SLU news

Report on wind power's impact on reindeer refused

Published: 15 May 2017
Anna Skarin lectures. Photo.

A research report describing the effects of wind power infrastructure development on reindeer has been denied publication by Vindval, the funder of the project. A journalist has examined the process, resulting in an article in Process Nordic magazine. The story has been highlighted by TV4 News, where researcher Anna Skarin comments on Vindval's approach.

Vindval is a programme financed by the Swedish Energy Agency and coordinated by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The aim of the research project was to study the effect of wind power infrastructure development on reindeer. The results showed, among other things, that the reindeers changed their behaviour because of the wind farms. After Vindval refused to publish the report, Anna Skarin and her colleagues published their results in SLU's report series (in Swedish).

A journalist has looked into this story, resulting in a news article that was picked up by TV4. 

 

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The research report (in Swedish, abstract in English): Renar och vindkraft II - Vindkraft i drift och effekter på renar och renskötsel (Impact of wind power infrastructure development on semi-domesticated reindeer and reindeer husbandry)
About the project:
Wind power in operation and impacts on reindeer and reindeer herding 
TV4 News (in Swedish only): http://www.tv4.se/nyheterna/klipp/strid-om-ren-vindkraft-3897392

More about Anna Skarin