In a recent study, researchers highlight the conflict between renewable energy development and biodiversity conservation, suggesting careful planning to mitigate negative impacts.
In short:
- Renewable energy projects, like solar and wind farms, often overlap with areas crucial for biodiversity and human needs such as clean water.
- The study emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate locations for renewable energy projects to avoid harming critical habitats.
- Solutions include using already cleared or degraded land for renewable projects and integrating them with agriculture, like solar arrays among pollinator-friendly plants.
Key quote:
"We need to think carefully about how decisions in one sector, such as renewable energy development, might undermine goals in other sectors, such as habitat for pollinators or biodiversity conservation."
— Rachel Neugarten, Cornell University researcher
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