Bat Deaths and Wind Turbines

Clean renewable energy is the undeniable dream of generation y. We look forward to the future seeing the human race get off our binding reliance on fossil fuels and into this dream world of human life without negative impact on the earth and the future generations to come. The wind turbine stands tall in the eyes of the people as a renewable energy source that will blow away our needs for oil, gas, and coal. (How could I avoid the puns?) It all seems so easy to believe. Wind turbines as source of power coming from the natural wind to help power all our needs; no drilling for resources or carbon emissions. Unfortunately, there is an unintended consequence to these massive spinning blades and that is the death of avian and bats throughout the United States. The deaths of Bald Eagles, many species of bats, and other birds have been reported throughout the United States on the grounds of wind farms. Many are clearly chopped up and seem too coincidental to have been killed by anything else. For this paper I will focus on the death of bats from wind turbines.

Wind turbines are large towers with blades that create power by spinning from the force created by wind. Currently three percent of all United States electricity comes from wind turbines, which is double that of three years ago. This is equivalent to 43,000 megawatts of energy. These turbines are highly energy intensive to build considering their immense size and build, but once set up offer a carbon free renewable source of energy that with maintenance can last the test of time. With the Obama administration in place, green energy is an excellent industry to get into but along with the benefits of new technology comes the unforeseen problems. Wind farmers can read guidelines set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service telling these operators how to measure danger to wildlife at new and existing sites. These guidelines are purely voluntary, but those who don’t follow these guidelines are subject to fines or...