Wind, solar and hydropower installations pose a growing threat to key conservation areas, say researchers.
Researchers found that over 2,200 green energy plants have been built within the boundaries of the Earth’s remaining wilderness.
They say that around 17% of renewable facilities globally are located in protected regions.
A further 900 plants are now being developed in key areas of biodiversity.
The amount of renewable energy facilities in use around the world has essentially tripled over the last 20 years.
Green energy facilities are often much larger than fossil fuel power plants, with wind and solar needing areas of land up to 10 times greater than coal or gas to produce the same amount of energy.
Now researchers say that often these solar, wind and hydro schemes have been built in areas of environmental significance and pose a threat to key natural habitats.
The team mapped the locations of around 12,500 of these installations. They found that more than 2,200 were built in the wilderness, protected regions, and key biodiversity areas.
Some 169 were found in strictly managed protected areas where no development activity at all should occur.
“Energy facilities and the infrastructure around them, such as roads and increased human activity, can be incredibly damaging to the natural environment,” said lead author Jose Rehbein, from the University of Queensland, Australia.
“These developments are not compatible with biodiversity conservation efforts.”
The researchers say that energy projects like solar farms often necessitate new roads, and the people who come in and service these installations sometimes build settlements near them.
Western European countries are the worst offenders at the moment, with Germany having 258 facilities in key conservation areas.
Spain has similar numbers of installations, while China has 142.
One big concern from the researchers is the likely expansion of the demand for renewables particularly in Africa and Asia.
The researchers say the number of active renewable energy facilities within important conservation lands could increase by 42% over the next eight years.
In countries like India and Nepal, for example, hydropower is seeing a real boom. Nepal has over 100 facilities within protected areas, while India has 74 under development in important conservation zones.
h/t Andy Z.
Read rest at BBC
Won’t need renewable energy or any energy in Africa after the plagues of locust as a result of the anti-pesticide eco-idiots decimate the crops and cause mass starvation.
Blame this all on Rachel Carson and her junk science book SILENT SPRING
Before green energy installations begin to ‘save the planet’, their footprint is a huge deficit environmental deficit. So what if the wind and sun are free, harnessing them leaves deep scars.
Green energy plants threaten the sustainability of mammalian life.
I would think it is a LOT more than “up to ten times greater” land needed to produce the equivalent electricity to a conventional plant. Not only do you need to look at “faceplate” energy production (when working at peak level) but all the additional wind turbines and/or solar panels in lots of additional locations for when the wind isn’t blowing or sun isn’t shining.
From what I have been able to find on line, a typical wind turbine running at an average of 25% capacity produces 3.285 MWh of power in a year. For coal power 86 plants have a capacity of 107.1 GW. Doing the math it takes 379 wind turbines to equal the capacity of one coal power plant. Steve, you are right. It takes a lot more land to use wind turbines than coal fired plants.
Just imagine if some oil tanker runs around and dumps several thousand barrels of oil and effects the Birds and Fish and we will get the usial response from he Eco-Freaks and the M.S. Media but if a few dozen wind turbines injured some Birds we hear Crickets the liberals say nothing at all
The environmental left and the left in general have forsaken their traditional values. The only that matters is action on climate change. This has included cutting down forests for “green energy.” Significantly increasing energy prices which have the greatest impact on the poor. And as this article shows, damaging wild life areas that should have a high level of protection.