By Craig Rucker
Donald Trump was not the only unscripted billionaire America heard from Tuesday night.
Former Microsof
t CEO Steve Ballmer blurted out one of the roughest facts about so-called “renewable energy.”
The incredibly massive land required for wind and solar wrecks natural habitats and threatens the survival of birds, whales and other species.
That’s the lesson comedian Jon Stewart accidentally shared with America, as Stewart got a quick lesson on the perils of live television.
Stewart did a live post-debate episode of The Daily Show. Ballmer was his special guest and the topic was government data and Capitalism.
Imagine Stewart’s surprise when Ballmer chose the devastating impact of wind turbines on birds to illustrate the challenges of balancing free market efficiency with environmental regulation.
Ballmer: Let’s say my base instinct is to… I want to destroy the habitat of a set of birds by building a windmill, OK? Let’s say that’s the topic.
Stewart: Can I just say something very quickly? You bastard. Why– you son of a bitch!
Ballmer: OK Mister Democracy, let’s take it on! The birds–
Stewart: Yes
Balmer: The capitalist is going to try and get that windmill built.
Stewart: Sure
Ballmer: If you want it built, capitalist will get it built. If you want to protect the birds, the capitalist will stop trying to build that windmill. I talked to a guy who’s actually trying to build one of the largest wind farms in the world…
Stewart: Let me give you a different example… (deftly deflects to offshore labor).
Don’t you wish Stewart had asked instead, “what did the guy trying to build the giant wind farm tell you about how wind turbines harm birds and how is he getting around it?”
“Wind farms can reduce bird numbers by up to half” according to Britain’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The Daily Telegraph reported in 2009, that even worse than the obvious impact of turbines striking birds from the sky, is “the fact that birds are less likely to live near wind farms because of the noise and development.”
The Royal Society saw resignations and defections when it ignored its own report and endorsed wind turbines, despite their destructive impact on birds and its study has not been properly followed up by regulators.
Billionaire Steve Ballmer inadvertently provided us a peek into what government regulators and all of us need to know about the devastating environmental impacts of wind and solar.
Will our government “watchdogs” pay attention and exercise due diligence while there is still time?
