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MEXICO CITY — The staff was overwhelmed. The director was sleeping only a few hours a night. The telephones kept ringing and ringing as thousands of saliva samples from sick patients were rushed in. But the national testing laboratory was unable to identify a deadly new strain of swine flu. (more)

Wind has become one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy worldwide, but widespread and often extensive fatalities of bats have increased concern regarding the impacts of wind energy development on bats and other wildlife.

We synthesized available information on patterns of bat fatalities from a review of 21 postconstruction fatality studies conducted at 19 facilities in 5 United States regions and one Canadian province. (more)

From National Geographic News by Brian Handwerk on August 25, 2008

Wind turbines can kill bats without touching them by causing a bends-like condition due to rapidly dropping air pressure, new research suggests.

Scientists aren’t sure why, but bats are attracted to the turbines, which often stand 300 feet (90 meters) high and sport 200-foot (60-meter) blades.

The mammals’ curiosity can result in lethal blows by the rotors, which spin at a rate of about 160 miles (260 kilometers) per hour. (more)