"position":0},"title":"Green Activists Silent as California Moves to Help Wind Farm Slaughter of America\u2019s Iconic Bald Eagle","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/27\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"America\u2019s national bird, the bald eagle, along with golden eagles and other raptors, face mass slaughter in California\u2019s wind farm avian graveyards following the State Democrat-controlled legislature\u2019s decision to relax controls on wildlife protections.","rel":"","context":"In \"Bald eagle\"","block_context":{"text":"Bald eagle","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bald-eagle"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":425588,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425588","url_meta":{"origin":376078,"position":1},"title":"Bald Eagle\u2019s Grizzly Death at Obama\u2011Funded Wind Project Site Triggers Federal Fine","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/10\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In early February 2026 a bald eagle was killed by a wind turbine at the University of Minnesota's Eolos Wind Energy Research Field Station in Dakota County, Minnesota. The eagle was struck by the turbine blade, resulting in a gruesome dismemberment into three pieces. he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"bald and golden eagle\"","block_context":{"text":"bald and golden eagle","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bald-and-golden-eagle"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQPg-zu_dKSQq8UJjryADtUkFolw_vaYkyw0unNKyKolA1msAPc9s_ly0uJJEpYl83QpvoUrmNQoj7yCHInLgi6BS4c7z-ccDqxU7TOSqR9o3g7dd13wJNDaBiQ6TiDq.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQPg-zu_dKSQq8UJjryADtUkFolw_vaYkyw0unNKyKolA1msAPc9s_ly0uJJEpYl83QpvoUrmNQoj7yCHInLgi6BS4c7z-ccDqxU7TOSqR9o3g7dd13wJNDaBiQ6TiDq.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQPg-zu_dKSQq8UJjryADtUkFolw_vaYkyw0unNKyKolA1msAPc9s_ly0uJJEpYl83QpvoUrmNQoj7yCHInLgi6BS4c7z-ccDqxU7TOSqR9o3g7dd13wJNDaBiQ6TiDq.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQPg-zu_dKSQq8UJjryADtUkFolw_vaYkyw0unNKyKolA1msAPc9s_ly0uJJEpYl83QpvoUrmNQoj7yCHInLgi6BS4c7z-ccDqxU7TOSqR9o3g7dd13wJNDaBiQ6TiDq.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQPg-zu_dKSQq8UJjryADtUkFolw_vaYkyw0unNKyKolA1msAPc9s_ly0uJJEpYl83QpvoUrmNQoj7yCHInLgi6BS4c7z-ccDqxU7TOSqR9o3g7dd13wJNDaBiQ6TiDq.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":272640,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=272640","url_meta":{"origin":376078,"position":2},"title":"California sacrifices bald and golden eagles for \u201cGreen\u201d energy","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/10\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In a major setback for the protection of wildlife, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill that will allow operators of wind and solar projects to slaughter bald and golden eagles, along with other raptors, under the guise of promoting \u201cclean\u201d energy in the state.","rel":"","context":"In \"California\"","block_context":{"text":"California","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0eagle-wind-turbine-featured.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0eagle-wind-turbine-featured.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0eagle-wind-turbine-featured.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0eagle-wind-turbine-featured.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0eagle-wind-turbine-featured.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":281754,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=281754","url_meta":{"origin":376078,"position":3},"title":"Horrendous Number of Eagle Deaths From Wind Farms","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/03\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"From The Daily Sceptic BY\u00a0CHRIS MORRISON Further devastating evidence of the toll that onshore wind turbines take on local eagle populations has emerged in Tasmania. 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