Posted on 11/23/2007 2:54:19 PM PST by sionnsar
It is one of Emory University's most environmentally friendly buildings, a hallmark of the institution's efforts to "go green." To hear John Wegner describe it, it's also a slaughterhouse.
The pretty reflective glass on the Mathematics and Science building at Emory University is an 'aviary slaughterhouse, says John Wegner.' It kills dozens of birds who confuse the reflective woodsy view with the actual forest. The school puts up netting during the migratory season.
"The building killed 60 birds in the first year," said Wegner, Emory's chief environmental officer. "It was the wall of death."
Wegner, a professor in Emory's Department of Environmental Studies, began documenting the deaths shortly after the building opened in 2002. He found an average of two birds a day were losing their lives during the height of the migration season.
Magnolia warblers, Swainson's thrushes, ovenbirds — no species was safe.
After getting the brush-off from the administration and architects, Wegner stuffed a couple of dead birds into his pockets and whipped them out during a meeting with his boss. Suddenly, he had an audience.
Now Emory drapes parts of the $40 million building with black mesh netting for about three months each fall, and migrating birds bounce off safely.
"It has saved hundreds of lives," he said.
Turns out, environmentally friendly buildings are often bird killers.
Ornithologist Daniel Klem, a professor at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania who has studied the problem for decades, said between 100 million and 1 billion birds die in the United States each year in collisions with glass.
Buildings that earn LEED certifications, the brass ring of environmentally sustainable construction, are often largely glass. Klem said few architects take their feathered friends into account. They are an unintended consequence of light-filled structures.
"I'm all for anything that helps the environment," he said, "but none of these buildings are ever green for me."
In recent years, some colleges and cities have taken steps to help birds steer clear.
At Klem's urging, Swarthmore College installed "fritted" window panes in a $71 million science building. Small dots make the glass look frosted so birds won't be confused.
And just this year, Toronto adopted new bird-friendly guidelines designed to save the lives of more than 10 million migratory birds, including building with nonreflective glass and redesigning ventilation grates and placing internal greenery away from windows.
But Klem said these are small steps for such a massive problem. Glass companies and the construction companies have to get involved, he said.
"We know what it takes to fix it," he said. "The question is how willing is the industry?"
Most of the time going green means that you’re an idiotic sucker that pays too much for something ugly.
--I.E., he has no real idea how many it is and the estimate isn't worth the hot air it takes to say it--
To be fair, I find a lot of bloodied birds around other office buildings. Occasionally, a bird is killed by a wind turbine. Guess which one makes the news. :)
Doesn't compare to the carnage the SUV's do to us.......
Evil things they are........
Meanwhile millions of birds manage to avoid buildings.
True. Guess he has a stake the company that makes those bird silhouettes for homeowners with sliding glass doors, or big picture windows.
I had John Wegener in class in college. The man sat in front of me and picked lent out of his bellybutton as I spoke to him. A total tree-hugger, and he plays the part. An unkempt beard, long ponytail. Sloppy in appearance beyond belief. I think that was the single most unprofessional thing I ever saw one of my professors do. Just disgusting.
I’m not at all surprised he picked up a few birds and put them in his pockets. I have no doubt it’s true.
This is satire ... right?
If an average bird weighs four ounces (a low estimate, I’m guessing) and between 100 million and one billion birds die from hitting glass, that’s a total weight of deceased avians of 25 to 250 million pounds. In one year. In the United States alone!
That’s a lot of “pinin’ for the fjords” if you ask me.
Can I be a professor? I can make up bull**** and cash checks!
More enviro whacko BS. I live in a one storey ranch home in Arizona. The must be at least one or two bird strikes a month on my windows. (12 to 24 per year. They are getting off easy with 60 on that big building) What are we to do? Must we paint all our windows black to satisfy these screwballs?
Preventing Darwin’s theory for the birdies.
I love watching envirowackos' sacred cows butt horns.
Sadly, no.
I'm looking at an excerpt from a standard right now that awars 4 points toward LEED certification (that's about 10% of the lowest level of certification) for a building if 75% or more of its occupants do not commute in single-occupancy vehicles.
I was thinking about submitting a comment on this (bird issue) the next time a LEED standard comes up for review, but maybe I'll just drop a note to PETA. That could result in something interesting to watch... *\;-|
Sure hope the good professor was arrested for violating the migratory bird act of 1936.
You would be shocked at how many developers want LEED certification and then change their minds the second they find out how much more expensive it is.
The lab I worked in years ago had glass windshields on either side of the entrance doors. I frequently saw dead birds laying on the ground below those windshields.
Where are you going to get individual lighting & heating controls for at least 50% of the structure's occupants? Will the skins meet the "Sustainable Purchasing - Durable Goods" requirements?
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