The mystery was alarming to wildlife experts: large numbers of dead bats appearing at wind farms, often with no visible signs of injury.
Researchers now think they know one reason: Wind turbines cause bats’ lungs to explode. More specifically, a sudden drop in air pressure created by the blades can cause fatal internal hemorrhaging, researchers at the University of Calgary said in a study.
The toll taken on bats highlights a delicate balance facing the wind industry—how to be “green” without causing other unintended environmental consequences.
Like killing birds and bats.
Since then, the chorus of voices calling for greater protection for bats at wind farms has grown louder. Last summer, the American Society of Mammalogists called for wind farms to avoid “bat hibernation, breeding and maternity colonies.”
Thus reducing the number of places to put them, and on top of that
The cooperative has been looking for ways to bring down the death toll, including studies of the effectiveness of ultrasonic sounds that would deter bats and curtailing the spinning of turbines until it’s too windy for bats to fly.
Which reduces the time you can actually use the damn things, thus reducing their efficiency even further.
Found over at Tim Blair
7 comments:
I'm actually a little shocked they've started this already. I had thought they would have waited until oil/coal energy production had been crippled more effectively before they started their move to shut down wind/solar.
So much for "enviromentally friendly alternative energy sources". The EnviroGreeniacs are never happy. Eventually they'll be damanding that we live in cold dark caves to "save the Earth".
B Woodman
III-per
That's interesting, I'd heard about bat deaths (at a wind industry confrence), but not the reason for them.
In Ireland at least, the bird deaths are pretty negligable.
Don't like bats, either.
You do have to wonder if they're just being idiot enviroweenies, or if it is part of a plan.
Fire, is there any small critter other than dogs you DO like?
I love hedgehogs, opossums, groundhogs, chinchillas, rabbits, chipmunks, raccoons, squirrels, ferrets, frogs, turtles.
My favorite in the above list is the groundhog. Those fat, puxatunny cheeks are adorable.
Here's another vote for Chinchillas, Our 6 are confined to cage today, their outdoor shed still needs to be cleared out after it made a 20 mile road trip yesterday.
I love bats, Not to cuddle, although I will hold them while they recover themselves if the cat has had them. I am vaccinated against rabies, otherwise I'd steer well clear!
It is interesting that Britain and Ireland are classified as rabies free, yet the bat populations carry it, you'd have thought there would be a pathway to other animals (a British bat fanatic died of rabies a few years ago).
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