Comment on Mojave Desert solar plant kills 6,000 birds a yearparentComments−ch4s310ySyncrude says their tar sand surface mining operations (the most extensive form of oil mining in wide practice) kill 2.5 birds/PJ.That seems way too low. I feel like I've read about huge bird kills from migratory birds landing in the containment ponds.−beefman10yIt may be. Oil has a really high energy density though.Overall, surface mining of tar sands has to be one of the worst ways to get energy (in situ extraction techniques like SAGD do somewhat better).−ch4s310yThat's true. I hadn't considered energy density.
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That seems way too low. I feel like I've read about huge bird kills from migratory birds landing in the containment ponds.
It may be. Oil has a really high energy density though.
Overall, surface mining of tar sands has to be one of the worst ways to get energy (in situ extraction techniques like SAGD do somewhat better).
That's true. I hadn't considered energy density.