Environmentalists promote wind power as a way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and as a way to reduce air pollution.  But, apparently, fields full of giant turbines have drawbacks that many of us never considered.

Such as: wind power can be bad for birds.

Author David Wilcove says bird watchers are “worried about the impact of wind farms on birds and on migrating bats. Migrating bats seem to have a real problem with wind farms.”

Wilcove appeared, recently, on Sierra Club Radio to discuss his new book, No Way Home: The Decline of the World’s Great Animal Migrations.

Wilcove said he understands the importance of renewable energy sources.  But, he also said, “we need to do a better job of locating wind farms so that they’re not in major migratory routes. And, at the same time, we need to continue research to understand how we can change design and lighting the wind farms to reduce the mortality.”