Last spring for the wild in scenic desert valley?

US needs more focus on rooftop solar in cities and better siting of big projects. Chris Clarke image.

IVANPAH VALLEY CA -- From friends in the northeastern Mojave Desert. View photos and more from Basin and Range Watch.

'Last week we took a long walk in the proposed Bright Source 5,000 acre solar project in Ivanpah Valley. It is pretty hard to fathom how big of an area will be destroyed until you walk around it. We found many species of plants along with an active desert tortoise burrow.

'It is not the biggest bloom year, but there is enough there to show just how much of an impact there will be. These may be the last photos of a spring bloom in this area.

'We are calling it old growth Mojave Desert. Very old cactus, creosote rings and yuccas. Rich biodiversity. If you need to use any of these photos to try to show people just how environmentally unfriendly and wasteful big renewable projects are, please do so. I don't think I can go back there. Makes me kind of sick to know what they are going to do to the place. To call this kind of development green is a major step backwards.'

Comments

The so-called "enviro" push for solar and wind farms is both unfortunate and unnecessary. Increasing numbers of concerned citizens and elected officials are recognizing that infill-sourced energy is the most responsible and environmentally sound approach to renewable energy.
begreen said…
I think there are a lot of diverse public landscapes all over the West that are slated for energy developement via rancher Salazar's hasty "moonshot" approach to mega-"renewables" in public places at whatever the cost.

Just took the family to a special public place in southern Idaho - Brown's Bench - breath-taking views, sage grouse stronghold, not many like it - that's scheduled to be tore up for mega-wind.

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