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(MSNBC) Interesting Millions of birds killed annually by power lines, others very angry   (today.msnbc.msn.com) divider line 24
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1009 clicks; posted to Geek » on 28 Nov 2011 at 8:11 AM   |  Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook   more»   |    Get this fabulous T-Shirt and impress the methane out of your friends! shirt it!



24 Comments   (+0 »)
   
 
Ayaitch
2011-11-28 08:18:30 AM
puts the 200 oilsands ducks in perspective
 
Splinshints
2011-11-28 08:18:59 AM
Is that picture shooped or is there some sort of weird perspective thing going on there? Those three power lines that run near the helicopter... all three appears to be near each other, but one runs in front of the nose of the helicopter and the other two run behind it...
 
BurnShrike
2011-11-28 08:26:07 AM
This will sort itself out soon enough. The birds that are stupid enough to fly into high-voltage power lines will die off, and thus not pass on their genes.

Within several hundred generations, we'll have smarter birds who know not to fly into things.

It's evolution in action.
 
Dubai Vol
2011-11-28 08:33:15 AM
Look up the number of birds who fly into windows and kill themselves.
 
dragonchild
2011-11-28 08:40:09 AM
BurnShrike: Within several hundred generations, we'll have smarter birds who know not to fly into things.

2.bp.blogspot.com

But seriously, there's more than one way to adapt to a high mortality rate than intelligence. Faster reproduction is far more common.
 
b0rscht [TotalFark]
2011-11-28 08:47:22 AM
Splinshints: Is that picture shooped or is there some sort of weird perspective thing going on there? Those three power lines that run near the helicopter... all three appears to be near each other, but one runs in front of the nose of the helicopter and the other two run behind it...

I came here to say the same thing. Undated photo indeed.
 
BurnShrike
2011-11-28 08:48:38 AM
dragonchild: BurnShrike: Within several hundred generations, we'll have smarter birds who know not to fly into things.

[2.bp.blogspot.com image 640x360]

But seriously, there's more than one way to adapt to a high mortality rate than intelligence. Faster reproduction is far more common.

You're right, but those with a tendency to fly into power lines will not produce as many offspring. You'll never entirely eliminate the stupid genes, but they will diminish over time.
 
zipdog
2011-11-28 11:04:39 AM
If you know what the largest bird in the area is and know the maximum wingspan of the bird, you can build the power lines with that much spacing plus an inch between the lines.That solves the electrocution problem. For the collision problem, just spray paint the lines a color that can be seen by the birds so they know to avoid it.
 
ArkAngel [TotalFark]
2011-11-28 11:05:52 AM
userserve-ak.last.fm
 
KyngNothing [TotalFark]
2011-11-28 11:06:24 AM
Splinshints: Is that picture shooped or is there some sort of weird perspective thing going on there? Those three power lines that run near the helicopter... all three appears to be near each other, but one runs in front of the nose of the helicopter and the other two run behind it...

I think it's a perspective thing. I would bet the helicopter is working on the "left" line of the top pair, then that's another pair that is down slightly, and off to the side. Just hard to get perspective since there's no real scale. They are also slightly out of focus.


// Not sure why they're worry about high-tension power lines, I would think bird deaths would only be a problem when they can connect two lines, so I would worry more about large birds and small lines.
 
dryknife
2011-11-28 11:15:58 AM
www.city-data.com

"...the worst situation may well be soon to be found in India..."
 
BroVinny
2011-11-28 01:34:01 PM
Cue PETA manufactured outrage in 3. . . 2. . . 1. . ..
 
StoPPeRmobile
2011-11-28 02:49:33 PM
What about the squirrels?
 
Dog Welder
2011-11-28 03:49:36 PM
BroVinny: Cue PETA manufactured outrage in 3. . . 2. . . 1. . ..

They get upset over a few birds splodin' when they fly too close to windmill generators, I'm amazed their outrage over power line deaths hasn't happened.
 
What Plants Crave
2011-11-28 04:42:19 PM
"The AFP news agency reported that wildfires had been caused in dry areas of the United States and Eastern Europe by birds hitting power lines, then falling to the ground in flames."

I laughed when I read this. Am I a bad person?
 
BroVinny
2011-11-28 06:08:00 PM
What Plants Crave: "The AFP news agency reported that wildfires had been caused in dry areas of the United States and Eastern Europe by birds hitting power lines, then falling to the ground in flames."

I laughed when I read this. Am I a bad person?

I imagined running around trying to catch them with an open container of McDonald's sweet and sour sauce.
 
Prickly Pete
2011-11-28 06:10:50 PM
msnbcmedia3.msn.com

Holy fark that pilot has balls.
 
rogue49
2011-11-28 06:38:43 PM
LOTS of shovel-ready jobs needed to put those damn things in the ground finally.


/got the dirt on it....
 
imbrial
2011-11-28 06:45:13 PM
Prickly Pete: [msnbcmedia3.msn.com image 474x367]

Holy fark that pilot has balls.

not anymore...
 
Ecliptic
2011-11-28 07:32:16 PM
And yet there's still dozens of killdeer in my yard every summer, hundreds of crows every winter, and THOUSANDS of starlings and canada geese in between. All the while the hawks, falcons, and turkey vultures whirl overhead year round.

/yay for 4 wide open acres of grass surrounded by farms.
//yes i know most of those types dont land on powerlines
///darwin and slashies
 
StingerJ
2011-11-28 08:31:22 PM
Dubai Vol: Look up the number of birds who fly into windows and kill themselves.

The obvious answer is to bury all buildings. We're living in 2011. Why are any buildings above ground?
 
aspAddict
2011-11-28 09:34:40 PM
StingerJ: We're living in 2011. Why are any buildings above ground?

That could also save billions on heating/cooling costs, as well as minimize damage from hurricanes/tornadoes...waitaminit...why ARE we living above ground???
 
ArkAngel [TotalFark]
2011-11-28 09:53:58 PM
aspAddict: StingerJ: We're living in 2011. Why are any buildings above ground?

That could also save billions on heating/cooling costs, as well as minimize damage from hurricanes/tornadoes...waitaminit...why ARE we living above ground???

Because suncialism
 
buckler [TotalFark]
2011-11-29 02:37:56 AM
Fark. My neighborhood just recovered from a four-hour power outage, caused (according to the power company) by a bird getting into/onto a transformer and becoming a fleshy, feathery fuse. Apparently, they had to swap out the xformer.
 
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