Potential Interactions Between Birds And Floating Photovoltaic Solar Energy: Spatially Informed Species Vulnerabilities
The paper I'll discuss in this post is this one: Potential Interactions Between Birds And Floating Photovoltaic Solar Energy: Spatially Informed Species Vulnerabilities, Techno-Ecological Risks, And Sustainability Trade-Offs Allison D. Binley, Adam Gallaher, Amanda D. Rodewald, and Steven M. Grodsky Environmental Science & Technology 2026 60 (1), 510-521
I make no secret in this space, I'm not a fan of so called "renewable energy" even with the understanding that this ineffective scheme for producing purportedly "clean energy" is popular on our side of the political spectrum. In this, I believe we are misguided, particularly because so called "renewable energy" depends on access to dangerous fossil fuels, which I believe should be rapidly phased out completely.
The land and material costs of this scheme makes a joke out of the claim this stuff is "renewable."
It isn't.
Nevertheless the popular (but pernicious) scheme has resulted in the expenditure of trillions of dollars for no other result other than the acceleration of the collapse of the planetary atmosphere, not proceeding at the highest rate ever recorded.
Of course, the purpose of the scheme was never about attacking fossil fuels; it was always about attacking sustainable and clean energy of which there is one, and only one, form, nuclear energy.
The ineffectiveness of the scheme, its costs, connected with its unreliability and the need for redundancy and requirements of vast arrays of wires, nearly useless batteries and other thermodynamic nightmares confusing the thermodynamic nightmare of energy storage with being "green," is nothing short of a disaster on land.
Even the tiresome Amory Lovins wannabe antinuke Benji Sovacool has begun to question is assumptions, which is surprising given his narrow purview, as I noted here: Dead Sea of Solar Cells: Antinuke Little Benny Sovacool Discovers that Deserts Are Actually Vital Ecosystems.
None of this however has caused people to arrest attacks on vital ecosystems for this "green" affectation that is anything but "green," except in double speak.
Almost ten years ago, I wrote, upon coming across a monograph (that I scanned into my computer) called https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/bo23996771.htmlWhy Birds Matter
Avian Ecological Function and Ecosystem Services], a post in this space about the impact of offshore wind plants (which I oppose) on the marine avian ecosystem: A Minor Problem For Sound Science of the Effect of Offshore Windfarms on Seabirds: There Isn't Any.
Now it seems the solar affectation can add to the threats to marine avian ecosystems: The joy ever stops.
I'm behind in everything in my life, and cant spend too much time discussing this paper here. I only note that the topic exists, and the dream of everyone driving around in solar powered electric cars, which is at best quixotic and unrealistic is probably the equivalent of the wonderful scheme to prevent the accumulation of horse manure on urban streets by inventing the gasoline powered car.
The paper focuses on the Northeast United States, where I live and contains graphics that estimate the severity the risk to birds in mapped areas, the risk of biofouling associated with floating solar cells, also in map form, the types of value that fresh and marine bodies that will be impacted by converting them to industrial facilities for energy production and a radar chart of the types of risks to birds that floating solar cells as applied to individual marine bird species.
There is no mention of what will occur when a powerful hurricane of the likes of Sandy, Ivan, Irene, Gordon, the largest of many I’ve lived through in New Jersey blows through and leaves all those solar cells washed up on the beach in the form of broken glass and twisted metal.
Read it if you care.
Have a nice day tomorrow.
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