Offshore drilling is limited in America because of potential spills. Extensive TV coverage of the infamous Unocal spill off the coast of California years ago and aggressive environmental efforts keep us from tapping huge deposits of domestic energy.
For years environmentalists and politicians have beat the drum for wind as a replacement for fossil fuels. California has passed a bill requiring 20% of the California power to be from renewal energy by 2020. An impossible goal and and expensive end. The current administration is looking at the same goal for the rest of the country. GE, the primary domestic producer of domestic wind production, has spent heavily on campaign contributions to foster this goal.
USA Today published an article regarding the huge wind farm in the San Joaquin Valley is slaughtering thousands of birds, including golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and burrowing owls. Remember the San Joaquin Valley, the place where the Delta Smelt is shutting off the water to farmers? Obviously, the little fish are more important to the environmentalists than rare birds. Not a word about the achilles heel on wind from the proponents of wind. Ratchet up wind and the hell with the birds. Avian scientists are up in arms, however.
Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, the man who refused to turn the water back on for the farmers says we will be able to minimize the damage to birds. How?
So far, the answer has been to fine the wind producers. Exxon/Mobil plead guilty to killing 85 birds and paid $600,000 in fines. PacifiCorp, untility of Oregon was ordered to pay $10.5 million in fines after 232 eagles were lost in Wyoming. The number killed at Altamont is estimated to be 10,000 birds, most being protected species.
Seen any network news stories about people picking up dead eagles daily in Altamont? Not going to see any from NBC, part of GE. Not going to see any from the other mainstream media who covered extensively the ducks being wiped clean of oil in California from the Unocal spill.
Seems pretty simple. If it’s wind, it’s immune.If it isn’t it’s major news. If it’s wind, environmentalists turn their backs. If it’s a fossil fuel it’s fair game.
Come on guys, let’s get real. If wind doesn’t work because it will wipe out the bird population in America, it needs to be debated. Fines don’t bring back the birds. Global warming trumps all.
