Fur, Fins and Feathers: limiting the impact of green energy on wildlife
One of the fundamental differences between conventional energy sources, such as fossil fuels, and renewable energy sources is the need of the latter to impose themselves, almost by definition, directly onto natural habitats.
However, if we are to extract energy from naturally renewable energy sources, it is imperative that we don't do so at the expense of the wildlife which already relies on that habitat.
Fossil fuel hydrocarbon reserves sit quite innocuously under the ground, posing no danger to wildlife until, that is, they are drilled, extracted and refined whereupon they offer one of the most potentially devastating threats to local ecosystems of any of man's activities.
Indeed, one need only look at the 7000 animals that perished in the BP oil spill of 2010 to realise this fact. The appalling ecological record of the oil industry should serve as a stark warning to newly developing green technologies. It would be all too easy to ignore the environmental impact of a new industry in the wake of over-zealous
expansion.
Fortunately, many of the moral incentives which have led to the development of renewable energies in the first instance are often reflected in their attempts to protect the wildlife which inhabit the areas in which they are imposing themselves. Some of the efforts to protect local wildlife from these growing technologies have bought rise to some ingenious innovations.
For example, wind turbines are often criticised for the danger they pose to local bird and bat populations (around 4.27 deaths per turbine per year, a marginal figure compared to the 55 million birds killed every year in the UK by domestic cats and the 100 million killed by plate glass).
This danger can, however, be reduced by up to 73% in some cases if the turbines are turned off at night or in low wind conditions when bats are at their most active. Furthermore, a simple radar signal, the natural language of the bat, can persuade them to avoid the turbine blades.
From the air to the aquatic environment, engineers are as keen to protect fish as they are to protect birds. During the growth of hydroelectric power in the early half of the 20th century, it became apparent that damming a river could have catastrophic consequences on local fish stocks.
To enable fish to continue to travel upstream to their breeding waters, modern dams are now equipped with a €fish ladder€. This €ladder€ consists of a series of steps which have water flowing down them strong enough to attract fish towards them, but gentle enough so as to be possible to ascend with a set of fins and a bit of determination.
And likewise, from the river to the rainforest, the impacts of gathering palm oil to generate bio-diesel have been shown to devastate local orang-utan populations. The development of new, advanced biofuels, which can be obtained from crops that do not require deforestation, has helped to alleviate this problem.
Indeed, some of these advanced biofuels are inherently beneficial to natural habitats such as the use of gas escaping from landfill sites or processing seaweed which has first been used to remediate agricultural and industrial waste water streams.
Renewable technologies naturally extract energy from the land, sea and air and it is impossible for these technologies to grow without impacting on local wildlife. Fortunately, as a large incentive for their utilisation is environmental protection, many green technologies are developed so as to minimise damage to local wildlife, a moral feature which is largely absent in the dealings of fossil fuel magnates.
The public perception of carbon neutral energy as being the saviour of the polar bears is a healthy one, but it is imperative that green developers don't lose sight of wildlife living closer to home. A sustainable technology should be just that, sustainable. Sustainable for us and sustainable for our furry, feathery and fishy friends.
However, if we are to extract energy from naturally renewable energy sources, it is imperative that we don't do so at the expense of the wildlife which already relies on that habitat.
Fossil fuel hydrocarbon reserves sit quite innocuously under the ground, posing no danger to wildlife until, that is, they are drilled, extracted and refined whereupon they offer one of the most potentially devastating threats to local ecosystems of any of man's activities.
Indeed, one need only look at the 7000 animals that perished in the BP oil spill of 2010 to realise this fact. The appalling ecological record of the oil industry should serve as a stark warning to newly developing green technologies. It would be all too easy to ignore the environmental impact of a new industry in the wake of over-zealous
expansion.
Fortunately, many of the moral incentives which have led to the development of renewable energies in the first instance are often reflected in their attempts to protect the wildlife which inhabit the areas in which they are imposing themselves. Some of the efforts to protect local wildlife from these growing technologies have bought rise to some ingenious innovations.
For example, wind turbines are often criticised for the danger they pose to local bird and bat populations (around 4.27 deaths per turbine per year, a marginal figure compared to the 55 million birds killed every year in the UK by domestic cats and the 100 million killed by plate glass).
This danger can, however, be reduced by up to 73% in some cases if the turbines are turned off at night or in low wind conditions when bats are at their most active. Furthermore, a simple radar signal, the natural language of the bat, can persuade them to avoid the turbine blades.
From the air to the aquatic environment, engineers are as keen to protect fish as they are to protect birds. During the growth of hydroelectric power in the early half of the 20th century, it became apparent that damming a river could have catastrophic consequences on local fish stocks.
To enable fish to continue to travel upstream to their breeding waters, modern dams are now equipped with a €fish ladder€. This €ladder€ consists of a series of steps which have water flowing down them strong enough to attract fish towards them, but gentle enough so as to be possible to ascend with a set of fins and a bit of determination.
And likewise, from the river to the rainforest, the impacts of gathering palm oil to generate bio-diesel have been shown to devastate local orang-utan populations. The development of new, advanced biofuels, which can be obtained from crops that do not require deforestation, has helped to alleviate this problem.
Indeed, some of these advanced biofuels are inherently beneficial to natural habitats such as the use of gas escaping from landfill sites or processing seaweed which has first been used to remediate agricultural and industrial waste water streams.
Renewable technologies naturally extract energy from the land, sea and air and it is impossible for these technologies to grow without impacting on local wildlife. Fortunately, as a large incentive for their utilisation is environmental protection, many green technologies are developed so as to minimise damage to local wildlife, a moral feature which is largely absent in the dealings of fossil fuel magnates.
The public perception of carbon neutral energy as being the saviour of the polar bears is a healthy one, but it is imperative that green developers don't lose sight of wildlife living closer to home. A sustainable technology should be just that, sustainable. Sustainable for us and sustainable for our furry, feathery and fishy friends.
