From Watts Up With That?

Essay by Eric Worrall

The Green-on-Green civil war is heating up in Australia.

Experts say climate change bigger threat to biodiversity than renewable energy projects

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As aging coal-fired power stations along Australia’s east coast reach the end of their lives, the country is looking to transition to renewable energy to secure our energy sources into the future in the face of climate change.

But what happens when these developments have the potential to hurt sensitive ecosystems or biodiversity?

Is some environmental damage an unfortunate — but unavoidable — casualty in the battle against climate change?

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The proposed wind farm is adjacent to an internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland and a number of national parks, sparking concerns it could pose a risk to a number of endangered birds, including the Australasian bittern, orange-bellied parrot and south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo.

…

Australian National University professor of environmental and climate change economics Frank Jotzo said renewable energy projects have a “minimal” impact on the environment, and while that’s unfortunate, they are for the greater good.

“Whatever we do, there will be some undesirable effects,” Professor Jotzo said.

“In the big picture, there’s no omelette you can make without breaking any eggs.

“Climate change is the far bigger threat to biodiversity, to our environment, agricultural systems and economy.”

…Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-28/renewable-energy-impacts-kentbruck-wind-farm/106157018

There is no way to prevent mass bird deaths around wind farms. During my time as a pilot, I saw first hand how insensitive to aerial threats some birds are. Raptors are especially vulnerable. Small prey species of birds will dive for cover, but millions of years of evolution have taught large raptors they are the lords of the sky. That is why in the tragic video below the eagle doesn’t even try to get out of the way of the turbine blade, they are incapable of visualising the turbine blade is a threat. As a pilot of a light aircraft I could take evasive action, because I knew the large raptor wasn’t going to evade. Wind turbines not so much.

Here’s a thought Victoria – if you want zero carbon energy, instead of decimating sensitive wetlands, why don’t you build a few nuclear reactors?

The problem of nuclear safety has long since been solved. Even if there was a Chernobyl style accident in a modern nuclear plant, we don’t have to be stupid like the Soviets were. If Victoria followed the modern US practice of building the sarcophagus around the plant BEFORE the accident, rather than trying to cobble something together afterwards, no matter what happens to the core the radiation would be contained.

So long as Australia rejects such an obvious solution this green-on-green conflict will continue. Green energy advocates who claim you have to bulldoze nature to protect the environment vs old style environmentalists who actually care about endangered species, who after 30 years of shameful silence in the face of large-scale destruction of sensitive wilderness areas are finally finding their voices.