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What Is The Environmental Effect Of Wind Turbines?
When people talk of the environmental effect of wind turbines and wind power, they often forget to mention the problems wind turbines cause to local wildlife.
White is the color of choice for most wind turbines. While this may be aesthetically pleasing to people because it helps the structures blend with the clouds, it makes them hazardous to flying creatures.
While statistics reveal that their effect on birds is negligible, it is becoming apparent that they do impact bats. Nocturnal and blind, winged bats are becoming the silent victims of wind turbines because their usual navigational tools which help them avoid collisions are interrupted by the rotating blades.
As well as collisions, bats have to deal with the low pressure caused by wind turbine tips. If they are lucky enough to avoid colliding with the tips themselves, the low pressure generated can cause a condition known as barotrauma. Bats lungs are damaged by exposure to this low pressure, and it can be fatal. Birds have more robust lungs and are not affected.
So while birds are coping with wind farms, further research is required on how they affect bat populations. Studies indicate that radar transmitters upset their sonar navigation, so bats avoid them.
An obvious solution is placing radar transmitters on top of wind turbines to protect bat populations.
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