April1,2013
Press release
WASHINGTON (April 1, 2013) – Researchers at the R Street Institute unveiled a new major public policy initiative that aims to simultaneously preserve wildlife and encourage wider adoption of green energy technology, in a way that is both economically and environmentally sound.
“That said, the problem with wind power is that it kills birds. Lots of birds.”
Given the Humane Society’s estimate that there are 86.4 million cats in the United States, as well as the American Wind Energy Association’s estimate of 45,000 U.S. wind turbines, an average American cat will kill about 30 birds each year, compared to nine birds each year for the average wind turbine.
“The MEOW Act would require wind turbine operators every year to show that they have destroyed at least one feline for every three turbines in active operation,” .“This would mitigate the negative wildlife consequences of wind power in a way that should result in no net loss of birds.”
Operators who demonstrate they have exceeded the minimum required feline destructions would also be entitled to offset permits they could sell to others, under a system R Street calls “cat-and-trade.”
[RStreet News Release]
5 comments:
To me this explains why wind farm operators are grossly under-reporting bird and bat kills - it's those damnable feral cats!
Cats are nocturnal. So, while the minimum wage bird carcass collectors for TransAlta are sleeping off last night's fun at the pub, these feral cats are out scouring the area below the turbines eating all the fresh rotor-kills (wind counterpart to road-kills).
To make matters worse, I heard that TransAlta is a big supporter and donator to the Wolfe Island "Aren't Cats Pretty Association."
I think it is outrageous what wind developers and operators will do to further their cause and minimize the negative effects of their operations. Someone's got to expose these charlatans.
Love wind?-spay or neuter your cats!
This should awaken and energize a whole new group of wind energy opposition- cat lovers of America.
Its true, its part of the lease agreement landowners sign. Along with promising to support and assist the wind company with permitting process, and promising not to complain about any negative impacts, leaseholders agree to actively engage in movement to reduce the feral cat poulation of the community. This includes eliminating any cats they may have as personal, individual pets, to set an example. Wind energy grassroots support groups, such as Voters for Wind, organized and mind-controlled by Marion Trieste, are reported to sacrifice cats as offerings to the wind gods(also known as corporate developers) during secret rituals performed under actual working model turbines. Local officials,suspicious of such activites, have complained to the PSC that these sacrificial rituals were not included in BP's PIP.
The practice is well known locally,and is generally referred to as the "CATS FOR DOLLARS, I LOVE WIND" promotion.
All tongue in cheek humor aside, it is sad that this sort of trade- off mentality is a very real part of the neo-pseudo environmentalism.
True, there are some negative impacts from years of producing energy from fossil fuels, but how does this justify ignoring or minimizing the very real negative impacts associated with industrial wind power?
Every element of our natural environment should be given genuine value and consideration when determining the overall value of any potential energy source. To do otherwise, as is the common practice of the industries and agencies promoting alternative energy, is irresponsible and eventually detrimental to our world.
To cloak profiteering with environmental rigtheousness is grosse.
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