Audubon is a strong supporter of renewable energy because we know that climate change poses the biggest threat to birds in our lifetime. At the same time, we believe that renewable energy must be planned carefully so that it doesn't negatively impact birds. That is why, in today's article about offshore wind energy in the San Francisco Chronicle, Audubon California Director of Bird Conservation Gary Langham strikes a note of caution about the possibility of placing acres of wind turbines on the open ocean:

Gary Langham, director of bird conservation for Audubon California, wants offshore wind developers to steer clear of island or coastal nesting grounds. In addition, the ocean surface off California has places where birds congregate to eat, mostly where upwellings of water from far below bring up their favorite types of food. "You can get a hundred thousand seabirds in a big patch at once," Langham said. "So the more we can do to avoid those hot spots, the better we'll avoid impacts."