Energy Developer to Trash 1000s of Endangered Joshua Trees and Desert Turtle Habitat.

[NNadir]

I'm trying to avoid this place, but this is rich:

Solar Panels To Replace Thousands Of Historic Joshua Trees

I always kind of thought that wilderness was "green," but then again, there seems to be a different definition in some places, where "development" is "green," and wilderness is worthless. It's straight out of that moron Ayn Rand's schtick in my opinion.

The media source seems to be confused about what is "green" and what isn't, but at least they're noticing.

History will not forgive us, nor should it.

[hunter]

1. We have to destroy the natural environment in order to save it...

... don't ya know.

Let's pave the deserts with e-waste and access roads.

Future generations will thank us.

[Bayard]

2. How can they destroy endangered species of plant and animal (Desert Tortoise)?

Wouldn't this project require a federal government sign off?

I'm thinking put it in the coastal areas where the power will go.

[hunter]

3. Renewable energy projects shouldn't be sited on ANY previously undeveloped land or seascape.

Do we really have to cover every square meter of the earth's surface with our stuff?

There are still plenty of rooftops, parking lots, etc. we could cover with solar panels. Many of these are in existing desert communities.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Who the Hell signed off on this project ?? This is NUTS !! nt

[hunter]

5. Kern County approved it.

Los Angeles Times article:

--snip--

The controversy over the Mojave Desert project is an example of the trade-offs being made in California as state and local government officials press for a rapid expansion of clean energy. Although solar and wind fields are expected to help mitigate climate change, they are also tearing up undeveloped land, harming threatened plants and wildlife and causing concern in nearby communities, which are often small and far from the state’s cities.

“Rural communities that don’t have political power just get ramrodded over,” English said.

The site, known as the Aratina Solar Project, is being developed on private land by Avantus, a California company that is mostly owned by KKR, the global private equity firm.

Crews have been scheduled to start clearing the site of the iconic Joshua trees Monday, said a person who was briefed on the project. The person declined to be named since they were not authorized to discuss it.

--more--

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-05-31/solar-project-to-destroy-thousands-of-joshua-trees

What's good for the solar industry is good for Kern County's oil and gas industry too. The county has bought heavily into the fossil fuel industry's "energy transition" and "carbon capture" lies.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. AND it's on private land ... corps and other right wingers are very big on THEIR property "rights". nt

[NNadir]

7. It would be helpful if our "but her emails" media...

...stopped calling this crap "clean energy."

It's no such thing.