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Health risks
Residents close to wind farms have reported significant health issues. There is little research on the effects performed after wind farm installation. Most focuses on the theory before the wind farm is built. The testimonials of those living close to wind turbines is disturbing.
- Wind turbines are noisy industrial structures
- Each blade is the size of a jumbo jet wing but much closer to the ground
- The tip of the blade can move at more than 150mph
- The blades pass through different layers of air creating additional noise
- The noise associated with health issues is the low frequency noise - physically felt rather than heard. The government recommended methods for measuring noise effects do not take this into account. Many scientists believe that the noise guidelines are totally inadequate and out of date.
- Swishing, thumping, pulsing noises are created which carry for long distances - up to 3 KM or more
- More annoying than traffic noise
- Louder at night when there is less traffic, less background noise, and the air at ground level is still. This can cause sleep deprivation.
- Wind shear noises occur especially at night
- Often the noise is perceived to be louder at distance rather than close to turbines. A couple in Lincoln are suing for the noise created by a windfarm half a mile from their home. See the Daily Mail article by clicking here. They claim to know of 15 other families who have also had to abandon homes. Elsewhere they have said...."Within days, there was noise. Worst when we were downwind, but the background noise never goes away. It is like a helicopter, uneven and thudding – not like the hum of the motorway. It woke us almost every night and made it impossible to get back to sleep.”
“Within 48 hours all the swallows had left. We suddenly had no molehills. The vibration breaks down the structure of the peat so fungi, at the bottom of the food chain do not survive.” She also said that there is some evidence of increased abortion rates in sheep and “horses are a nightmare with turbines, they get constantly spooked.”
For more information review the presentation given by Dr. Christopher Hanning on the subject here. Dr Hanning is by no means the only source of noise related information with respect to wind turbines. The US National Institutes of Health report that even if the noises aren't always audible they may still be causing damage. See there article here.
The government guidelines on noise (ETSU-R-97), which the planners will be using to justify the planning application, are woefully out of date. A letter to the RT Hon Chris Huhne MP (Minister for state) from Philip Mulligan (Chief Executive of Environmental protection UK) has recently stated just this. See the letter here.
Also refer to the documents at http://www.wind-watch.org/ww-victims.php for a growing body of scientific research on the effects actually measured rather than theoretically predicted.
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