Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas

Global Change Biology
Jose A RehbeinJames R Allan

Abstract

Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy is fundamental for halting anthropogenic climate change. However, renewable energy facilities can be land-use intensive and impact conservation areas, and little attention has been given to whether the aggregated effect of energy transitions poses a substantial threat to global biodiversity. Here, we assess the extent of current and likely future renewable energy infrastructure associated with onshore wind, hydropower and solar photovoltaic generation, within three important conservation areas: protected areas (PAs), Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and Earth's remaining wilderness. We identified 2,206 fully operational renewable energy facilities within the boundaries of these conservation areas, with another 922 facilities under development. Combined, these facilities span and are degrading 886 PAs, 749 KBAs and 40 distinct wilderness areas. Two trends are particularly concerning. First, while the majority of historical overlap occurs in Western Europe, the renewable electricity facilities under development increasingly overlap with conservation areas in Southeast Asia, a globally important region for biodiversity. Second, this next wave of renewable energy infrastructure repre...Continue Reading

References

Jan 9, 2004·Nature·Chris D ThomasStephen E Williams
Mar 4, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Charles B YackulicMaría Uriarte
Mar 4, 2011·Nature·Anthony D BarnoskyElizabeth A Ferrer
May 3, 2011·PloS One·Joseph M KieseckerNeal D Niemuth
Jan 20, 2012·Ecology Letters·Céline BellardFranck Courchamp
Jun 9, 2012·Nature·Bradley J CardinaleShahid Naeem
Nov 7, 2014·Nature·James E M WatsonMarc Hockings
Mar 13, 2015·Nature·Simon L Lewis, Mark A Maslin
Apr 4, 2015·Nature·Tim NewboldAndy Purvis
Apr 26, 2015·Environmental Management·Eva SchusterJohann Köppel
Jun 5, 2015·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Moreno Di MarcoCarlo Rondinini
Oct 21, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Rebecca R HernandezMichael F Allen
Jul 29, 2016·Nature Communications·Claudia L GrayJörn P W Scharlemann
Sep 9, 2016·PloS One·Anne M TrainorJoseph Fargione
Sep 13, 2016·Current Biology : CB·James E M WatsonOscar Venter
Nov 16, 2016·Science·Brett R ScheffersJames E M Watson
Dec 17, 2016·Science·Pierre L IbischNuria Selva
Jan 11, 2017·Science·Barack Obama
Feb 9, 2017·PloS One·Olivier A C HoesNick C van de Giesen
Jun 14, 2017·Bioscience·Eric DinersteinMuhammad Saleem
Jun 29, 2017·Nature·Jasmine R LeeAleks Terauds
Jul 1, 2017·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·James R AllanJames E M Watson
Sep 28, 2017·Nature·James E M Watson, Oscar Venter
Oct 19, 2017·Nature Communications·Laura J SonterBritaldo S Soares-Filho
Oct 28, 2017·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Luke GibsonWilliam F Laurance
Oct 28, 2017·Science·William F Laurance, Irene Burgués Arrea
Oct 29, 2017·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Bronson W GriscomJoseph Fargione
Dec 13, 2017·Scientific Data·James R AllanJames E M Watson
Feb 28, 2018·Nature Ecology & Evolution·James E M WatsonDavid Lindenmayer
Apr 25, 2018·Database : the Journal of Biological Databases and Curation·Nora EscribanoArturo H Ariño
May 8, 2018·Bioscience·William N S ArlidgeE J Milner-Gulland
May 19, 2018·Science·Kendall R JonesJames E M Watson
Sep 16, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Paul R ElsenAdina M Merenlender
Nov 2, 2018·Nature·James E M WatsonJames R Allan
Nov 7, 2018·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Maria ThakerHarshal Bhosale
Dec 7, 2018·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Laura J SonterJames E M Watson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Sep 3, 2020·Nature Communications·Laura J SonterRick K Valenta
Sep 19, 2020·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Paulino José García-NietoAntonio Bernardo Sánchez
Aug 28, 2020·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Christopher J O'BryanJames E M Watson
Aug 18, 2020·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Indur M Goklany
Jan 18, 2021·The Science of the Total Environment·Vassiliki KatiAristides Moustakas
Feb 24, 2021·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Alexandros GasparatosChristina Voigt
Sep 4, 2021·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Rajeev PillayM D Madhusudan

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Environmental Science & Technology
S Miller
Scientific American
Daniel M Kammen
The Australian Nursing Journal : ANJ
Chris Bryant, John Boland
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved