Emerging Solar Plants Scorch Birds in Mid-Air

[Denny Crane]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/emerging-solar-plants-scorch-birds-mid-air-25017031

IVANPAH DRY LAKE, Calif. — Workers at a state-of-the-art solar plant in the Mojave Desert have a name for birds that fly through the plant's concentrated sun rays — "streamers," for the smoke plume that comes from birds that ignite in midair.

Federal wildlife investigators who visited the BrightSource Energy plant last year and watched as birds burned and fell, reporting an average of one "streamer" every two minutes, are urging California officials to halt the operator's application to build a still-bigger version.

 

[Denny Crane]

I like birds.

 

[PDXFonz]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...argest-solar-farm-SCORCHING-BIRDS-fly-it.html

Video from your link didn't work for me.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

SUNNED!

 

[barfo]

I like birds.

They are tasty. Maybe KFC could open a restaurant next door to the solar plant?

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

They are tasty. Maybe KFC could open a restaurant next door to the solar plant?

barfo

Bigger solar plants are clearly the answer. That way we can get more than .2% if our energy from this green economy.

 

[magnifier661]

The birds will evolve to form sun resistant wings and shit all over the panels. It's natural! It's selection! It's the way of the universe!

 

[Denny Crane]

Two scorchers a minute over mags' house.

 

[PDXFonz]

Two scorchers a minute over mags' house.

Mystery solved: The people seen turning off the magnifier family power box were wildlife activists.

 

[magnifier661]

Mystery solved: The people seen turning off the magnifier family power box were wildlife activists.

Lmao! They can't because I have laser guided RPG launchers that destroy white liberals.

 

[magnifier661]

Two scorchers a minute over mags' house.

Hahaha

 

[riverman]

So it's a solar barbeque with no carbon emissions. Hey! Electtric fences have been killing birds since the 60's by the truckload not to mention airplanes..they don't scorch them, they mulch them

 

[riverman]

Bigger solar plants are clearly the answer. That way we can get more than .2% if our energy from this green economy.

Check out Ed Begley's website, he gets 100% of his energy from solar energy. It starts at home, it's not a grid that's even developed publicly. I lived for 3 years in a solar home in Hawaii and it was great. Didn't really find a need for the other 98.98% of energy after all. It's a choice and if you really research it, it's affordable. Perfect option for San Diego. Not so great in Portland. I think it's too bad Americans don't follow New Zealand's method of using the tides to generate energy. The argument I read about said we don't want the ocean view cluttered with turbines. The tides are the most constant source of energy on the planet.

 

[barfo]

Bigger solar plants are clearly the answer. That way we can get more than .2% if our energy from this green economy.

Check out Ed Begley's website, he gets 100% of his energy from solar energy. It starts at home, it's not a grid that's even developed publicly. I lived for 3 years in a solar home in Hawaii and it was great. Didn't really find a need for the other 98.98% of energy after all. It's a choice and if you really research it, it's affordable. Perfect option for San Diego. Not so great in Portland. I think it's too bad Americans don't follow New Zealand's method of using the tides to generate energy. The argument I read about said we don't want the ocean view cluttered with turbines. The tides are the most constant source of energy on the planet.

I don't know anything about the NZ tide energy, but there is a test project off the Oregon coast at Reedsport, I think. Ocean Power Technologies, or some name like that, is building it.

Edit: whoops, I'm out of date. Apparently that project died.

barfo

 

[magnifier661]

I don't know anything about the NZ tide energy, but there is a test project off the Oregon coast at Reedsport, I think. Ocean Power Technologies, or some name like that, is building it.

Edit: whoops, I'm out of date. Apparently that project died.

barfo

The reason why those projects die is inability to control the tides. It's extremely hard to work on equipment. The way water power plants work so well is having the ability to stop water flow so engineers can work on the generators easily, staggering the system for maintenance.

In the ocean, it requires dangerous underwater mechanics that are very expensive.

 

[riverman]

The reason why those projects die is inability to control the tides. It's extremely hard to work on equipment. The way water power plants work so well is having the ability to stop water flow so engineers can work on the generators easily, staggering the system for maintenance.

In the ocean, it requires dangerous underwater mechanics that are very expensive.

The Israelis and Kiwis have made it work. Tides don't need to be controlled at all, they just need to turn turbines and that technology is not dying. It's actually improved. They can harness energy from the weight and motion of the tides in both directions now. If a huge expensive Naval vessel needs repair, we would put it in dry dock and fix it without a need to stop the water. You need a backup unit and work on one while the other is operational. The problem isn't the technology, but the resistance to losing a pristine ocean view without seeing the damned things

 

[Denny Crane]

The reason why those projects die is inability to control the tides. It's extremely hard to work on equipment. The way water power plants work so well is having the ability to stop water flow so engineers can work on the generators easily, staggering the system for maintenance.

In the ocean, it requires dangerous underwater mechanics that are very expensive.

They call the sea lions and dolphins that get caught in that machinery "tuna fish."

Go green!

Actually, the big issue with tidal systems is barnacles.

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/biofoul/overview.php

 

[Denny Crane]

I don't know anything about the NZ tide energy, but there is a test project off the Oregon coast at Reedsport, I think. Ocean Power Technologies, or some name like that, is building it.

Edit: whoops, I'm out of date. Apparently that project died.

barfo

Tax the rich to pay for it anyway.

 

[magnifier661]

They call the sea lions and dolphins that get caught in that machinery "tuna fish."

Go green!

Actually, the big issue with tidal systems is barnacles.

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/biofoul/overview.php

Ah yeah I can see how that can be a problem. I know you need to maintain boats in the ocean constantly. That can be very expensive!

 

[Eastoff]

It's not terribly surprising. It's concentrating huge amounts of sunlight into a small area. This is much different than traditional solar panels, which also have their faults. But this setup always seemed dangerous to me. It's like saying "News at 11, magnifying glasses have been used to burn ants!"

 

[Denny Crane]

It's not terribly surprising. It's concentrating huge amounts of sunlight into a small area. This is much different than traditional solar panels, which also have their faults. But this setup always seemed dangerous to me. It's like saying "News at 11, magnifying glasses have been used to burn ants!"

Obama guaranteed nearly $2B in loans for this project.

Here, finally, is a case of AGW causing harm. That is, the fear of this mythical AGW is causing people to do things that really harm the environment. Unless you don't care about birds.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Actually, the big issue with tidal systems is barnacles.

Easy answer: Teflon. Nothing sticks to that stuff!

 

[MARIS61]

Energy technologies that kill more birds than solar:

Coal, Hydroelectric, Nuclear, Wind...