This is why we can't have nice things

Environmental economics is one of my favorite subjects. It's a spectacularly relevant area these days, and it's frustrating that environmental groups seem to mistrust economists.

This article talks about some problems with wind power and salmon. Now, I tend to hear the sort of pseudo-environmentalist objection (Turbines kill birds! Dams kill fish!) coming out of a lot of mouths these days - not just from non-environmentalists attempting to execute a sort of fifth-column action but from misinformed environmentalists, as well (I don't really consider myself an "environmentalist" - the environment's only value is in its use to us, but that value must be carefully managed via governmental and economic decisions).

First, let's understand that modern wind turbines won't kill many birds (we'll start with birds because they're a more common objection). They move way too slow to do anything to a bird. Birds might, of course, set up their nests inside the tower, but various solutions to that have been found. Additionally, all wind-producing areas require farm proposals to avoid migration and nesting areas. Few birds are going to get trapped in these things.

But even if they did get trapped in wind turbines, we have to look at this on balance. A few birds killed by a wind farm is nothing compared to the sort of devastation that mining operations will do to its nesting ground. How do they mine for coal these days? They blow the tops off of fucking mountains! Imagine what that does to any birds (or deer, cute little bunny rabbits, squirrels, centipedes, mosquitoes, rare species of plants, fungi, caterpillars, butterflies, and everything else) in proximity to the blast. Seriously, it would take some pretty violent wind farms to destroy as many birds as coal mining operations do.

I imagine the same is true of fish. First, as the article implies, the problem can be solved by infrastructural investment. Second, even if this problem cannot be solved (unlikely), then I'm willing to bet that wind power still won't kill as many salmon as the pollution from coal-fired power plants and runoff from any mining (not sure if they have coal in Oregon, but it's possible). Even if they don't have mining operations in Oregon, it would be wrong to privilege their environment over another.

We have to look at these issues economically, carefully weighing our options and taking the most profitable actions. Texas has been great about this - it has lead the way on wind policy, implementing a market system that encourages environmental protection. As time goes on, this thinking will only become more important, and it will be vitally necessary that voters understand such reasoning.