Could radar prevent bats dying in windfarms?
Bat deaths at wind farms far exceed those of birds and, its feared, if action is not taken some species could eventually become endangered. Now researchers at the University of Aberdeen believe they may have found a solution to a problem that they worry will only worsen with the proliferation of wind turbines worldwide. Leading bat experts Professor Paul Racey and Dr Barry Nicholls studied the behaviour of bats at various distances from 10 radar installations across Scotland last summer. The pair found that the bats did not forage where electromagnetic radiation from the installations could be measured. However, the bats did forage where no radiation was detectable. Professor Racey, Regius Professor of Natural History within the University of Aberdeen’s School of Biological Sciences, said: “We found that the bats were deterred by the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the radar installations. “This raises the possibility that radar could be used to deter bats from approaching wind
