In this opinion piece, ecologist, environmental consultant and conservation biologist Dr Rob Simmons writes about black blade mitigation can help wind farms to prevent thousands of bird deaths each year. The renewable energy industry promises green energy that comes with numerous benefits to the planet. Given that South Africa is blessed with abundant resources in both solar and wind, there is little reason for us to be so dependent on fossil fuels that continue to warm the planet. Indeed, South Africa contributes about half of the Africa’s total greenhouse-gas emissions, through the burning of dirty coal and other fossil fuels. This has given us a bad reputation as a major polluter and we are the fourteenth worst emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.
