More eagles will die for your Green electricity

“WASHINGTON - The Obama administration said Friday that it will allow some companies to kill or injure bald and golden eagles for up to 30 years without penalty, an effort to spur development and investment in ‘green’ energy while balancing its environmental consequences.

“The change, requested by the wind-energy industry, will provide legal protection for the lifespan of wind farms and other projects for which companies obtain a permit and make efforts to avoid killing the birds.

“An investigation by The Associated Press earlier this year documented the illegal killing of eagles around wind farms, the Obama administration’s reluctance to prosecute such cases and its willingness to help keep the scope of the eagle deaths secret. The White House has championed wind power, a pollution-free energy intended to ease global warming, as a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s energy plan.

“In other areas, too, such as the government’s support for corn-based ethanol to reduce U.S. dependence on gasoline, the White House has allowed the green industry to do not so-green things. Another AP investigation recently showed that ethanol has proved far more damaging to the environment than politicians promised and much worse than the government admits today.”

“This permit program is about conservation.” -- John Anderson, director of siting policy at the American Wind Energy Association.

(Maybe the government could develop a new statistic – number of birds killed per kilowatt produced. As per Mr. Anderson’s statement, companies would receive awards for “conservation” of eagles and other birds.)

The above is an Associated Press story. From Michael Bastasch at The Daily Caller:

"The Obama administration has just given wind turbine operators the license to kill birds and eagles for 30 years, a move welcomed by the wind industry but derided by environmentalists and Republicans.

"The Interior Department changed a rule that now enables the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to extend the amount of time renewable energy companies can kill migratory birds and eagles in a bid to boost green energy development. Wind operators can now get a permit to kill birds for 30 years, up from five years."


http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/06/feds-give-wind-farms-the-ok-to-kill-eagles-for-30-years/#ixzz2mnw4mX6B