The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project in Nevada is set to come online in March. Once completed, it will use thousands of mirrors to focus sunlight on a tower, melting millions of pounds of salt contained inside. The molten salt will heat water into steam, which then turns turbines and generates electricity without any carbon byproducts. There’s just one little problem: During a test run on January 14, the intense heat from the mirrors reportedly incinerated and/or vaporized more than 100 birds.
Rewire reports that during the test, operators fired up a third of the 110-megawatt facility’s mirrors, concentrating sunlight on a spot 1,200 feet off the ground. Over a six-hour period, biologists counted 130 "streamers," or trails of smoke and water left behind as birds ignited and plummeted to their deaths. Rewire’s anonymous source said that at least one of the birds "turned white hot and vaporized completely."
Another solar power plant, Ivanpah, reportedly scorches one bird every two minutes. Both companies are trying to devise measures to keep birds out of the concentrated solar energy.
It’s certainly a gruesome way to die. But solar power plants may not be that much worse for birds than other sources of electricity. This graph from a U.S. News & World Report in 2014 shows that overall, fossil fuels cause a lot more feathered fatalities.
However, the chart is not a perfect data source. The estimates weren’t taken in any standardized way, and some of the studies were outdated. It’s also not an apples-to-apples comparison, since fossil fuels supply way more power to U.S. homes than renewable sources. So we combined the chart with data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration to calculate how many birds each type of power kills for every 1,000 megawatt-hours of power that’s generated. It's just a back-of-the-envelope calculation, but here’s what we found:
Coal still stands out as the big bad bird killer, but solar and wind power aren’t so angelic either. If you accept the higher estimate for solar power, the impact on our feathered friends is higher than for oil and natural gas. Does that mean we should stick to fossil fuels? Of course not. (A world scorched by climate change is good for nobody.) But it does underline the fact that clean energy needs to clean up its act.
It's quite interesting to learn that a large area that takes in incredible amounts of heat right in the bird's flight path vaporizing any flying specimen unprotected wouldn't be the top man-made endeavour causing big casualties among the birds. No, yet it is the large scale use of coal that is the leading cause of death in birds this just screams for our efforts to utilize alternatives we've already discovered.
ReplyDeleteIt is really interesting to see how much coal has effects on not only humans but other species too. Since coal plays such a huge role in the death of birds I think we should use something else.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I find it crazy that that many birds are killed by energy sources. Something needs to be figured out that won't kill birds or harm the rest of Earth.
ReplyDeletethis is very interesting. even though solar energy is a very useful energy source, the fact that it can kill birds make you question if it is the correct choice. solar energy is energy we can depend on the most, since it is always there for us until the sun goes out, we need to find a way to stop the death of the birds while having to use this energy source.
ReplyDeleteI always knew the environment was affected by coal. However I didn't think other species could be affected as well. I'm sure they'all think of something more Eco-friendly.
ReplyDeleteAs Zak said, we all know how much coal affect the Earth. These statistics prove that we need to find another energy source. (and preferably one that is renewable) I think solar energy is our best option. As long as we are living, the sun will be there. Coal is ruining our atmosphere, especially the ozone layer and we need to find a way to stop it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know that energy sources had any effect on birds. I had never really thought about it before. This is really interesting. I agree with Hailey that we should use n=more solar energy and not coal.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting read. I didn't know that fossil fuels and other energy sources had any affect on birds also. Hopefully they can find a safer alternative way to use solar energy that can help prevent those deaths. The use of coal should be stopped also.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. As a couple others said, coal has a large effect on earth but I didn't know that it effected other species, also I agree with hailey that solar energy is our best option.
ReplyDeleteWhile i think solar energy is extremely effective for helping the environment, such as our ozone; is very beneficial but i feel like they should start taking more things into consideration such as animals, who live in these areas, a bird that dies every two minutes due to these drastic changes is another corrupt ecosystem. So while i'm all for the n=more solar energy and not coal though, even if certain effects are quite terrible.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that solar power is a great invention, it still has its drawbacks similar to another power source. I've seen products that are supposed to emit a sound over a large radius;on a frequency that only birds can hear and they would avoid that area due to the irritation sound. I think that we should focus our attention on how to fix this problem a little more than research on how to burn coal more efficiently because if we fix this solar power problem we could due away with the coal
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I never knew that solar energy had any effect on birds. I agree with Mathew, I think we should fix the problem so we can due away with coal. I think solar energy is way better for our environment.
ReplyDeletesolar energy is probably the best option for us if we want a new source of energy. it's the safest option I think. it's bad that it affects birds but it's a better option for us than coal I think. this article was a very interesting read!!
ReplyDeleteSolar energy is a lot healthier for us and our planet. Birds shouldn't have to die especially in that way. Although i would say solar energy is our best option, they should try helping out the birds or come up with something to prevent this.
ReplyDeleteI never knew that fossil fuels humans use in life, like coal, affects a species such as birds this much. But solar power is the most healthy way for the Earth, and at least its not causing the MOST harm to birds. Maybe they'll figure out a way to still use solar energy without killing the birds somehow.
ReplyDeleteAgain why do we need to prove we are not robots?
ReplyDeleteSolar energy is a very useful resource that can help us out, but it has a view problems. It helps but we should find ways to help protect the different species of birds. This can be very useful techniques but we must first make it safer.
ReplyDeleteI think that this article was very interesting. Also, they should invest in ways to use solar energy without killing the birds. Although it may take time it would be worth it and much more safe.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is very interesting. Sometimes it's easy to forget that different energy sources, whether it is nonrenewable or renewable resources, has an effect on the organisms around it. I think that we should continue to search for new ways of energy, but we should consider the organisms around it and try to make it to where no harm comes to them.
ReplyDeleteIts insane how energy resources today are so harmful. Even the ones we might think are safe, are really not. Theyre not killing or affecting us but theyre affecting other species.
ReplyDeleteWe always thought solar energy was a much safer way to get energy but it really isnt. Harming other species but not us. Its crazy how a much more efficient way to get energy is also a bad one.
ReplyDeleteI hate that there is yet a winning option for the birds. Although, solar power seems to be the lesser of two evils. Hopefully we can eventually find a way to obtain energy that is less harmful to all organisms. Until then, we should stop using fossil fuels asap and end its assault on the environment.
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