A giant, poor-sighted bird stands in the way of India's green energy goals

The effort to save the great Indian bustard holds risks for what is arguably an even larger environmental cause.

Pity the great Indian bustard.

The majestic, endangered bird is massive, making it slow to maneuver in flight. It has poor frontal vision, and an unfortunate habit of scanning the earth while flying across the flat grasslands of India’s western borders. That combination too often sets it on a fatal collision course with power lines.

Pity also, if you will, the plight of India’s renewable energy developers.

The wide-open region that’s home to the rare bird has long been an ideal location for wind and solar projects. In an effort to save the great Indian bustard from flying into power