But, this concern over preserving wildlife appears to be gone to the wind (literally) because Obama has now finalized plans to allow wind farms and solar power plants on millions of acres of federal land in our Western states. Already, 60 renewable projects are approved to begin before he leaves office.
The problem with wind and solar is that they, themselves are killers of wildlife. Birds, by the thousands, die each year by either being burned to death at solar collection farms; or hacked to death in the blades of wind turbines. Worse, is that many of the birds being killed are protected raptors such as the Bald Eagle. Additionally, the abnormal ground vibrations and noise from wind turbines have caused still births and birth defects in animals who either live or are confined near these operations.
Some environmentalists are now seeing the light that "green" energy is not nearly as "green" as they would like. But, their silence all these years has now resulted in massive wind and solar projects on once-protected lands. This is thanks to Obama trying to cement a legacy with the climate change people. The fact is, that drilling for oil and gas has far fewer deadly affects on wildlife than wind and solar. I suppose we'll just have to chalk up the lives of the wildlife being killed by these technologies as a small (?) price to pay for saving the planet. Anyway, those dead creatures can't vote, so what the hell! Let's just do it and save the planet anyway!
Lastly, here are the Federal regulations for killing a Bald Eagle:
The 1972 amendments increased civil penalties for violating provisions of the Act to a maximum fine of $5,000 or one year imprisonment with $10,000 or not more than two years in prison for a second conviction. Felony convictions carry a maximum fine of $250,000 or two years of imprisonment.Maybe this should be applied to Barack Obama for being "repeatedly" complicit in the killing of these majestic birds!
References:
Arctic Refuge drilling controversy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Refuge_drilling_controversy
Obama finalizes plans to ban oil and gas drilling in ‘undisturbed’ Alaskan refuge: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/4/obama-finalizes-plans-ban-oil-and-gas-drilling-bea/
BLM sprints to cement Obama's green legacy: http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060044896
Windfarms and birth defects: https://wcfn.org/2014/03/31/windfarms-vertebrates-and-reproduction/
Bird deaths at Calif. power plant a PR nightmare for industry: http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060011853
License to Kill: Wind and Solar Decimate Birds and Bats: http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/analysis/license-to-kill-wind-and-solar-decimate-birds-and-bats/
Save the Eagles International: US wind farms kill 10-20 times more than previously thought: Contrary to what we are being told, wind farms will cause the extinction of many bird and bat species: http://savetheeaglesinternational.org/new/us-windfarms-kill-10-20-times-more-than-previously-thought.html
Greens Concerned Vast Federal Land Clearances for Renewable Energy Projects Might Harm Nature: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/10/29/greens-concerned-vast-federal-land-clearances-for-renewable-projects-might-harm-nature/
Federal-lands rule pits green groups against wind, solar firms: Renewable energy firms have been flocking to sites on federal lands. Now pricing by the Bureau of Land Management is about to change toward competitive bidding similar to the system for oil and gas companies: http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Inhabit/2016/1027/Federal-lands-rule-pits-green-groups-against-wind-solar-firms
Federal Laws to Protect Bald Eagles - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/protect/laws.html
pb
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