Hundreds of millions of birds die each year from flying into windows in America, according to studies reported in the Washington Post. CFACT at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, wanted to do something about this.
“A lot of birds die from flying into windows on suburban houses and things, not just skyscrapers,” said GMU student David Bucarey, a junior and Driessen Fellow on campus. “So this is a perfect place to hand out a solution because it is a very populated suburban area.”
Things called bird decals placed on a window could prevent birds from flying into them. When the sun shines on the decal, it shines like a flashlight to birds to warn them. Humans are unable to see this reflection because birds have more sensitive UV receptors than humans.
So, David led CFACT’s efforts to hand them out to students on campus – both to try to save birds in the area and to raise awareness of free market solutions.
“This is one of the most interesting things I’ve done with CFACT. We talk a lot about how capitalism can save the environment but here is a real easy to understand solution.”
Capitalist societies are much better at protecting the environment than socialist, underdeveloped countries. As a country develops, the technology improves which helps clean the air and water. Programs pursued by companies and non-profits are always more effective than government initiatives.
In addition to the decals themselves, CFACT also handed out a flyer attached to the decal which explained the problem and solution in detail.
This was a small but important step towards putting CFACT’s rhetoric into action. But it will lead to greater dividends as CFACT continues to grow at George Mason.
