If you listened to the radio show last week, you should have heard the story about 2 different research projects that determined a Tesla Model 3 all electric vehicle produces more carbon dioxide per kilometer driven than a Mercedes C Class diesel engine vehicle. Because those who are pushing up on us the idea of electric vehicles and alternative, renewable energy claim to be trying to save our planet and our environment, I'm sure they did not like that story. This was on the heels of another story about 3 weeks ago that talked about the deadly pollution being put into our landfills when solar panels are disposed of and now the disposal of those huge blades from windmills, also being put into landfills.

Given their commitment to saving the earth I would imagine many of them are also desirous of saving the animals on this planet. About a month ago I read an article that said the population of birds on the planet is decreasing and it's possible that birds could disappear from our planet within the next 10 to 15 years. That is a worst-case scenario of course, but the authors of the article said that it is well documented that bird populations around the earth are decreasing at a rapid rate. Of course, the consequences are that we will have more flies, mosquitoes, and other insects that are often eaten by birds and that could spread disease among the human population much more rapidly not to mention just being downright uncomfortable with all the flies.

So, it was with not a little bit of smugness and amusement then I read another story about the possible cause of the decline in the bird population around the earth. Wildlife expert Jim Weigand summarized several other studies conducted by Dr. Joseph Smallwood, the Spanish Ornithological Society, and several other wildlife groups around the Europe and the U.S. These studies all concluded that a major cause for decline of the bird population around the world is alternative energy sources.

Dr. Smallwood began his studies around 2002 when he realized that there were a large number of dead birds at the Altamonte windfarm, especially Golden Eagles. He conducted his research for well over a decade and found that somewhere between 180 and 200 birds were being killed at that facility alone every year. These conclusions were confirmed by other studies being conducted across the world concerning windfarms. Some solar farms which use mirrors to concentrate solar rays onto a tower that turns water into steam or also killing birds who happen to fly between the tower and the mirrors. At a facility in Nevada they are unsure of how many birds die each year because many of the smaller ones are incinerated and it is something of a running joke about seeing birds fall from the sky in flames.

Weigand extrapolated the numbers from the several studies that spanned a total of 16 years to conclude the millions of birds have been killed since 2002. With the increase in demand for alternative energy sources as well as electric vehicles, Weigand said the number of birds killed annually will grow exponentially reaching into the mid six figures each year. I don't know how many birds we have in the world but it seems like, if these studies are accurate, that we are going to be without birds in my lifetime.

Do not get me wrong, I take no pleasure in seeing the death of any animal on a mass scale. We love watching the birds at our house and have set out a number of feeders to attract them. But I find it ironic that the people screaming the loudest about man caused climate change and the need to move away from fossil fuels have come up with a solution that will drive more species out of existence in a short period of time then have probably gone extinct since the beginning of time.

i did not forget my statement about the cover up because the federal government has limited access to wind farms and solar farms for the purpose of studying and documenting the number of animals that are killed or injured by those facilities. They have also placed a limitation on where an animal can be found in order to be counted as killed by a windmill. The federal government said the body of the animal must be found within 90 feet of the structure although Smallwood and Wiegand, separately from each other, have documented that often a bird is about 200 to 250 feet away from the structure. Of course this would serve to reduce the number of birds that officially are killed by a windmill. So once again it is about money, control, and pushing an agenda rather than being right.