5 years ago
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System uses ultrasound to keep bats away from wind turbines
Although wind turbines may be a valuable source of eco-friendly energy, they do have at least one drawback – bats are frequently killed by their spinning blades. A promising new system is designed to help keep that from happening, however, by producing an ultrasonic acoustic field. As most people likely already know, bats find their way around in the dark by emitting ultrasonic calls.
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The most comprehensive and statistically sound estimates show that bird deaths from turbine collisions are between 140,000 and 500,000 birds per year. As wind energy capacity increases under the DOE’s mandate (a six-fold increase from current levels), statistical models predict that mean bird deaths resulting in collisions with turbines could reach 1.4 million birds/year. Nevertheless, oil pits kill about 500,000 to 1 million US birds per year, according to the FWS. “An estimated 500,000 to 1 million birds are killed annually in oil pits and evaporation ponds. In one study, 51 % of all birds found at oil and gas facilities were in heater-treaters, 30% in various pits, 4% in wastewater ponds, 4% tanks and trays, and 1% spills.” Honorable mention: Estimates say that house cats kill approx. 3m birds a year though I can't begin to imagine how they count them.