Bloody blades pose danger for national treasure
The Daily Examiner | 26th May 2016 | www.dailyexaminer.com.au
The Daily Examiner | 26th May 2016 | www.dailyexaminer.com.au
When I feel glum I drive out to Cakora Headland to watch the sea eagles riding the air currents before swooping down to snare a treat or feast. There are a pair of white breasted and a pair of red backed sea eagles and each one is a natural treasure.
But these eagles are in danger and for many of them it is already too late.
In the coming election there is no party to vote for which is interested in protecting “our eagles” or their feathered brethren. Destroying our birds and many other things are more important. John, you’re kidding? I’m not.
In Australia 13% of our power is green; 7% is hydro, 4% wind and 2% solar. But that wind and solar 6% is deceptive because they’re not 24/7 and need a constantly idling carbon plant to pick up the load when they stop. Interestingly the Greens don’t accept hydro as being green (remember the Greens in Oz started by stopping a hydro scheme in Tasmania), although they’re happy to include it in the green statistics.
When we vote the wind tower options are: Malrudd will increase the current towers from 1100 to 4400 by 2020; Labor to 8800 by 2050 and the greens by 20,000 so we’re 100% green by 2030.
Also towers only last 15-25 years so we would be replacing as well as adding, after 2020.
Elsewhere Holland is dismantling towers built in 2001, and Denmark stopped building them in 2010.
As for Solar: Spain’s largest solar company Abengoa, is also Spain’s largest corporate failure and its US arm has filed a $10 billion bankruptcy. Most large US solar can’t repay their government loans and even Tesla, the glamour car and battery company, is having financial difficulties so is flogging batteries here.
Wind and raptors both like updrafts and these are the best in coastal or hilly areas. As a result raptors are splattered in disproportional numbers by the turbines. But they have to go somewhere.
Why not put a couple up on Cakora Head? Great windy spot, except our eagles would be flipped out to sea within a month. In NW Tasmania, based on carcasses recovered, it is clear that the wedge-tailed eagle there will be history. Is this what we want?
Who can we vote for?
We have three parties that are all riding the same green nag, and an electorate who believes that the government owes them a living. At least we have a lot of lovely Greeks here who can help us work out how we survive once we’re broke and eagle-free.
John Ibbotson, Gulmarrad
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/05/26/bloody-blades-pose-danger-for-national-treasure/