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Michael Boyd's avatar

I enjoyed the article. You give voice to the voiceless. Would you enjoy bluegrass? Here's a golden eagle song. https://youtu.be/JZTgEa1PaOM

I'm President of the non-profit group CAlifornians for Renewable Energy, Inc. (CARE) and our charitable purpose is to to sue the government over energy projects for example wind farms like the Altamont Pass Wind Resources Area (APWRA) in California. We settled and this resulted in the removal of thousands of old wind turbines saving thousands of raptor lives in the APWRA. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/browns-office-brokers-settlement-save-birds-and-make-altamont-wind-turbines-more

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environMENTAL's avatar

Super, Robert.

As env. industry pros this has gnawed at us for years. The MBTA magically seems to have different teeth and application for wind/solar than it does for hydrocarbons. (Similarly, we cringed at the scene of protected desert cacti getting ground to dust by a spinning blade on the end of a bobcat for the Ivanpah solar plant in Jeff Gibbs "Planet of the Humans").

Another example we've watched: Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline (nat gas) and wind turbine installations in the Appalachians. See for yourself, readers. For fun:

First, a map showing the general area of both pipelines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Valley_Pipeline#/media/File:Mountian_Valley_Pipeline.png

Next, a map showing the general range of the endangered Indiana bat: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Geographic-range-of-Indiana-bats-showing-the-locations-of-sampled-hibernacula-and-the_fig1_301312512

Overlay those two. Note that a pipeline easement cuts maybe a 100 or so foot swatch along those pipeline routes. And, pipelines don't have blades that spin and chop up birds or bats.

The gas molecules in the pipelines would carry energy from Appalachia that emits about half the CO2 when burned as the coal from Appalachia. Yet the Atlantic Coast pipeline was killed and the Mtn. Valley barely saved (by Joe Manchin, as part of the Inflation non-Reduction Act) and the endangered Indiana bat was one of the weapons in the defeat of the former and the near-defeat of the latter. (Meanwhile, New England-ISO burns oil partly because of it. All superb environmental outcomes. /S).

Finally, here's US Fish & Wildlife Service's "US Wind Turbine (GIS) Database": https://eerscmap.usgs.gov/uswtdb/viewer/#5/41.18/-82.76

(may need to range in on the MW and Appalachians to rough scale of the above).

Now, overlay the MW in this GIS map with the territory map above for the endangered Indiana Bat.

If it occurs to readers to wonder how a 100 foot wide swath through the hills could be a greater risk to endangered Indiana Bats than the wind turbines you see on that last map, you're not alone.

A bat is a bat. A Golden Eagle is a Golden Eagle. Apply the MBTA, ESA and other laws protecting the environment equally.

Breaking bird eggs to make omelets for "renewable energy" doesn't square this.

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