If there’s one animal in need of a rebrand, bats are a strong contender. Many bat species sleep in caves, hanging upside down. They typically fly at night, giving them an inherently spooky vibe. And, of course, bats are known to carry a wide range of coronaviruses. But for Eyal Frank, Harris Public Policy assistant professor, bats and several other maligned creatures—vultures among them—offer essential insights into some of today’s most urgent environmental and economic challenges.
In a study published last fall in Science, Frank, who has been a faculty member at the University since 2018, demonstrates how the decline of bats in North America has contributed to a rise in infant mortality. The study highlights a key factor driving this trend: Most bats in North America feed on insects, including crop-damaging pests like moths. With fewer bats to control these pests, farmers are forced to rely more heavily on insecticides. The study shows that increased insecticide use correlates with greater exposure to harmful chemicals, which is known to adversely affect the health of newborns.
Frank’s unconventional approach to research—bridging the worlds of economics and ecology to measure the tangible value of biodiversity—can be traced back to his teenage years growing up in Israel. “I watched Princess Mononoke, and it really resonated with me,” Frank recalls, referring to the iconic Studio Ghibli film about a mystical forest under siege. “No one’s portrayed in that movie as absolutely evil. You totally sympathize with the plight of [the people who] just want a better life”—even though that better life involves harming the environment. For Frank, the film provided an unusually nuanced perspective on the conflicts between development and conservation, a viewpoint he found lacking in much of Western media.