Preserve bats in the face of the boom in wind turbines

Wind turbines provide renewable. Nevertheless, affordable energy, but also pose a serious, even existential threat, for certain species: migratory bats. Therefore, Fortunately, a solution exists. Similarly, And the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE) has just asked the Quebec government to go further. Similarly, to implement it.

Since the beginning of the century, chiropts have been wrong. For example, North America’s cavernicultural bats are decimated by a pathogen who afflicts them in the caves where they winter. For example. Similarly, As for migratory bats, which spend winter warm, they escape “white muzzle syndrome”, but face another danger: wind turbines.

In the fall of 2023. Moreover. Similarly. For example. Therefore, the committee on the situation of species in danger in Canada, which brings together independent experts, recommended Ottawa to now consider three species of migratory preserve bats face boom wind new bats-the preserve bats face boom wind new Cendrée bat, preserve bats face boom wind new the Rousse de l’Est bat and the silver bat-as preserve bats face boom wind “disappeared”.

These independent experts. In addition. However. However. Moreover, officially mandated by the federal government, underlined the exposure of these species to numerous threats during their annual migration, the most important of which is mortality in wind farms. Moreover, The populations of these three chicks would have melted in half in three generations, in about 15 years.

“If these downward trends are maintained. Nevertheless. Furthermore. In addition. Meanwhile, these bats are condemned to disappear during our lifetime,” says Jordi Segers, the coordinator of the National Health Program of bats in the Canadian Wildlife Health Network. However, The rapid development of wind farms accentuates this threat to chiropts.

The migratory bats fly over the country where the wind blows vigorously-along rivers and preserve bats face boom wind new mountainous ridges, for example. However, these are also the preserve bats face boom wind new best corridors where to install wind farms. Similarly, These mammals are preserve bats face boom wind new therefore likely to hit the moving blades. In addition, or even be knocked out by the preserve bats face boom wind pressure waves generated by rotary machines.

In Quebec, wind promoters must identify the corpses of bats which end up at the foot of their masts. Meanwhile, The counting of these remains. also carried out elsewhere on the continent. is very important to determine the demographic trends of the population populations in North America.

In 2020, biologists from the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Quebec Parks evaluated mortality at around 1.5 deaths per megawatt (MW) of wind power per year-an estimate which corresponds to 6000 bats killed for all wind. turbines currently in service in the province. The preserve bats face boom wind new researchers underlined a strong disparity in mortality according to the region and altitude.

Preserve bats face boom wind new

Preserve bats preserve bats face boom wind new face boom wind new

Preserve bats face. boom wind new

Preserve bats face boom wind

A recognized solution

Fortunately. an approach-the “clamping” of wind preserve bats face boom wind new turbines during summer calm nights-makes it possible to. greatly reduce the mortality of bats in wind farms. and the government of Quebec is imposing it.

The preserve bats face boom wind migratory bats move at night, when the wind blows slowly. When the gusts are strong, these animals seek refuge. Bride consists in immobilizing the blades of wind turbines below a certain wind level, between bedtime and sunrise. Collisions therefore become much less likely.

The beauty of this approach lies in the fact that these calm nights are not conducive to electricity production. The power generated preserve bats face boom wind new is low. And consumers do not need a lot of electricity at that time of the year. The losses suffered by the promoters who “break” their preserve bats face boom wind new wind turbines are therefore. minimal: generally less than 1 %.

In December 2023. the Quebec Ministry of the Environment demanded that the new wind farms were to be preserve bats face boom. wind new applied by immobilizing their. turbines when the wind speed is less than 5.5 m/s (20 km/h) during the night between 1^is June and October 15. According to experts from the ministry, preserve bats face boom wind the directive reduces mortality in bats.

However. the ministry does not. however. impose this orientation on wind farms which already existed at the end of 2023, nor to the already selected upcoming projects. According to Le Bape. 18 projected wind farms. representing nearly 4,100 MW – as much preserve bats face boom wind new as all wind turbines already on foot in Quebec – escape the new directive. For them, the adoption of the measure will be on a voluntary basis.

The Aeolian project of Madawaska. preserve bats face boom wind new in Bas-Saint-Laurent. selected by tender in March 2023, is one of the parks escaping the new orientation. During the commission of inquiry. the BAPE asked the Ministry of the Environment why it did not preserve bats face boom wind new impose. bridle on all wind farms. A representative replied that the ministry wanted to “ensure greater predictability” for promoters when planning their project.

Now is that the BAPE. in its report on the Madawaska project made preserve bats face boom wind public last week. recommends the all -round bridle.

“Given the urgency of acting to prevent the disappearance of several bats of bats. the Quebec government should generalize in all wind farms. preserve bats face boom wind new existing and future, the bridle of wind turbines at wind speeds less than 5.5 m/s at night. between 1^is June and on October 15, an attenuation measure recognized to effectively reduce their mortality, ”write the commissioners.

In an preserve bats face boom wind new email at Dutythe cabinet of Minister Benoit Charette did not say. if he was going to follow. up on this recommendation. “The complete analysis of the project continues.. the recommendations of the BAPE will be examined carefully. ” said Tania preserve bats face boom wind new Michaud, a press officer.

Preserve bats face boom wind new

Preserve bats face boom wind new

Preserve bats face boom wind new

Preserve bats face boom. wind

Act up

Jordi Segers. from the Canadian Wildlife Health Network. works with several governments in Canada to encourage them to develop policies in wind energy that protect bats. He believes that a preserve bats face boom preserve bats face boom wind new wind bridle of wind turbines within 5.5 m/s is a “good start”.

Mr. Segers would especially like to see the government of Quebec. other provinces consult more precise migratory cards. such as those developed by biologists in Alberta. which allow decision -makers to choose with more precision the restrictions to preserve bats face boom wind new be. imposed on a wind farm according to its location.

“If no bats fly to a particular site, why impose bridle?” Conversely. if many of them frequent another site. even when the winds are powerful, a stricter clamping, perhaps up to 8 m/s, would be notified, “he explains.

Certainly. Jordi preserve bats face boom wind new Segers hopes that beneficial policies will be implemented as quickly as possible. as wind turbines quickly multiply in the landscape. “I am not at all against wind energy. We need green energy, but we also need bats. »»

preserve bats face boom wind new

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