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Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

economist.com

381–390 of 413 posts

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#381

I worked in oil/gas for a long time. In addition to "windmills are killing all the birds", here are a few of the top green energy lies I've heard: 1. Solar panels are toxic, require more energy to produce than they generate, and can't be recycled. 2. EV's are worse for the environment than ICE vehicles. 3. Lithium mining is worse than oil/gas drilling. 4. Solar/wind prices are skyrocketing and everyone is abandoning…

I thought 1 was potentially legit depending on how they are manufactured and where they'll need deployed. I understand that 80% of solar cells are produced in China which still gets most of its energy from coal so there is a huge carbon footprint. If you now deploy those in a place that doesn't get much sun, like Germany, the equation isn't great. I'm no expert on this though and am mostly parroting Peter Zeihan on t…

Even Chinese panels in Canada have a energy payback of less than 2 years

PDF link to a study comparing different installation countries: https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/ise/de/documents/p...

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#382
post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Generally we care about a bird species as a whole rather than about individual birds of that species. If something is killing birds, even a lot of birds, but in a place where those birds are abundant and whatever is killing them will just lower lower their equilibrium population a bit rather than set it on a decline or lower it so far that they might die out in the area then there generally isn't a lot of concern ove…

> If something is killing birds, even a lot of birds [..] then there generally isn't a lot of concern over it. ...from cat owners. There's plenty of concern from wildlife-lovers: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/14/cats-kil... I watched our neighbour's cat take a bird from a feeder in our garden earlier this month, I was pretty unimpressed :( Cats are cute, I get that ... I'm just not sure that's enou…

And I heard a cat being slowly murdered by a bird on the roof, this stuff you can't unhear...

Remember that this goes both ways. Birds are probably the deadliest predator for outdoor cats. This is why cats tend to have instinctive acute reaction to big flying objects.

I'm not a cat owner, I like both cats and birds

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Planes are fast though. Even if less safe that cars we would still use them.

And nuclear is cheap. It is literally free energy.

If someone gifts you the facility and the staff work for free then maybe.

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#385
post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought 1 was potentially legit depending on how they are manufactured and where they'll need deployed. I understand that 80% of solar cells are produced in China which still gets most of its energy from coal so there is a huge carbon footprint. If you now deploy those in a place that doesn't get much sun, like Germany, the equation isn't great. I'm no expert on this though and am mostly parroting Peter Zeihan on t…

Even Chinese panels in Canada have a energy payback of less than 2 years PDF link to a study comparing different installation countries: https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/ise/de/documents/p...

Thanks for sharing!

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#387
post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Symbiotic relationships are, in fact, a completely natural phenomena that is observed in non-human animal behaviour.

Housecats are not a symbiotic relationship. Seriously?

Of course they are.

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More specifically, it's a disingenuous argument brought up by oil lobbyists. It's directly comparable to gun nuts justifying their right to own weapons designed to murder people by claiming that it's for "protection". Those same people have zero interest in better door locks, stronger windows, or anything that would actually protect them. They just want the guns. The protection argument was never made in good faith,…

> It's directly comparable to gun nuts justifying their right to own weapons designed to murder people by claiming that it's for "protection". Those same people have zero interest in better door locks, stronger windows, or anything that would actually protect them. Ah, it's your fault for being robbed or mugged, and killed in the process - you should've just had a better lock or not go downtown for a show. In fact, w…

Well cops definitely shouldnt have guns but everything else I agree with.

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's directly comparable to gun nuts justifying their right to own weapons designed to murder people by claiming that it's for "protection". Those same people have zero interest in better door locks, stronger windows, or anything that would actually protect them. Ah, it's your fault for being robbed or mugged, and killed in the process - you should've just had a better lock or not go downtown for a show. In fact, w…

Well cops definitely shouldnt have guns but everything else I agree with.

Nice to know that people who are endangered by others deserve their danger.

Re: Wind turbines are friendlier to birds than oil-and-gas drilling

#390

I worked in oil/gas for a long time. In addition to "windmills are killing all the birds", here are a few of the top green energy lies I've heard: 1. Solar panels are toxic, require more energy to produce than they generate, and can't be recycled. 2. EV's are worse for the environment than ICE vehicles. 3. Lithium mining is worse than oil/gas drilling. 4. Solar/wind prices are skyrocketing and everyone is abandoning…

A lot of what you just said is false
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