Solar project to destroy thousands of Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert

CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work to Technology@lemmy.world – 174 points –
Solar project to destroy thousands of Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert
ca.news.yahoo.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.crimedad.work/post/91685

cross-posted from: https://jorts.horse/users/fathermcgruder/statuses/112563861339745778

Solar project to destroy thousands of Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/solar-project-destroy-thousands-joshua-100000768.html

It's crazy to me that a destructive photovoltaic solar project like this one is considered reasonable, but a new nuclear power plant within or adjacent to a city is beyond the pale.

@usa

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Reads like NIMBY propaganda. "Oh no muh construction dust." Bitch you live in a desert....

Put solar panels in parking lots and on buildings, where the humans live, not in fragile ecosystems. Deserts aren't bereft of life, they are filled with some of the most resilient and charismatic flora and fauna known. Joshua trees and the Mojave have it bad enough already.

Honestly, solar panels above parking lots would rock. Shade for people in the parking lots, and power generation. Yet we don't do it...

We are in California. Here parking is starting to add shade with panels on top.

Cool. I'm in Utah and i've never seen parking lot solar panels, it's all either roof mount or on the ground in a big field somewhere.

I want the term "parking desert" to take hold in place of parking lot. I hate most aspects of automobiles. The amount land we pave over for storage is just tragic and rude.

We should build solar farms over our parking deserts to reduce human footprint.

I largely agree. I think we should have car-free city centers (delivery truck and transit only) with parking garages at the edges near transit hubs. But instead of that, we subsidize driving and encourage a car-centric society.

Yes! I'm into it. Just imagine the dope ass garden towns we could all be living in.

Kaiser, which is a major hmo here in California, has been putting solar panel parking shade in their lots. The community college in my town has it too. I can't think of any downsides to them other than the installation cost. Everyone likes shade from sun and rain, and free electricity.

What are you on about? Who is we? This is an extraordinarily popular application of solar panels.

I've never seen it. In my area, they're all roof or ground mount, not suspended above parking lots.

Take a look at solarenergymaps.com Definitely not comprehensive though, I know of a couple in my area that are missing.

And even in places where it is happening, it is still extremely rare for a parking lot to have solar panels. Legislation is needed.

Yes. Joshua trees and desert tortoises live in a desert. That's the point.

“Construction dust that stirs up the fungus that causes valley fever…”

There's more to NIMBYism than saying "not in my back yard" in opposition to any development for any reason. A position isn't meaningfully NIMBY unless it is in opposition to an arguably good development for bad reasons. For example, it is NIMBYism to oppose the construction of affordable housing because you don't want to attract poor minorities to your neighborhood. In this case, a PV solar power plant might arguably be a good thing, but the reasons for opposing it, including the destruction of a rare ecosystem and a specific type of dangerous construction pollution, are more than fair.