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Birds are bursting into flames over the Mojave Desert – and here’s why

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posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:14 PM
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California wildlife officials say birds are bursting into flame over the Mojave Desert as a result of intensely focused rays of light from a solar energy plant.


The BrightSource Energy Plant uses a process called the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, which uses more than 300,000 mirrors larger than garage doors to focus the sun’s power towards ‘power towers’, which can then power up to 140,000 homes.

However, the $2.2billion (£1.3billion) plant has wreaked havoc on local wildlife, with experts saying that up to 28,000 birds could die within a year as they prey on bugs that are drawn to the light and scorched to death as they fly near the panels.




Workers have named the birds that fly through the plant’s concentrated sun rays “streamers,” for the smoke plume that comes from birds that ignite in midair. Federal wildlife investigators who visited the plant last year reported an average of one “streamer” every two minutes and are urging officials to halt the operator’s application to build a still-bigger version.

The plant, which is co-owned by Google, is so bright that pilots flying in and out of Los Angeles and Las Vegas have trouble seeing.

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posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:20 PM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

All ready been posted. Like last week all ready. And I still think it's a HOAX!
edit on 8/19/14 by proob4 because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:21 PM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

I saw this yesterday.

Terrible for the birds....and terrible for us that each time we look for an alternative energy solution there's some major drawback.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:22 PM
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The W.T.F. factor is alarming.
If this is true, then it isn't a very bright idea.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:23 PM
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a reply to: Cynic

Oooooooo...u bad.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:23 PM
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Jeepers it didn't come up on my ats search, mods please close


Edit to add - doubt its a hoax.
edit on 19-8-2014 by Lady_Tuatha because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:25 PM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

No biggie. Happens to everyone.

Maybe more will see it again.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:28 PM
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Well that sucks. Perhaps before they expand they can work out a way to keep birds from flying through their array. I imagine if they fly above the focal point in the tower, the danger quickly drops. Perhaps something on the perimeter to mimic predatory birds?



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:35 PM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha



odd place out in the middle of nowhere for that many solar power customers




posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:43 PM
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originally posted by: loam
a reply to: Cynic

Oooooooo...u bad.





Someone had to say it.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:51 PM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha


How could they not foresee this problem?!

The first thing that comes to mind when asked the question "What would you want to have if you were stranded on a desert island"; Answer, A mirror of course!" Mirrors can cut stuff, start fires and signal for help.

With that in mind, an array of 300,000 garage door sized mirrors pointing at the sky, yeah, that's going to do some environmental damage! You'd think that they would have looked for a less reflective source to absorb the solar energy for their panels.

edit on 19-8-2014 by windword because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 06:55 PM
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originally posted by: proob4
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

All ready been posted. Like last week all ready. And I still think it's a HOAX!


Solar radiation on earth is 2 Kilowatts per square meter. Have you ever gone outside on a Summer day and felt the warm sunlight? That's the same as a two bar electric fire.

Every square meter of mirror receives two kilowatts of heat. Now focus those hundreds of mirrors back onto a central point as seen in the picture. That area of space isn't going to have two kilowatts, it's going be something like two megawatts of heat at the center. Which is the whole point of a solar furnace. That heat is used to boil water within seconds into high pressure gas, which drives a turbine/dynamo to provide electricity.

If we can get solar panels to work even more efficiently, we won't need this physical process. Alternatively, they could try and build a system that reflects sunlight underground rather than back into the air.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:01 PM
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One would be forgiven for thinking that they should have expected this, if you're gonna invest 2,2 billion dollars you might want to consider as many consequences as you can. What a huge waste, I wish they shut it down.. 1 bird every 2 minutes, 28 thousand birds per year, it's not worth it.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:06 PM
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originally posted by: TheLaughingGod
1 bird every 2 minutes, 28 thousand birds per year, it's not worth it.


Assuming that our current sources of energy are in fact what's ruining the planet, its 28,000 birds a year(until they learn to stay away or someone develops something to drive them away) or everything in existence.


In such a case, I'd say 28,000 birds a year is a bargain.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:09 PM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
There is always a downside to everything. Solar is bad because it ignites birds and changes the ecology under the mirror arrays. Wind is bad because it ruins the landscape views and attracts raptors to their deaths [hence the name "Condormatic" for the California wind turbines.] Hydro is bad because fish can't fornicate. Biomass is bad because it requires more energy to collect biomass than is gleaned from it. Wood stoves put out far more pollution than gas heaters. Gas is bad because of fracking. Coal is bad just because it is coal and all of the envirofolk have agreed that coal is bad. [In fact, coal is concentrated, vintage biomass. One foot of coal is derived from 20 feet of biomass. The Pittsburgh seam, roughly 8 feet thick, is the equivalent of a 160 foot thick layer of biomass.] Interestingly enough, all of these are manifestations of solar energy.
Then there are the nukes. The pressurized water reactors are relatively pollution free...except when they fail. And when they fail, the danger is unmatched by any other energy source.


edit on 8/19/2014 by pteridine because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:14 PM
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a reply to: stormcell
--
Well, Solar panels have been advancing at a pretty good rate within a 20 yr time frame.

I believe its only a matter of time before we get ground breaking panels.
But, that's only part of the problem, saving the juice is another.
Advancements in energy storage is not reflected like Solar panels.
Probably why the Solar towers were a prime investment options compared to other Solar projects out there.
The bird issues can be worked out, here in TX, HEB stores were plagued by birds at dusk, HEB's response? employ the screech of a Hawk, it kind worked. There are other methods, like frequencies tuned to steer birds out the way.

I don't want this powerful green energy to die because of a couple thousand birds fry, green house emissions ensure the demise of multiple species, its really a numbers game, harsh, but better for the planet overall.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:17 PM
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originally posted by: pteridine
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
There is always a downside to everything. Solar is bad because it ignites birds and changes the ecology under the mirror arrays. Wind is bad because it ruins the landscape views and attracts raptors to their deaths [hence the name "Condormatic" for the California wind turbines.] Hydro is bad because fish can't fornicate. Biomass is bad because it requires more energy to collect biomass than is gleaned from it. Wood stoves put out far more pollution than gas heaters. Gas is bad because of fracking. Coal is bad just because it is coal and all of the envirofolk have agreed that coal is bad. [In fact, coal is concentrated, vintage biomass. One foot of coal is derived from 20 feet of biomass. The Pittsburgh seam, roughly 8 feet thick, is the equivalent of a 160 foot thick layer of biomass.] Interestingly enough, all of these are manifestations of solar energy.
Then there are the nukes. The pressurized water reactors are relatively pollution free...except when they fail. And when they fail, the danger is unmatched by any other energy source.



Whish leaves us what? exactly?
There are tidal flows near the coasts that could be harnessed safely and efficiently with zero harm to the aquatic life.....
Why not sink the turbines under the sea?



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:18 PM
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a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

What about the bugs ? Are they being scorched too ? Or are they protected from bursting into flames due to their exoskeleton ?

leolady



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:19 PM
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originally posted by: proob4
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

All ready been posted. Like last week all ready. And I still think it's a HOAX!


Actually it is not a hoax, they used to have one of these solar arrays in Daggett California not far from where this one is. Source

I have driven by it many times when living in California. Back in the 80's I was working as an engineer for a manufacturing company and their engineering staff wanted some of our products and tried to recruit me. I was told the story back then they would literally vaporize during flight when passing in front of the oil tower, where the sunlight has the highest concentration. I think back then it was owned or just bought by an Israeli company.

I was surprised they built another. But this is nothing new has been around for a long time.



posted on Aug, 19 2014 @ 07:22 PM
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a reply to: eNumbra

I care less about humanity than I do about the birds, and 1 bird actually frying in the air every 2 minutes is not my cup of tea.



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