Myths about Noise, Health, & Safety
Wind turbines are machines that spin in the wind and generate electricity atop tall towers. As such, the blades, transmission, and generator emit noise when the turbine is operating. Because modern wind turbines are relatively new on the landscape, a veritable cottage industry has arisen attributing a panoply of ills to wind turbines–even when they are not operating. Consequently, there are numerous studies on the health effects of the noise from wind turbines. This section includes links to these studies and to reports on the general environmental impacts and benefits of wind energy.
The Courier: Wind turbine distance no real problem
By
William Vallely
Mount Mercer’s 64 turbines became operational in the middle of this year and a family living about one kilometre away is unsure “what the fuss is all about”. “We barely hear them,” said Stephen Kent, who, after co-existing with the turbines for almost six months, likened their sound to a distant freeway.
Ethics training mandated, fine levied against dentist following service withdrawal over wind turbine stance
By
“Dr. Studzienny pled guilty to professional misconduct in four complaints,” said Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario Registrar Irwin Fefergrad when contacted Monday. Dr. Fefergrad said that Dr. Studzienny was fined $4,000, must write a letter of apology and has been ordered to take a course in professional ethics, a sentence largely congruent with that handed down by the Ontario Human Rights Commission heard earlier this fall. “He has also been reprimanded,” said Dr. Fefergrad. “That stays in the online registry.”
The link between health complaints and wind turbines: support for the nocebo expectations hypothesis
By
Fiona Crichton
The worldwide expansion of wind energy has met with opposition based on concerns that the infrasound generated by wind turbines causes health problems in nearby residents. In this paper, we argue that health complaints are more likely to be explained by the nocebo response, whereby adverse effects are generated by negative expectations.
Legal Requirements for Human-Health based appeals of Wind Energy Projects in Ontario
By
Albert Engel
To date, the evidence has been insufficient to support the revocation of a wind facility approval. This article reviews the legal basis for the dismissal of human-health based appeals.
Fiscally and morally bankrupt: the cost of fighting wind farms
By
Mike Barnard
Instead Forest has spent over $500,000 of its taxpayers’ money to fight close to $600,000 in annual increases in local wealth. Does anyone really think that the citizens of Forest were fully informed and agreed to spend over 80% of a year’s property taxes to make their town poorer?
Rand and Ambrose’s Falmouth study is noise, not signal
By
Mike Barnard
Stephen Ambrose and Robert Rand are US acousticians who believe that wind turbine noise is somehow uniquely making people sick. In 2011, they were contracted by Bruce McPherson, a Falmouth Massachusetts resident, to do a study of the noise from one of the turbines on the municipal water treatment plant. They produced a consulting report which continues to be cited by anti-wind organizations worldwide. So how does it stand up?
