2015 Chevrolet Corvette Becomes Second Bowtie-Brand Bat Booster

bathomes

Bowtie-brand bat-conservation efforts continue to take flight, now with help from the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette: It turns out that some of the leftover industrial adhesive used in producing the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette also makes for excellent artificial stalactites—those are the ones that hang down from the ceiling—and it's now being considered for use in artificial bat caves. Which Chevy also currently makes out of scrapped battery covers from the Chevrolet Volt.

Said John Bradburn, GM global manager of waste reduction: “We think of waste as just a resource out of place and work hard to keep materials in use. Just like our stalactite concept or our bat houses, we seek out creative reuse projects that touch other elements of sustainability such as community engagement and wildlife preservation."

Bats, of course, are vital to ecosystems through the country and are particularly important for farmers. Because just one bat can eat up to 5,000 bugs a day, a healthy population can reduce the amount of pesticides used to grow our food. Bats are key pollinators for many plants and trees, too, but currently are faced with a major challenge from "white-nose syndrome," a fungus-related issue that has killed some 5.7 million bats in North America so far.

The adhesive stalactites from the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette could help slow the spread of the problem by providing more surface area for hibernating bats in a given (artificial) cave. This, in turn, would allow more room for individual bats to hibernate so they could minimize contact with other, affected animals.

At this stage, the material from the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette is being reviewed by international bat experts to ensure it's safe, with scientists clearly working with a sense of urgency.

Noted Rob Mies, executive director for the Organization for Bat Conservation: “We need to do what we can to prevent more bats from contracting white-nose syndrome while they are hibernating. Researchers are working around the clock to find a way to stop the transmission from occurring in caves. This disease is occurring at a rapidly escalating rate and if a solution is not found soon, many bat species could face extinction.”