Fun In The Winter Sun
Though cold as a mother, we've had a some beautiful sunny winter days recently in the Twin Cities. I took a hike and some pictures near the Black Dog Power Plant located near the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge this past sunny Saturday.
I've always been struck by the irony of power plants and wildlife in Minnesota. While coal and natural gas power plants release toxins and global warming gases into the atmosphere (and power our way of life in the process), they release warm water year-round that water fowl and eagles love. Wildlife also flock to nuclear power plants (like all the swans near the Monticello plant) as toasty water is released but the unfortunate drawback is that pesky nuclear waste. Power plants are also often on big rivers and are surrounded by protected and largely undeveloped land which helps create havens for wildlife.
I had a wonderful time on my hike on the beautiful Minnesota River near Black Dog. But one can't look at those smoke stacks and not think about the bigger issue of responsible energy production for our rapidly growing world population. Some argue for renewables and conservation while others argue that expanding nuclear is the only rational answer that creates a great deal of energy and doesn't release global warming gases. Black Dog creates open water for wildlife and powers our comfy way of life but silently it is adding to that carbon dioxide blanket around Mother Earth which we need to address sooner rather than later.
Here are some pictures taken near the coal powered Black Dog plant.
Here are some of the bald eagles I saw around the open water.
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There were quite a few hooded mergansers.
Here is Black Dog Power Plant.
There are tons of railroad tracks around the area.
Here is some graffiti near the tracks.
Here is the nearby Cedar Avenue Bridge.
While the cold is a bit shocking these days, at least it is sunny and pretty out. Thanks for checking out my photos.
