The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has asked the UK government to back renewables positioned in deep water sites, like floating offshore wind farms, where there would be less of an impact on marine life and protected seabird populations. "There is also an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of innovative technologies like floating wind turbines, if we seize the opportunity now, and make sure we invest in understanding the impacts of those technologies so they can be rolled out in harmony with nature," said RSPB Senior Climate Change Policy Officer Melanie Coath.

Renewables have the potential to provide 6,277 terawatt hours annually in the UK -- four times that amount of electricity consumed by the nation in 2014, according to The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. In the report, the RSPB outlined three situations in which renewables could help the UK curb its greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. "Climate change is one of the greatest long-term threats to wildlife," said Director of Conservation Martin Harper.

Ecotricity has filed an appeal with the Scottish government contesting the Dumfries and Galloway Council's nondetermination of its proposed 27-megawatt California wind farm. Ecotricity said the council had 48 weeks to make a decision on the project but failed to do so. The government is expected to select a reporter to consider the proposal. If approved, the project would feature up to seven turbines.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the biggest bird-conservation group in the U.K., is seeking permission to install a wind turbine. "A wind turbine at our UK headquarters is the single biggest step we can take to reduce our carbon emissions, and will make a significant contribution to the RSPB's carbon reduction targets," said Paul Forecast, the group's director, in a joint statement with developer Ecotricity.

This blog post offers some tips to engage students in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' Big Garden Birdwatch, scheduled for this weekend in the United Kingdom. Among the suggestions are to count birds on the school playground for one hour each day through 1 Feb. Those findings then are reported back to the RSPB, which also provides a guide to the birds that may be found on school playgrounds. This blog also lists several birding resources provided by the charity and other groups.