Renewable energy like wind power is touted as a great way to reduce our impact on the environment. Tech companies like Google and Tesla, along with cities like San Francisco, understand the need to go green. Still, even renewable sources of energy can have hidden effects on local animal populations. The world’s largest solar power plant, in fact, kills thousands of birds annually at its Ivanpah, California site. A new study in Sweden found that the country’s wind turbines kill tens of thousands of bats annually — an average of 10 to 15 bats per turbine. The answer? Halt the spinning of the fans during the summer evenings when wind is low anyway.
The University of Lund study proposes that local governments require nighttime halts to the spinning blades for at least 10 nights between June 15 and September 15. Co-author and bird researcher Martin Green says that due to the low wind speeds during those months, less than one percent of the total output would be cut. While none of the five different species of bat found dead at wind turbine sites are in danger of extinction, Green thinks that many of the populations are in danger of becoming rare. These bats seem to hunt at higher altitudes, seeking bugs that are also attracted to the spinning blades. This isn’t the first look at wind turbines and bats, either. A research review conducted last year found that wind turbines are the leading cause of mass bat deaths across the globe.
Read more at Engadget
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