Plans for a large wind farm on southern Chile’s Chiloe Island have provoked opposition from some environmental and citizen organizations. Green groups here generally support wind power as an environmentally friendly source of electricity. But some oppose plans to locate the turbines in wetlands on Chiloe’s northern coast, arguing this could pose threats to wildlife ranging from shorebirds to whales. Barbara Galletti, president of Cetacean Conservation Center in Santiago, leads one of more than a dozen groups opposing the US$235 million Ecopower wind project. Galleti says one of the world’s most important habitats for the endangered great blue whale could suffer if Chilean-Swedish owned Ecopower carries out its plan to build the wind farm on Chiloe. Another criticism is that project organizers were... [Log in to read more]