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Fixing wind power's bat problem
A fungal infection known as white-nose syndrome has killed at least 6 million bats in North America since it was discovered six years ago; some species, such as the Indiana bat and the gray bat, may go extinct as a result. The economic impact of losing so many insect-eating animals is staggering: A study published in Science last year estimated that bat deaths could lead to annual agricultural losses in North America of more than US $3.7 billion.
June 28, 2012
by Jean Kumagai
in IEEE Spectrum
Turbines kill hundreds of thousands of bats each year, but new technology could drastically cut the toll
A Hoary bat flying at night in Kaibab National Forest, Arizona. In North America, hoary bats, along with Eastern red bats and silver-haired bats, make up the vast majority of bat fatalities at wind facilities.
Fact one: Wind energy is booming around the world. Fact two: Wind turbines kill lots of bats. Fact three: Bats are worth billions to North American agriculture. Conclusion? Wind power has a bat problem. And with the Global Wind Energy Council predicting that worldwide wind capacity will double by... [continue via Web link]
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Impact on Bats
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