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solar energy is clean energy and com-
pletely renewable, meaning that unlike
fossil fuels, it will never be used up.
Thus, it has immense potential to pro-
vide electrical power to people in many
areas of the world, including the United
States. Large solar farms generate elec-
tricity using thousands, perhaps even
millions, of photovoltaic panels, which
convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Once it has been generated, the energy can be piped long dis-
tances to residents and businesses. But in order for such a vast
number of panels to be installed, vast amounts of wildlife habi-
tat is destroyed. Defenders of Wildlife president Rodger Schlick-
eisen writes:
Building a single major solar facility in the California des-
ert can require thousands of acres of biologically-fragile
land—land that supports a wide range of sensitive and
imperiled species (including the desert tortoise, desert
bighorn sheep, and Mohave ground squirrel) and unique
habitats—to be cleared and leveled. The sheer size and
scope of these projects is difficult to comprehend.
52
Schlickeisen and other environmental professionals are abso-
lutely in favor of solar energy and other types of renewable ener-
gy. But in the same way that roads, office parks, shopping malls,
or any other type of development needs to be carefully planned
in advance, large solar installations must be as well. Their envi-
ronmental impacts, including the effects on wildlife habitat, need
to be anticipated and thoroughly evaluated at a very early stage.
Wind Farms
The same is true of large wind installations; their potential im-
pact on wildlife habitat must be considered early in the planning
process. Like solar power, energy from the wind is clean and re-
newable, and many environmental scientists say its immense po-
WORDS IN
CONTEXT
photovoltaic
Relating to the pro-
cess of creating elec-
tricity from sunlight.
