Glass for the Birds

NPR has a two part series written by Maggie Starbard and Christopher Joyce on how glass kills birds:

Modern architecture loves glass. Glass makes interiors brighter and adds sparkle to cityscapes. But glass also kills millions of birds every year when they collide with windows. Biologists say as more glass buildings go up, more birds are dying.

It’s an interesting read but I was disappointed that almost the entirety of both articles dealt with the question of finding a glass that would turn birds away before they hit. That’s a good thing to explore but it seems to be an unnecessarily technological solution. I would have liked to see more discussion on the role of exterior design and what effect the percentage of glazing has on bird deaths.

This issue of dying birds, when coupled with the energy concerns, really brings up the question of how green can a glass tower really be?