Wind Energy; Panacea or Pandora’s Box

Joe Platt, PhD

Topic: Renewable energy such as wind and solar has become a significant resource around the world. Fossil fuel power plants are out of favor because of their cost, pollution concerns and the impact of mining. Utah produces about 2 percent of its electricity needs from wind farms.

These projects have been criticized for killing birds and being unsightly. What is their true impact and what is their place in our future? Dr. Platt has worked with renewable energy projects throughout the West, assessing both the benefits and liabilities of dozens of projects. He will discuss what steps can be taken to protect birds and other wildlife from harm.

Speaker: Dr. Joseph Platt is an ecologist based in St. George, UT. He has spent more than thirty years in environmental work in Arctic Canada, Arabia, East Africa and throughout the US. He has extensively studied nesting behavior of protected species and been an active bander of birds in the US, Canada, and Arabia. Along with over a dozen published peer reviewed scientific articles and three book chapters, he has presented scientific papers in 13 countries. Joe is a graduate of Utah State University, Brigham Young University, and his Ph.D. is from Cornell University. He is presently an adjunct professor at Dixie State University and a Director of Red Cliffs Audubon.

Location: WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY, Washington City Branch, 220 N 300 E, Washington, Utah.

If you arrive before 7:00pm you can use the main library doors, otherwise follow the signs to the side door.