Chicago Tribune: Alternative Energy - Wind farms' biggest victims: bats -- by Gerry Smith

For the complete report from the chicagotribune.com click on this lionk

Alternative Energy - Wind farms' biggest victims: bats -- by Gerry Smith

The mystery was alarming to wildlife experts: large numbers of dead bats appearing at wind farms, often with no visible signs of injury. Researchers now think they know one reason: Wind turbines cause bats' lungs to explode. More specifically, a sudden drop in air pressure created by the blades can cause fatal internal hemorrhaging, researchers at the University of Calgary said in a study. The toll taken on bats highlights a delicate balance facing the wind industry—how to be "green" without causing other unintended environmental consequences.

Some wind experts dismiss fears over turbines' impact on wildlife. They point to a 2007 study by the National Academy of Sciences that concluded far more birds and bats have been killed in collisions with vehicles and buildings than in collisions with turbines.