Posted on 04/15/2007 6:43:12 PM PDT by blam
Wind turbines 'are ruining our quality of life'
By Martin Beckford
Last Updated: 1:15am BST 16/04/2007
The majority of people living near wind turbines believe that the noise they make is ruining their health and quality of life, a report has revealed.
Neighbours also claim that the constant hum and the loud "whooshing" sound made by the blades in high winds is destroying the value of their homes.
A survey of people whose homes are situated within 1.2 miles of turbines has shown that three-quarters of them feel that the noise has damaged their quality of life while four out of five say it has affected their health.
Those who said they were made ill by the sound of the wind farms, which are designed to benefit the environment, described conditions ranging from migraines and palpitations to depression.
Three quarters said their sleep was disturbed by the noise and some claimed that they had been forced to stay in bed and breakfasts to get a proper night's rest or to sell their homes at reduced prices to get away from the area.
One of the respondents to the survey, carried out by a family doctor, claimed that the noise was "like Chinese water torture", while others said they could "see no future" and "dare not sleep at home".
Dr Amanda Harry, a Plymouth GP who compiled the report after studying
the effects of wind turbine noise for several years, wrote: "What this shows is that there are a number of people suffering from the consequences of noise from the wind turbines.
"I'm sure that the cases mentioned here are the tip of the iceberg and further independent investigation is warranted.
There is much concern within communities that if one is seen to complain about the noise and if they decide to move away, their properties will be difficult to sell and possibly devalued as a result. They feel they are in a 'Catch-22' situation."
Some wind farms are situated just a few hundred yards from homes but Dr Harry believes that until independent research is carried out, no turbines should be built closer than 1.5 miles from the nearest dwelling.
Dr Harry wrote: "There are many people living near wind turbines who are suffering from problems with their health. The noise produced from the wind turbines is an extremely complex one and I feel that it is the complexity of the noise and vibration which causes the disturbance.
"From my discussions with people suffering from ill-health who live near wind farms, it seems that the symptoms suffered can occur up to a mile from the wind farm."
But a spokesman for the British Wind Energy Association said it was just a "myth" that turbines were noisy. She said: "We are aware that people have concerns but we are not aware of any evidence that supports their claims.
"The unfortunate thing about noise is that it can be a subjective perception. Some people can be more sensitive than others."
The Government commissioned a report into claims that the low-frequency noise emitted by wind turbine generators was affecting people's health but it found last year that there was "no evidence" of ill-effects.
The report did admit that some wind turbines were responsible for a loud "whooshing" noise created by a phenomenon known as aerodynamic modulation, but the Department for Trade and Industry insisted that this was present in only five of the 126 wind farms in the UK.
A Government working group on wind turbine noise has also been set up.
Do any libs understand that they have to get a life before it can have any quality?
Since it is only affecting five of the 126 wind farms in the UK, is aerodynamic modulation (which I take to mean ‘beats and resonance’) in this context caused/enhanced by topography (ie are the wind farms that exhibit aerodynamic modulation in, say, relatively flat areas?), and/or is it related to the relative positions of the turbines?
They seemed to have narrowed it down to a few poor designs. The guinea pigs just happen to be human. The business of global warming will move on...
Oh... sorry, wrong environmental protest.
After all, these people should be thankful, the windfarms are there to keep them from getting too warm--for free.
Shoveling snow causes increased metabolic rates and the emission of additional carbon dioxide and water vapor (both greenhouse gasses) when compared to the same individual at rest. Sounds like a cold climate could be self correcting.../sarc, of course.
More likely the blade design interacting with the pylon (support pole) shape and position.
But, it's not a question of lack of electricity. It's a question of responsible, renewable, environmentally friendly electricity. You can get the other kind from regular power plants - or even nukes.
An old man came upon a friend who asked him how he was doing?
The old man said, “Wonderful! I just bought a new hearing aid. It’s the most powerful, technologically advanced, and most expensive hearing aid money can buy.”
The friend said, “Wow! What kind is it?”
The old man answered, “Oh, about 4:30.”
To imagine that a sea of wind turbines will be a reliable solution the mass energy crisis is not a realistic answer.
Like I said, a few of them in isolated applications will work. If I had a 50 acre spread, I would have a wind turbine there, solar power, and anything else they come up with to augment my daily utility needs, but a wire to the powerplant would still be needed also.
That is o.k.
The muslims will see to it that you are not around long enough to really inconveince you.
It's amazing how many people will do exactly that.
And in every instance the airport was there first; by lots of years, usually.
Or oceanfront
If you don’t have an oil well, get one!
The liberals feel great that they have done something good for the environment and the local poor are stuck with the consequences.
Bingo.
You of course know those lines are traveling at 18 mph.
Nope. But the magnetic fields generated by the current in them (fields which are orders of magnitude greater than those created by simple household lines) flux some 50-60 times per second depending on whether they are in the US or Europe. That is what lights the bulbs.
That much field flux has been argued to be bad for most anything that breathes. YMMV.Part of the irony is that these things are being utilized to do away with alleged anthropomorphic global warming, when if we allow the globe to warm, we likely won't need as much power at northern latitudes.
The old man said, “Wonderful! I just bought a new hearing aid. It’s the most powerful, technologically advanced, and most expensive hearing aid money can buy.”
The friend said, “Wow! What kind is it?”
The old man answered, “Oh, about 4:30.”
True story today. I pull out of a parking lot and DW says: "did you run over a gopher?"
Puzzled, I say: "No".
DW screams: "GET OVER!"
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