We often hope, even assume, that technology will fix our problems. We also know that sometimes technology creates a problem. In this case, technology can help us fix the problem of needing to keep the fossil carbon in the ground by making use of the sun, but created the problem of vaporizing birds with intensely focused solar energy. But then, the engineers applied adjustment to the technology to save the birds!
I wrote it up here on 10,000 Birds, where I write a monthly installment on birds and stuff: Solar Plant Stopped Killing Birds: One Weird Trick!
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Every one of these is a topic I'd like to write an entire blog post about but I don't have time right now. So, YOU write the blog post!
In Michigan there is an emerging debate and discussion about using the Vast Forests in that state to provide energy. This is a good idea because it does not…
This week, we finally get to the elder Free-Ride offspring's part of last-week's bath-night conversation about energy. Here's the audio of the discussion, complete with splashing bathwater and odd squawks from my computer.
For those who prefer words on the screen, the transcript is below.
Dr.…
Wind power is like Ginger Rogers. You know what I mean. It isn't judged by the same standards as other kinds of electricity generation.
Click here to visit an interactive guide to wind power in Minnesota.
I'm speaking specifically of the reliability of, or variation in, wind over time. Many…
Back at the end of last week, I took a couple of minutes to make fun of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's rather bizarre assertion that providing money to help poor people weatherize their homes won't stimulate the economy or create jobs. Since then, I've taken a much more detailed look at the…
I can't wait to see which of the usual suspects led to tossing in the "cats kill many more [than 112,000,000 birds in the U.S.] per year" canard. Extra points for vagueness, though.
Narad - extra points for pointless finishing non sequitur on a blog article not a scientific, all factors considered, scientific paper.
Furthermore an article of some interest - and hope.
Whatever, classifying anything with complex dynamics there are many caveats to any conclusions and it turns out that cats can have an effect on populations - particularly if a species has reached a critical extinction threshold as is the case with many bird species across the globe where humans have introduced numerous adverse developments; pesticides, habitat fragmentation, pollution, building developments etc.
Here in the UK the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) is on the case.
Predation of small birds by birds of prey is another factor often overlooked by those quick to blame cats. The population of the Sparrow-hawk was doing well and I have photographic evidence of a male (with Starling) and female (with Ring Collard Dove) caught in the act. I had noted a number of other similar corpses from time to time - typically a spread of feathers, with in the case of the male with Starlings the head ripped off - evidently if not killed quick the dying Starling makes a foul tasting secretion which puts the hawk off its breakfast.
Thanks for this article Greg and the link to an another interesting web site in 1000birds.com.