Wedge-tailed Eagle | Photo by “Fir0002/Flagstaffotos“
By Jo Nova
Greens destroying nature again
Some experts think there may be only 1,000 of these eagles left, our largest bird of prey, and yet in the last 12 years some 272 of them have been killed or injured in the vicinity of Tasmanian wind towers. That’s at least as far as the maintenance crews have noticed, and not that they were specifically looking…
So the number can only go up, and other types of birds are getting the chop too.
The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed eagle has been known to have a wingspan as large as 2.8m (9ft 3in). They mate for life, and a single nest can be 1 – 3 meters across.
Tasmanian wind rush ‘may push eagles to extinction’, says study
By Matthew Denholm, The Australian
Tasmanian wind farms and transmission lines have killed or injured 321 threatened eagles in 12 years, but the real figure is likely far higher, a new study finds.
The peer reviewed study, published in Australian Field Ornithology, uses data from wind farms, TasNetworks and eagle rescuers to identify the death or injury of 272 endangered Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles and 49 vulnerable white-bellied sea eagles.
It found that from 2010 to 2022, 268 eagles were recorded killed and 53 injured by wind and transmission energy infrastructure, with the state’s four wind farms reporting 38 deaths, TasNetworks 139 deaths and raptor rescuers 91 deaths.
Mr Pullen’s study points to estimates from some of these experts that less than 1,000 Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles remain …
Ornithologists and conservationists (but not the Federal Greens) are calling for a moratorium on new industrial wind plants. Apparently the Australian government will try to protect migratory birds but it’s bad luck for the local residents. Some wind farms are not even required to monitor and report bird deaths anymore.
For the unwashed masses though, killing a wedge-tailed eagle is illegal.
Things just aren’t going well for the windfarms (or the eagles)
Tasmania is theoretically going to be home to the largest wind plant in the Southern Hemisphere, the Robbins Island Mega Wind Factory — but it only got approval to operate if it shut down for five months of the year so it didn’t hurt the Orange Bellied Parrot.
The other bright idea was to use a high-tech detection system to spot the eagles and shut the turbines down when birds approached. (Imagine if we had to turn off the coal plants every time an eagle visited?) But last month the news came out that the bird avoidance system at Cattle Hill Windfarm had still killed eight endangered wedge-tailed eagles in less than four years (plus some other birds too). It may not sound like much but there are plans to build nine or ten new sets of turbine “parks” across Tasmania, and if one tower misses, the next one will get them…
It’s not about the environment is it?
Wind farms…yet another non solution to a non existent problem, just like EV’s. Burn coal, plan for nuclear. Simples.
730
I don’t know the situation in Oz, but in Germany apparently 2000 tonnes of insects are chopped up by wind turbines every year. This was several years ago and since then the number of turbines has risen.
I would imagine that the UK and France would have similar decimation. Apparently many insects fly at a height that coincides with the arc of these increasingly large blades.
Many would be pollinators for our crops, or be food for various birds so their loss is likely to be profound.
However, whether chopping up insects, eagles or bats makes no difference as turbines are green and therefore can do no harm
630
Yes, but a more general principle can be expressed with a small tweak:
Seems to cover most of today’s follies: renewables, vaccines, voice, war sponsorship, etc.
344
Wrong!
Actions motivated by profit …..
210
There is a similar controversy about the effects of wind farms on whales, but that seems much less certain than with eagles
https://www.factcheck.org/2023/03/no-evidence-offshore-wind-development-killing-whales/
220
According to the Jeffrey D King film “Blue” (2014) the US spotted owl is also in decline due to another “conservation, save the planet” initiative.
“Those who view this movie will come away with the knowledge that the green agenda is harming, not helping our environment. Case in point, with the spotted owl, the federal government has severely restricted logging in various areas of the bird’s known habitat. Owls are still dying mainly because of their inability to hunt due to overgrowth in these wooded areas which hinders owls from flying to the forest floor to catch their prey.”
As something as diverse as the environment there is never a single answer because there is never a single element problem to solve.
240
“The other bright idea was to use a high-tech detection system to spot the eagles and shut the turbines down when birds approached.”
I’m not going to point out the ways in which that brainless idea is ridiculous, but it does demonstrate why resistance is futile. That sentence neatly encapsulates the straight-out lunacy we’re dealing with here. We’re not talking to sane people but real, low IQ zealots.
530
Just a question…. How can you shut down a few tons of rotating mass in the short time available when an eagle appears on the horizon? that is one helluva brake system!!!
350
I think the correct term to describe quickly stopping a wind turbine is “spectacular and catastrophic”.
150
What’s to stop birds and eagles from perching on the blades if they did stop?
Then they’d have to shoot the birds in order to restart.
The poorly evolved monkey brains zealots strike again.
140
Any chance I can get a turbine around here.
My chickens are still be counselled after watching their sister beheaded by a wedge-tail.
Maybe those North Queensland fruit growers can get some to deal with the flying foxes after having had to remove the electric wires protecting their crops at maturity.
210
Don’t forget the bloody, effin, rsoles we call Brush Turkeys. Effin. Bloody.
Our next door neighbour has some huge gum trees in his front garden and they overhang our deck and pool. The turkeys roost in them and basically poop for eight hours every night, most of which lands on my deck. If you think the acid blood those aliens made was bad, you should see what turkey poop does to expensive merbau decking. I have tried various methods to move them, so far to no avail.
Are shotgun licences hard to get?
190
LPG powered “sound cannons”?
70
Steve,
Ambush them where they feed . Feed them cane toads or find a co-operative predator . Turn them into poop…honestly officer I have never seen that saltie before .
80
It was never about the environment. It was always about destroying the West and the West’s industrial power. Who was it designed to help? China and other communistic countries and they are benifiting without any of the restrictions imposed on developed nations. China is a developing nation with a huge defence force, a nuclear arsenal, a space programme and some of the finest infrastructure in the world. Australia meanwhile is actually going backwards driven into the dust by idiots like Chris Bowen but ably supported by numerous so called conservative politicians. We need a realist in charge and so far the only one I see is Senator Price who at least sees a problem and looks for a solution devoid of ideology even if it upsets the status quo. That’s what we need to address the power problem.
371
Lawrie,
But will The Great Watermelon [apologies to Snoopy!] allow reason to be spoken?
Most of this is ultimately political – and – I think – Great Powers Political.
Now, the Great Watermelon seems to have bought several political parties, around the world. I’m basing that on what they actually do – not what they call themselves, nor what they say.
Auto [in the UK, for avoidance of doubt].
10
Have you ever heard a Leftist/warmist complain about environmental destruction due to windmills or any other inane “green” anti-energy projects? Of course not (except if it goes in their own backyard like when Bob Brown (Australia) or the Elites of Martha’s Vineyard where Obama lives complained about proposed windmills near them).
Destroying beautiful wildlife, scenery and the production of human misery is an essential cultic sacrifice to Gaia and the various Anemoi/Venti wind gods. It’s all part of the new and idolatrous, pagan green religion.
411
Our first electric lighting came from a 3 hp low revving diesel backed up by a 32v lead/acid battery. It could work without the battery.
Our water was pumped by a multi sailed windmill the, sails mounted on a wheel covering 21 feet in diameter.
There was another type of wind powered generator used on farms, using a much faster spinning two bladed fan. More like the modern “turbines”. I never saw one up close. I heard they supplied 110v power.
I wondered, and still do, about those two types of fan. What is their comparative efficiency? The type in favour appears to waste a lot of space.
You need to remember that a lot of big engineering jobs result from a wild dreaming engineer or architect finding somebody silly enough to fund his dreams.
30
Even Bob Brown knows that TOXIC wind farms are a disaster for Tassie wildlife ,but so far no intelligent grunts from his fellow Greens loonies in the rest of Australia .
But TOXIC W & S are a really stupid idea and they are far too costly to even consider, but the B O Bowen loony BELIEVES they are our cheapest source of energy.
But the Nut Zero mob think that TOXIC W & S will cost 7 TRILLION to 9 TRILLION $ and never forget these disasters have a very short working life of 15 to 20 years if you’re lucky.
320
We know it’s not about the environment or the climate, it’s about shutting down Capitalism, they told us so.
301
If killing a wedge tailed eagle is illegal and a person or company builds a device knowing that it will kill these birds (evidence in Jo’s article), why can’t they be prosecuted? What is the penalty of a) one bird death, b) repeated deaths? Sending some company CEOs and/or company directors to jail might be a deterrant to building these monstrosities.
420
They can always do what Obama did in the States. When killing Golden Eagles and other bird species became issue for the wind farms he just changed the law for them.
I would hope Tassie are not so stupid.
170
Yes, and now the wind farms have a Golden Eagle kill quota.
20
Jo, my wife and I saw a wedgetail eagle taken down by a wind turbine between Inverell and Glen Innes on Bruxner Highway in northern NSW. As many would know there is a large number of turbines on the hills near Glen Innes and wedgetails often hunt in that area and catch the updrafts. We watched helplessly as this majestic bird soared around and around, nearer and nearer to the blades until one turn too close. It had a smashed wing as it crashed to the ground. Very sad sight and I would guarantee the numbers of deaths are higher than we are told
390
Pity you didn’t get it on video. A single video like that would have the nation up in arms.
170
It may have been similar to this.
https://youtu.be/fE5KUD3qs4M (30 sec)
It has very few views, probably being shadow banned by Goolag.
Gaia and her worshipers were pleased with the sacrifice.
221
Thanks David. We have been logging Wedgetails for the last 30 years at our place and in the last few years they have gone from ~ one sighting a day to ~ one a month.
And the Greens just don’t get it.
190
The Greens have no intention of getting it as they are not supporters of the environment but of communo-fascism. When the whole CND thing collapsed as the Soviet Union ended most of them moved over to the likes of Greenpiss and the Woke Wanker Fund which partly explains their opposition to the use of nuclear energy.
50
Andrew Bolt last night exposed the lie of so called cheap W & S and quoted the numbers from B O Bowen and then the numbers from the Net Zero Australia group to prove his point.
And the Nuclear expert said that the number for Nuclear power would be about half Bowen’s 387 billion $ or about 194 billion $ or about 0.194 TRILLION $.
Here’s the Bolt interview last night of the Nuclear expert at about 28 minutes 25 secs.
https://www.skynews.com.au/listen/the-bolt-report-podcast
250
I saw parts of last night’s Andrew Bolt report. What was also mentioned was the estimated $1.5 trillion estimate for “renewable” energy. Even if the estimate for nuclear energy is $385 billion, the question is what do we get for $385 billion compared to $1.5 trillion.
For $385 billion we could have reliable electricity 24/7, for 50 years or more.
For $1.5 trillion, we could have energy that is only produced when the wind blows and the sun shines.
We know the energy from the sun is only available for no more than the period between dawn and dusk which varies each day, and actual production varies depending on weather such as clouds and fog. So we are told that excess production can be stored in batteries for use when the sun doesn’t shine. But how big a battery to build. Should it be to take the maximum energy produced on the longest day, this being the summer solstice or the minimum, at the winter solstice or somewhere in between.
Theoretically, wind turbines produce electricity whenever the wind blows, but I have read that they start producing energy at wind speeds of 18kph and they shut down at 50 kph to avoid damage to the bearings. But the wind towers must be built to withstand wind speeds up to the maximum, whatever that is.
We are told that wind and solar plants must be replaced every 10 to 15 years. For wind turbines, is that the turbine part or is the tower included.
It seems that the $385 billion for nuclear energy is the maximum cost, everything included, for electricity for 50 or more years whereas the $1.5 trillion for “renewable’ energy can only be a guess and could almost certainly be higher. So the $385 billion for nuclear power seems to be a bargain.
220
Maptram see my comment about Bolt’s program and actual cost of 7 to 9 TRILLION from Net Zero Australia and the link.
And initial cost of Bowen’s BS and fraud would be 40 times the cost of Nuclear and the EXTRA ADD ONs would easily double that.
Just divide their RUINABLES cost of 8 TRILLION $ by 0.194 TRILLION $ (from Bolt’s Nuclear expert) is over 40 times their cost.
80
Goolag/YouTube has made this video very hard to find because it goes against the Official Narrative but I eventually found it for your entertainment or disgust.
The joys of wind turbines and the sacrifices to Gaia and the wind gods.
https://youtu.be/zr3z_7iQ35s
The only “problem” that these monstrosities solve, as far as the Left is concerned, is the supposed problem of the availability of cheap, reliable energy for non-Elites. Due to these Leftist policies, the poor have never been more energy impoverished, as indeed is the objective of wind turbine deployment and the associated destruction of power stations.
250
You can tell Goolag is shadow banning the video because of the relatively small number of views, likes and comments over 11 years.
The Left are terrified of nothing more than an alternative opinion.
191
“Hello teacher, tell me whats my lesson?
Looked right through me, looked right through me”
60
Here’s a quote from Net Zero Australia and the link. And Andrew Bolt’s brother Richard Bolt is a part of this multi- TRILLION $ lunacy.
The cost to wildlife and the environment across Australia will be horrendous and we can only hope that Aussies wake up before the next election.
https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/july/new-report-details-how-australia-can-make-net-zero-happen
“Consideration should be given to locating clean mineral and energy export hubs in fossil fuel regions across all States and Territories, fed by solar-hydrogen hubs inland,” Associate Professor Smart said.
“Policies to achieve net gain for environments and biodiversity will need to be planned and delivered in coordination with the net zero transition’s infrastructure build.”
Senior Research Scientist at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment, Dr Chris Grieg, said that the modelled capital requirement ($1.2 to 1.5 trillion of commitments by 2030, and $7 to $9 trillion by 2060) will not be met at the current rate.
“The gap is enormous,” Dr Grieg said.
“Dr Greig, a lead author for the Net Zero America study which influenced the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), emphasised that Australia can’t and doesn’t need to copy the IRA, but can learn from its bold, ambitious, ‘all-options’ approach”.
“Governments will have to help unlock the capital supply by reducing fiduciary risks,” Dr Grieg said”.
“Richard Bolt said that sustained collaboration and coordination will be needed”.
“
70
Let’s send the Premier of Tasmania a message concerning the likely extinction of this beautiful BOP under his watch!
https://www.premier.tas.gov.au/contact_your_premier
70
The solution is simple , put up more wind farms until all the eagles and parrots are gone then blame it on climate change !
200
Don’t give these left wing idiots any ideas Robert, because I’m sure they’d jump at that idea.
110
I try not to joke with sarcastic propositions about what insane idea the Left should try next because they see it as a challenge.
131
The left wing specialise in 5 and 10 Year Plans
teaching birds how to fly and citizens to obey.
80
David
Thats how political jokes get elected . Do you want total disaster or something similar but slightly worse ?
60
But these feathered demons breathe in oxygen and exhale CO2 so obviously the windmills are doing God’s work.
Destroying nature and the environment to save the planet !!
120
SEE LINK FOR REST
160
Sadly, the syncretism of the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches is such that, in some places, it is hard to determine whether the worship is of Gaia or of God in Christ. Equally sadly there is nothing new in this (syncretism) – one only has to read the Prophets to see how truth was denied and the cancel culture rife.
60
Eagle Detection Device? This is what they need.
40
Wind turbines perched up on a hill,
Draw many birds in for the kill,
Even the wedge-tailed eagle,
Which to kill is illegal,
But be sure the wind industry will.
150
The headline is painfully true and versions of it true for a great many life forms via different mechanisms. Other human factors have had and are impacting ecosystems in ways that dwarf climate change.
714
Indeed, Feral cats, communication towers, buildings, all kill far more birds than wind turbines,
But we are in the greatest hits and memories phase of the year. Yesterday was heatwaves, today turbines, tomorrow EV’s or China
423
I suspect eagles kill more feral cats than the other way around…
271
you skewered him with that one
86
Wind turbines seem to have a far greater effect on the raptors than the other items you listed. Cats won’t get to wedge-tail eagle nests. The open lattice of communication towers and high voltage electricity pylons may be a problem for eagles, but probably not hawks. Power lines may be a problem when swooping on prey as well. Buildings are unlikely to be a problem – the raptors seem to prefer hunting in more open spaces.
Motor vehicles also cause injuries and deaths to raptors feeding on roadside carrion. Wedge-tail eagles take some time to get off the ground.
80
I hope that helps. No one compared turbines to cats for eagle deaths.
34
Or kangaroo deaths, for that matter.
20
Old Cocky,
Buildings and towers don’t have rotating blades that cause turbulence . I wonder if the predator birds eat the birds that have been killed or injured and this draws them into the area .Eagles have been known to nest in both towers and buildings if suitable .
50
Apparently quite a few small birds do kill or injure themselves crashing into windows.
Is it the turbulence which causes problems for the raptors, or is it more that they react to movement, and mistake a moving point on a blade for prey?
I don’t know if there has been much research on the topic.
10
Hello Peter,
Your comment is what is known to some as “a hoary old chestnut”, or perhaps a classic example of “a straw man”.
The reply is simple: no one claims that any of these other means of killing birds, insects, etc., is “saving the planet”. Remember, that’s what proponents of wind energy claim. Do try to keep up. Do try to think it through first, Peter, instead of simply knee-jerk spouting long-refuted green propaganda.
Got it?
Well done Jo. I didn’t know that the Tasmanian Wedgie is also the largest of this majestic species.
(That said, I am very well aware that sheep farmers hold a very different view!)
Paul Miskelly
151
but according to all the available research (sierra club for example), Wind turbines are a decimal point for bird deaths.
Also the quoted figures for the tasmanian eagles don’t really add up, given the alleged total population, and the alleged kills (Gee Aye could give you the statistical chapter and verse). But if the figures are correct, the eagles only have will be extinct by this time next year.
07
It’s a little under 30 deaths per year. That’s about 3% of the population.
50
Good point, but…
But in relation to the post there are 2 points that have been glossed over.
1. The data presented includes power-line deaths, so not all the mortality is due to wind turbines
2. The distribution of eagles covers the whole state, so it is more likely that the majority of deaths are from powerlines
Thus, like comparable data from the the National Parks service in the USA, wind turbines a not a major cause for mortality
05
Peter I was not aware transmission lines move at 200 km/hr? In any case, since no one did purposeful searches, wind farms don’t have to report deaths, have an interest in not-finding deaths, and wind farms require 10,000km more transmission lines. You are not on a winner any which way here. If indeed it was the slow moving transmission lines that were the problem the answer to eagle deaths is “Not More Wind Power”.
80
Can you show which ones were killed by turbines?
00
To answer your other question, the numbers are in the excerpt from The Australian
– bolding mine
00
The trouble with science is the ‘first rate’ thinking. (pun intended)
Sure temperature increases with CO2, ecology follows physics like dynamics, natural selection is survivsl of the fittest and such … but this linear type thinking is what makes such basic science obvious and attractive.
The nonlinearities lead to unintended consequences which ultimately dominate first rate processes.
People easily get sucked into the first rate process (linear) thinking. Climate change is real and bad because all arrows are pointing in the same direction.
For decades I was sucked into the simple, large numbers physics like thinking that epitomizes theoretical biology. Daewin explains nothing much beyond our yearning for biology to be like simple physics. That’s fine but it ignores the reality that when it’s being ‘biological like’ it’s not apt to be ‘physics-like’
Example: It’s the reason Malthus is so wrong. Yes, r-selection is physics-like (also strong selection) but that is going with the main flow. It overwhelms. It is already disccounted. It is biological process existing upon a sea of basic large number physics. Not really biological at all.
91
What on earth are you on about?
26
That environmentalists think in linear terms, yet environment is not linear.
91
They actually don’t. Stop making things up.
11
What on earth?
Simple (linear) idea …. Reduce carbon emissions (unstated assumption – do it everywhere)
The problem with this is that inconvenient difficulties arise on the road to decarbonisation.
Specifically, electric production becomes increasingly haphazard. Transmission systems get stretched over steady state capacity. Demand for electricity rapidly changes with the uptake of electric products. Short lifetime windmills need to be replaced while ramping up demand. Windmills have their own environmental problems. Demand for electricity changes.
These are some of the real world unforseen/unconsidered/nonlinear obstacles on the smooth path to electrification decarbonization which are sufficient to ensure that it is inplausible.
It is practical to reduce fossil fuel usage but the key to this is to NOT proceed in the simple minded – do one thing(Net Zero) – mindset. Fo one very big thing, THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME. What we do today is not necessarily what is sensible to do next year.
If we attemp to electrify EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW! we will mess it up very badly. That is simplified linear thinking. It is the subjective trsp thst scientists have fallen into.
Theoretical biology is another story but it has also fallen into the trap of mistaking strong physicality for biological process.
30
That was no better. Maybe the people who gave you the green thumb could rewrite this. I’ve not met any biologist in a trap.
10
Trap = blind spot (you are looking in the wrong direction)
I was one of those biologists caught in the trap. Biological process is profoundly emergent. Physicsl process is overwhemingly convergent. Large numbers of interactions converge on to narrow conclusions.
Population dynamics | selection evolve to attactor, towards narrow conclusions as dictated by the statistics of many interactions
The paradox is how can the strong ‘physicality’ of populations | selection be reconciled with the strong emergence that typifies ‘biology’ (I use thr term extremely loosely)
I was stuck in that trap .. working with strongly converging | reducing systems and struggling to make structure emerge.
It never occured to me that convergence | reduction was besides the point.
Yes, physical systems have emergent structures. Turbulence for example. The hope became to make convergent | reducing (attractor seeking) populations | selection attain the physicsl like emerging property as seen in chaos, turbulence as such.
Never bother to look the other way and consider the ‘arrow of time’ or ‘directionality to evolution’ which was demonstrated at best to be a random drift A.K.A neutral.
When you look at AI and the Fermi paradox, it is clear that things are accelerating explosively in the other direction.
Suddnly the ‘pond scum’ that competes mediocerelybwith physically emergent stuff like rocks and ice is in reach of innoculating the universe.
In other words, there is more to the netural drift than tat which meets the eye!
How does this tie back into climate change? Physics isn’t very good at dealing with physically emergent phenomena. It involves ground up modelling (as do many population dynamics and selection models)
We are not very good at this. Mistakes are written off as “law of unexpected consequnces” or “poorly formed problems”.
To put it poetically . devising effective carbon reduction is an art.
You don’t know what is going to happen because of all the unanticipated consequences and developments. so you have to treat it thay way.
20
thanks
10
No.
Your statement: ” Sure temperature increases with CO2,…”, is false. Refer Henry’s Law.
Cheers
Dave B
90
If science is wrong in the most basic of physical properties then there is no help for us.
30
?
10
“What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything”
Or in other words ‘What is the purpose of biological evolution?” or more functionally “What governs evolutionary process?”
The bog standard answer is Darwin’s theory of Natural selection. Somehow competition for ‘survivsl of the fitt(est) and ‘divergencecfrom kind without limit results emergent behaviorcof every increasing improvement (increasing complexity)
This competition for ever better / ever improved seems like emergent behavior but it is mostly convergent or reducing process.
We like to think that the best win out in the end. Remarkably this is a very phyiscal (physicality, strong selection, winner takes all, etc, etc) type of thinking which actually hinders evolution more than it helps.
The massive question, “if not natural,selection., then what else drive evolutionary process?”
There is an assumption that there is an “arrow of time” to evolution. The progress from single cell to multicell, the rise of reptile, the establish,ent of thermoregulation, the rise of mammals … All progress to evermore capable organisms is the “Arrow of time”
Regrettably, the fossil record does not support this directionality to evolutionary process.
Best guess is that creatures randomly drift and explore possibility space.
‘evolution process’ becomes an example of random drift reaching out to infininity maybe,maybe, maybe.
Boring stuff huh? Not so fast! This is the state of the art and it is very ripe for change. Read further to part 2 …
20
Part 2
Evolutionary process is random drift reaching out to explore all possibilty space MAYBE!
It’s boring because it seems to be so ordinary. Yes living things share the same emergent organizational space as nonliving physical entities. The universe is teeming with emergent self organizing behavior. Think of planets, galaxies, atmospheres oceans rocks crystals chemical soups … all such things and more.
The is nothing unusual about emergent selforganizing behavior..
What makes biology so special is the way it goes about doing the organizing and self organizing.
Here the arrow of time starts as biology transforms from sea scum to a device which consciously harnesses laws of pysics to reach beyond the solar system.
Yes for the first time sea scum can move off this planet and start innoculating the universe.
The rise of AI and worries that it will take over and supress/eliminate mankind is the final piece of the puzzle wh8chblows the evolutionary paradigm wide open.
Remember that the key evolutionary process isto drift outwards and explore all possibilty space. That hugely involves not killing your own species nor killing off all other species as winner takes all and goes extinct (or at least undergoes catastrophic diversity collapse) A big part of evolution is about doing your own thing and resisting encroachment by other things. What survivise is that which drifts to explore possibility space widely as possible. The evidence says that biology is very good at doing this.
We go from single cell to multicell to self awareness to temperature regulation to societisl intelligence to language development to political systems.
There are many different layers to living things that both involve eploration of new possibility speces and work to prevent selfdestruction through converging competition or diffusive noise.
Von Neuman had it right with keying into to the importance of self-reproduction. What is missing is all the social, cultural linguistic economic and other deep hidden and essential layers of organization and development that make continuing exploration of possibilities viable.
Only really stupid robots would attemp to colonize or leave earth without evolving such diverse biological tools.
We are the best opportunity that biology has of further evolution sort of going back and redeveloping intelligent organisms. We are not in competition with each otherf. A global ‘fittest’ winner is a sure looser.
People needto stop being misanthropes. Life is not some absolute competition. Dictators do not needto control everything everywhere.
Only stupid entities would consider such.
10
Part 3
All this also explains the Fermi paradox
A half intelligent entity knows it cannot move beyond planet earth without also developing language culture society politics and such … more or less than a full analogue of biological activity.
A half intelligent entity knows not to supress other entities. Rather it protects against other entities
Smart Ai realizes the primary requirement for moving out into the universe is evolvability. Fighting battles just risks unvelcome danger.
In short, we wont know about other ‘life’ until it is too late and it doesn’t really matter anyhow.
And if humanity doesn’t survive? Oh well. Heroic effort. Better luck next evolution of ‘cognitive intelligence’.
10
The one saving grace for the birds and other aerial wildlife is that the windmills are only working about 30% of the time producing their expensive, useless product. The rest of the time they aren’t killing wildlife, “just” the economy and humanity in general.
271
As the Left continue to impose ever more totalitarian rule, it will no doubt soon become illegal to talk about the environmental destruction caused by windmills, or indeed anything not in conformity with the Official Narrative.
191
I’m not sure illegal is the right word David. I think it is more like you will be un-personed, disappeared and/or re-educated if you fail to spout the latest lunacy with sufficient vociferousness.
60
Because most “greens” (sic) are scientifically and engineeringly illiterate (and in other ways) they have no clue that the turbine blade tips are moving much faster than they appear, up to 161kph to 290kph. They kill birds, bats and insects with ease.
https://www.windturbinemagazine.com/how-fast-do-wind-turbines-spin/
211
191
https://imgbox.com/VtBLoZ1h
Believe only what we tell you.
50
When the farmer installs the good traditional “Southern Cross” windmill, has there been an Environmental Impact Statement prepared which include the damage to local fauna?
71
You probably do have to submit an EIS and/or a council DA now.
I don’t know if anybody has installed windmills within the last 20 years. They need a lot of maintenance, so new installations seem to be solar or mains powered submersibles.
Anecdotally, the only dead birds I saw at windmills were those few which drowned in the storage tanks. We always placed a couple of rafts in the tanks, and a couple of logs at an angle tied to the sides so they could get back out. It didn’t always succeed 🙁
The old Souther Cross and Comet windmills had comparatively short, closely spaced blades. These would have provided a visual barrier.
100
I hope that is sarcasm as there is a vast difference between the small windmills on farms to the huge behemoths that will litter the landscape and wipe all our birds from the sky
81
Why not install a large plastic eagle on top of the turbines to scare birds away? 😁
Or fit wind-whistles to the tips of the blades to produce a repelling sound?
Practical solutions to stop the orange bellied parrot becoming the red bellied parrot, “that is no more”. 😎
70
The Federal Opposition are today calling BS and FRAUD on B O Bowen’s latest 387 billion $ guesstimate about Nuclear Energy and it’s about time.
So lets compare the 0.194 TRILLION $ estimate from Bolt’s Nuclear expert to the 8 TRILLION $ cost from Bowens side.
Therefore B O Bowen’s so called RENEWABLES solution would INITIALLY cost over 40 times the Nuclear ENERGY cost.
But Nuclear lasts about 60 years at least and supplies power for about 94% of that time at least. BUT TOXIC WIND only lasts about 20 years and only supplies power for about 30% of the time ( or 7 years????) if you’re lucky.
Therefore very simple sums tell us that B O Bowen’s BS and FRAUD energy source would easily cost 50 to 100 times the cost of Nuclear.
Just add all the costs blowouts and then try to tally the EXTRA cost of the TOXIC RUINABLES replacement every 20 years. WHAT A JOKE.
150
and the most important point is that nuclear can be established at the existing coal power station sites as all the electrical transmission infrastructure is already there and the landscape covered is minute compared to the loss of productive farmland to the wind towers and solar. People never seem to factor in the cost of the 10s of thousands of kilometres of powerlines required to link all these diffuse sources, and not just the physical cost but the damage to the farmland. I once did a study for the Victorian government to cost out the undergrounding of all powerlines in the state – it was in the tens of billions as it is a lot more expensive to construct underground grid scale power lines than hang them on huge pylons. Thats why they always want to hang them on the pylons despoiling the landscape these people never have to look at.
130
Ill tell you what else can be built on current coal power stations, new coal power stations.
150
Best option.
50
Cheaper (because existing sections can be used) and less (for what it is worth) CO2 emissions.
50
Gosh, I wonder how many wedgetail eagles are killed by feral cats? Communications towers don’t move. Birds are pretty good at missing them.
Flown with wedgies many times in gliders, magnificent birds and if you play nice in the thermal they may get closer for a good look. Wonderful! Never had one attack although a few years ago one bloke ended up with one in the cockpit with him. There were half a dozen gliders in that thermal. Knowing the bloke I’ve often wondered how the eagle knew to attack the biggest arsehole. Maybe he wasn’t playing nice.
I’ve also had wedgies join in thermals with my R/C glider. They get really close and you can see them turn their heads to check out the cockpit area where another bird’s head would be. Only once has one playfully tipped up the glider wing and rolled it inverted. No biggie, a quick recovery and back into the thermal with the bird.
160
Mike – I have only just seen your comment – as I posted only a few minutes ago. My friend in our valley also interacts with a local wedgie when he flies his glider around the cliff faces. He reckons it is an amazing experience, although, he too, has been “attacked” on a couple of occasions.
40
At least Chris Kenny is on the ball when he promotes Nuclear Energy.
Here is his latest accurate Sky News effort from last night with the help of two very well informed female presenters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd3bvAAFr1c
[Best taken to the unthreadeds to discuss – Jo]
70
AGAIN the OWI Data 2022 W & S total of global primary energy by source = just 2.13 percent.
What a sick JOKE after WASTING TRILLIONS of $ on these TOXIC RUINABLES for DECADES.
And the entire SH is already a co2 NET SINK and the NH is a co2 NET SOURCE.
And Aussies emit just 1.1% of global co2 emissions.
Just look up the DATA for yourselves, because it only takes a few minutes.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/global-primary-energy-share-inc-biomass
70
I think a good idea would be for someone to make a large hot air balloon in the shape and full size of one of these giant turbines and erect it in the domain so everyone can see what they are advocating for. hopefully it will shock the faithful into understanding just what an imposition it is.
90
Soon as the wind industry is forced to install a couple of these monster turbines off Manly or St Kilda beaches the “people” might actually wake up. At the moment they’e out of sight, out of mind to the majority of the population who think they’e a good thing.
80
So many times I’ve heard that “feral cats and foxes kill more birds” argument. It’s just such a ludicrous point. We cant control feral cats/ foxes but we have some control over where these wind turbines might be situated. So, we just blindly add to the problem do we? Basically, don’t build the useless things in the first place.
120
It depends on what species of bird they kill. A lot of birds are a prey species and therefore have a high reproduction rate. The raptors are at the top of the food chain and so have a low reproduction rate which is why they are protected. The same applies to bats.
30
Wedgies are majestic creatures. A friend near out farm has a glider & often catches the updrafts in our valley – as does our resident wedge tail. The latter gets quite annoyed with the gigantic metal bird & sometimes swoops on it. It is a real thrill for out friend, although we hope it doesn’t come to grief for either of them.
70
The green argument is always, cats and cars and windows kill more birds than windmills.
This is the dumbest argument I have ever heard in argument, and why they are so dumb. They think and argue like children.
111
50
I would agree that the numbers of birds killed is likely to be higher as carcasses will be removed by scavengers before anyone sees them. The windmills are on private land and the owners will be making money from them so have no incentive to permit anyone to study the deaths.
50
Shock horror not only things that fly are in danger of wind turbine blades , the SBS show Dateline is showing an episode of the battle between a reindeer farmer and a Windfarm in Norway .
Apparently the blades can throw a chunk of ice at 200 kilometres an hour at his reindeer and the reindeer are spooked by the sound and movement of the blades .
60
Eagles are carnivores! Serves them right! They choose to kill living animals. Perhaps they could be retrained? Go after (blood-red) apples? Pick on tough-skinned pineapples?
12
Cinereous Vulture wing amputated by a wind turbine in Thrace Greece. Survived but will never fly again. Only found as it had been released in a reintroduction program and had a tracker.
https://4vultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cinereous-vulture-wind-turbine-colision-SPBT-thrace.jpeg
20
I stir people up when they talk about the coming Golden Age of Renewables. I say : what renewables? When they reply “wind turbines and solar panels” I tell them they are NOT renewable. They look at me funny, and I go on: well, are turbines and panels made out of thin air? Go think about it. Sometimes they see the light, sometimes not… but it is fun to challenge them to think.
20