Desert tortoise pays price for the solar boom

[Skyhilist]

Source: http://qz.com/138471/the-imperiled-desert-tortoise-is-paying-the-price-for-the-solar-boom/

This is a prime example of solar energy done wrong. Moving into undeveloped/non-urban areas to put solar panels should be a last ditch resort. And if it does ever need to be done, it should be done in places with very little biodiversity and/or biological potential.
Basically: http://www.solardoneright.org/

[Magic Carpets Corp.]

It's a fucking turtle who gives a shit? They're human food. Mhm turtle soup.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Turtle_soup_chinese.jpg

[Tenka]

I love turtles but have no love for those decentralised energy hippies who want solar panels on every roof or something. They should probably be on satellites in space, with some means of transmitting the energy gathered there back to earth (I'm not sure what these means would be--I've not read much on it--but the general idea is interesting).

[Skyhilist]

Really "energy hippies"?

But yeah I'm not opposed to the space thing either should it actually be possible. I just think developing more lands should be a last resort. Also think about how many large, often vacant parking lots there are. Why not put elevated solar panels on those?

[Skyhilist]

It's a fucking turtle who gives a shit? They're human food. Mhm turtle soup.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Turtle_soup_chinese.jpg

http://dumpfm.s3.amazonaws.com/images/20130620/1371742896360-dumpfm-girlnymph-now-thats-what-I-call-EDGY.png

[Magic Carpets Corp.]

https://dumpfm.s3.amazonaws.com/images/20130620/1371742896360-dumpfm-girlnymph-now-thats-what-I-call-EDGY.png
What does "edgy" have to do with it? How does the benefit of slowing down global warming and the destruction of humanity's only planet even come close to being negated by the death of some turtles? Their only use is as a very rare food source. No person is going to starve or die if every single damn turtle would disappear tomorrow, so again, who gives a shit? The turtle is one of the most useless reptiles around.

[Skyhilist]

What does "edgy" have to do with it? How does the benefit of slowing down global warming and the destruction of humanity's only planet even come close to being negated by the death of some turtles? Their only use is as a very rare food source. No person is going to starve or die if every single damn turtle would disappear tomorrow, so again, who gives a shit? It's one of the most useless reptiles around.

You're obviously not understanding. Companies don't use these methods because they slow down climate change but because they're profitable. Using solar panels in brownfields, urban areas, roofs (when possible), etc. is obviously superior because it causes no ecological damage. It's the option causing the least harm. If solar has to be used somewhere else, it should be first in areas with low biotic potentials... not like this. Tortoises, and every animal impacted have niches. That means they play ecological roles. They work cohesively to keep things working. I doubt that you know the first thing about tortoises or the roles that they play. Yet you have this ridiculous "fuck conservation and endangered species" attitude which you reinforce with things that are supposed the be edgy to the tone "yeah fuck turtles, fuck ecology, turtle soup is good". You know nothing. Just stop. It's discouraging that people like you on here are so against conservation/preservation to begin with.

End of discussion. I'm sick of dealing with this bullshit. Just because you're incapable of seeing the harm done to humans, doesn't mean there's no harm in this when there are plenty of better options.

[Ele'ill]

It's a fucking turtle who gives a shit? They're human food. Mhm turtle soup.

what a silly comment

[zoot_allures]

Their only use is as a very rare food source. No person is going to starve or die if every single damn turtle would disappear tomorrow, so again, who gives a shit? The turtle is one of the most useless reptiles around.
Firstly, this concerns tortoises, not turtles - there is a difference.

Now I must confess, I don't know anything about tortoises and their ecological role. However, I managed to find this after a couple minutes of googling:

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/411573.article


From a moral standpoint, it is concerning that humans may be driving other species to extinction, but there are greater concerns, too, based on the ecological role that tortoises play. They can modify their environment through grazing and browsing and may serve as important predators as well as seed-dispersal agents. In fact, tortoises, particularly the giant tortoises currently found only in the Galapagos and Aldabra in the Seychelles, may serve as engineers of whole ecosystems, modifying the reproductive strategies, outputs and physical structure of their food sources and thus affecting the habitat and food for other, often endangered, species.

[Ele'ill]

the moral standpoint isn't on those defending living creatures on the planet but on those suggesting that they, as humans, have a right to engage in such industry

[Sea]

They should probably be on satellites in space, with some means of transmitting the energy gathered there back to earth (I'm not sure what these means would be--I've not read much on it--but the general idea is interesting).They can put the panels on satellites, which will power arrays of light bulbs. Then we can receive the energy with solar panels on earth!

[Popular Front of Judea]

There is no such thing as an impact free energy source. Where does the energy come from to refine the silicon in those solar panels on the roof tops? Since they are dispersed, in temperate climates I would assume they are less efficient. Which in turn would mean more demand for silicon and more energy to refine it. The most likely source of energy for the refining would come from coal and nuclear power, with all the impacts that these power sources come with.

Yeah I am waiting for orbital solar power too, with the materials and power to manufacture the panels etc. acquired outside the Earth's gravity well. (Industry and biospheres shouldn't mix.) In the meantime we have some hard choices to make.