“Solar Farms Have a Superpower Beyond Clean Energy” Article Reflection No. 109 (9/7/2024)

Article: “Solar Farms Have a Superpower Beyond Clean Energy”

Reflection:

In The New York Times article “Solar Farms Have a Superpower Beyond Clean Energy” journalist Catrin Einhorn discusses solar farms, plots of land equipped with arrays of solar panels, and how some pledge to preserve local biodiversity. Einhorn elucidates an aspect of solar energy that, initially, may not seem to have a direct correlation with: biodiversity. To provide an example that bridges solar energy and biodiversity, Einhorn discusses several solar farms in Minnesota that found that planting native species and encouraging biodiversity in the farm tripled “insect abundance” over several years. This jump in biodiversity along with the fact that as many as 73 bird species have been documented compared to the 30% decline since 1970 suggests that these farms have potential to be compatible with local species, according to the article. However, the article also gives Wildflower Solar, a solar farm in California, as an example of the lack of biodiversity measures in this industry and the widely unstandardized system for keeping these farms accountable. 

This article surprised me because I really didn’t think that solar farms and biodiversity could be compatible with each other; I thought solar farms were driving away local animals, insects, or plants in place of solar energy. But this article provides a very interesting angle because it includes a success story about two things that may seem (to the public) mutually exclusive. As the world warms up and diversity declines, taking note of this innovation that encourages both pros at once—which emphasizes the financial savings it can bring. This approach seems to be a truly valuable tool against the fight with climate change.