Increasing Wind Turbine Turn-On Speeds Could Help Reduce Bat Deaths, New Study Says
Turbines at Dusk Tree-roosting bats emerge at dusk to forage for insects, and when they fly near wind turbines, they enter negative air pressure pockets, causing their lungs to explode. Biologists are trying to figure out how to prevent migratory bat species from perishing at wind farms. via Flickr/ Chuck CokerAt the North American bat convention, biologists seek ways to reduce bat deaths at wind farms DENVER - Bad news for bats: Mother Nature is not the only thing wiping them out. Anthropogenic climate change and renewable energy technology are also wreaking havoc on bat populations throughout North America. Biologists are looking for ways to protect bats not only from a devastating fungus, but from wind turbines and global warming. Warmer temperatures and drought brought on by climate change could disrupt migration and mating patterns, researchers said this week at the North American Society for Bat Research annual conference. Rick Adams, a...