Duke Energy, the operator of two major wind farms in Wyoming, was recently fined $1 million dollars for eagles and other birds killed by wind turbines. Although I’ve got little love for Duke Energy (they single-handedly killed 900,000 fish in North Carolina), I do care about the continued expansion of wind power in this country.
This case brings the cyclical debate of wildlife vs. clean energy to the federal level. Yes, I meant cyclical. Here’s how it usually goes (in my head):
1. “Fossil fuels are killing the planet and everything on it (including birds). Let’s switch to renewables like solar and wind.”
2. “Oh man, birds are being killed by wind turbines, and I love birds and believe endangered species should be protected.
3. “Punish the wind farms for killing birds!”
4. “Wait, if we stop building wind farms, or use $1 million fines to discourage companies from building them, it just continues our dependence on fossil fuels.”
5. “See number 1.”
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