We are currently finding ourselves in a multitude of crises with a multitude of effects including the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis. There are special situations where a solution to one crisis can also be a problem for another crisis. This is typically the case of wind energy for the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis. When talking about wind energy as a threat to birds in Germany, a comparison is very often made with other threats. Based on estimates, many more birds are killed by cats or due to collisions with glass buildings than by wind farms. But one very important aspect is that these different human threats affect different species with variable conservation statuses. Simply comparing the sum of bird deaths from the different threats is the same as comparing apples and oranges. Furthermore, the estimates are given without confidence intervals so we do not know how reliable they are. We all know for example that it is very difficult to search for animal cadavers under wind farms. Lastly, the impact of wind energy on bats is often totally forgotten. Several species like the migratory Nathusius’ Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii) or the Common Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) are especially affected. It is estimated that 250.000 bats are killed by wind farms per year in Germany alone. And finally, such a graphic totally ignores the time axis. Thus, we expect more victims with the booming of wind energy offshore and onshore including the installation in natural areas like forests and landscape conservation areas. This comparison between threats is often used as a reason to minimize or ignore the urge to do something against the bird and bats casualties from wind energy. This is a dangerous reasoning because wind energy is emerging as a new and additional threat for some species and populations already under high stress. No technology should be given a “carte blanche” even if it helps tackling the climate crisis. This is the same situation when talking about the carbon footprints of different countries, the country releasing 1% of the global heat-trapping gasses also has to reach carbon neutrality. As bat conservationists, we do not want to block the development of wind energy but we want to make sure that its development takes into account wildlife. We already know of different measures such as curtailing and the creation of nature sanctuaries. And even if the task is immense, we should also engage more in taclking other threats for example by democratising colored collars for cats or bird-friendly glass for buildings. What is crudely missing is money and political will to tackle all these threats together. The task is immense but we have to strive in parallel for zero emission of heat-trapping gasses (climate neutrality) as well as zero impact for wildlife. This is extremely challenging but it is our common responsibility to create a better future for us and the next generations, not just a less bad future. As the IPBES and IPCC reported in 2021: “Biodiversity loss and climate change are both driven by human economic activities and mutually reinforce each other. Neither will be successfully resolved unless both are tackled together”. Acknowledgments: Thanks to Charlotte Roemer for her precious feedback.
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AuthorLittle blog about my bat research and conservation action |