Solar Farms = Habitat Destruction ?

How about outboard boat motors especially two cycle engines ?

Two of my favorite fishing spots are small lakes where all I use is a 12' or 14' aluminum boat and electric trolling motor.
 
One issue I have with the current administration is move from the US being net neutral (actually slightly net exporter) of natural gas and oil back to a net importer. All it did was raise prices and maybe more importantly provide $$ to other nations (often used to support war, confilict, and terrorism). The whole concept here is completely smoke and mirrors since consumption does not decrease because of the source.

Gasoline consumption in the US has dropped because of the covid lockdown and subsequent work from home mentality.

Diesel consumption in the US should drop as vehicles move to greener fleets. Incentivize the moves if you want it to move faster.
 
Talk about timing! I was out in the driveway yesterday cleaning out my boat when a lady pulled in. Said she was from FB renewables in Montana. Offered me 1200 per acre a month with 2.5% yearly escalation, 5000 sign up bonus, up to 5000 to pay legal fees for a lawyer to look at the contract. My neighbor told me a few months ago he had leased his 40 acres for a solar farm. When I asked her if she was the same person she said no, there were other companies doing the same in the area. I heard a year ago that a 7000 acre one was going to be built in the county south of us. The whole deal sounded too good to be true! But wait a minute. So, these companies can pay 10's of millions in lease fees, hundreds of millions for sub stations, highline towers and lots of other cost's I can't even imagine, and make a profit from selling the tiny bit of power? I don't believe that. The only way that pencils out is if the government (US taxpayers) are shelling out HUGE subsidies! So, my opinion is it's a scam against the American people! That's not even considering the loss of habitat. She said it will be completely fenced in and kept mowed! (LIKE THAT WAS A PLUS). What about the loss of farm acreage? The only fix to that is higher commodity prices! How about my privacy? who wants to live underneath a power line? And why here in podunk Indiana? This is not flat country! Something stinks! The next neighbor that tells me how great it's going to be I think I'll tell them that I'm going to build a trailer court. If I'm going to trash out my home, I might as well do something for the people. I have a feeling we're going to need more of them!!
 
In our county the people fought back against the commisioners issuing commercial use permits for this crap. Your neighbors can't put commercial entities on their property usually without rezoning. That was the way we beat it and kept them out. Don't just lay down and let it happen. The whole thing stinks and we as a country need to wake up.
 
Some of you are familiar with Dodge. You will notice on the map the location of Hilmar Cheese Plant(I think it is either just starting operation or ready too). They are a California company. Over the last ten years or so the California dairies have come to the area and bought up irrigated farmland. Mostly west of Dodge into Gray County and west. Dairy Farmers of America put a $235M powdered milk plant in Garden City in 2017.
As far as I can tell from the map, most, if not all, of the acreage for the solar farm is owned my Cargill Meat Solutions. (National Beef's plant is WNW from Cargill's plant by 1.5 miles or so. The area in red just east of Cargill's plant is a natural gas power plant(Judson-Large, now called Ft. Dodge Plant) owned by Mid Kansas Electric(Sunflower). It is a 149MWe single unit plant. I am not sure if the plant is still functional, but it would provide access to the transmission grid.
I know some of the people fighting this and I wish them luck, but they are certainly fighting against some big boys. One of those fighting this has a contact in Hugoton, Kansas that leased five years ago to a solar company. Said he has basically lost use of his land and every year the payment comes from a different company. Like anything I think it is "Buyer Beware". Get a good attorney versed in these leases and go over the agreement with a fine toothed comb to see if it is right for you.
 

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In my northern Indiana county there are at least 5 companies doing the "stealth" bit--talking to farmers to get them to sign up, but advising them NOT to tell their neighbors. A chickenshit approach, to be sure. Thus, my neighbors and I found out in late April that there have been 5,000+ acres signed up to lease for solar, including a section of land virtually right across the road from my front door. I am furious about this; it's not at all certain that solar is the answer to our energy dilemmas, nor is solar plus wind plus whatever other voodoo the radicals dream up!! I don't want to look and listen to that crap the rest of my life. They can stick their solar (pun intended!) where the sun don't shine.
 
Wolfchief said:
In my northern Indiana county there are at least 5 companies doing the "stealth" bit--talking to farmers to get them to sign up, but advising them NOT to tell their neighbors. A chickenshit approach, to be sure. Thus, my neighbors and I found out in late April that there have been 5,000+ acres signed up to lease for solar, including a section of land virtually right across the road from my front door. I am furious about this; it's not at all certain that solar is the answer to our energy dilemmas, nor is solar plus wind plus whatever other voodoo the radicals dream up!! I don't want to look and listen to that crap the rest of my life. They can stick their solar (pun intended!) where the sun don't shine.
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When all the backroom stuff came to light here. Land had been secured or purchased by investors as far back as 4 years before any plans were mentioned. They hope to have their hooks in so deep before the public finds out that the neighbors think there's nothing they can do. It's a chickenshit deal for sure in every direction I've seen and all this bs is on the backs of our tax dollars.
 
BRITTMAN said:
I have no issues against the EV except mandates.
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I agree. Let people choose. In some cases, an EV is a better option (like in warmer climate). In other cases, its not. Towing a boat with an EV is not there yet either.

I got rid of all my small 2-stroke seasonal engines because they were a pain in the rear to constantly maintain.
 
gimruis said:
I agree. Let people choose. In some cases, an EV is a better option (like in warmer climate). In other cases, its not. Towing a boat with an EV is not there yet either.

I got rid of all my small 2-stroke seasonal engines because they were a pain in the rear to constantly maintain.
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I have a Stihl Kombi and various attachments(string trimmer, pole saw, edger and blower) for it. It is a 4 stroke. It has performed very well. Took it in after one year of use for the recommended setting of the valves. The blower is my favorite to use to blow the grass(can be about 8" deep) off the deck of my 15' batwing JD mower.
I have two Stihl chainsaws. One older one is requiring some extra maintenance and can't get all replacement parts, the other is bigger and I am not that strong anymore, so recently purchased a Milwaukee M18 chainsaw. I have a lot of M18 tools, so thought that platform would be a good way to go. Only limited use so far, but I really like the weight and performance. I will still break out the big Stihl for big work, but need to eat my Wheaties when I do.
 
Back to the original topic, I hope the wind turbines and solar panels can be placed on areas that don't reduce the habitat of upland game birds and wildlife in general. Prairie grouse clearly don't like them, and they seem to be a negative to them. Yes, I'm sure you could find a bird around them, simply because they have no choice. Overall a net negative for prairie grouse, according to biologists I've listened to and research papers I've read.
 
Right on, Bob. If these solar panel farms are going to be built, I’m for doing it with a conversation perspective in mind. Would prefer them going in on farm land vs an environmentally sensitive area. Would even more so prefer them in manufacturing areas.
 
Here is another example (other side of the world) where the drive for bio-energy is truly a detriment to the environment.

news.mongabay.com

Deforestation in Borneo threatens one in four orangutans, study says

JAKARTA — Habitat for up to a quarter of the known population of Bornean orangutans will disappear across the island of Borneo under predicted patterns of deforestation over the next decade, a new study warns. Scientists employed a deforestation trend model to project that 74,419 square...
news.mongabay.com news.mongabay.com

In 1973, three-quarters of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, was still forested and home to an estimated 288,500 orangutans. But four decades of fires, logging, mining and industrial plantations, particularly oil palms, destroyed more than a third of Borneo’s rainforests. The orangutan population had dropped to 104,700 individuals by 2012, according to global wildlife conservation authority the IUCN, which lists the species’ conservation status as critically endangered.
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Companies like P&G source most all of their requirements (used to make surfactants - aka soap) from certified sustainable palm plantations, but companies not under watch ... well ? ... it all goes somewhere.
 
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