Letter to the Editor — Blackmore Vale Magazine — April 6, 2014 I strongly contest Dr Erik Blakeley «s comments in your recent article calling wind
turbine noise as a placebo effect.
Not exact matches
Opponents commonly refer them to them
as a blight on the natural landscape and complain about amplitude modulation - the continuous pounding
noise regularly associated with
turbines.
Other concerns include whether the
noise of the
turbine could attract or repel fish and whether
turbine blades could strike and kill fish
as they swim through them.
Although the CHARLES solver was developed to tackle problems like high - fidelity jet engine simulation and supersonic jet
noise prediction, it had never been applied to predict combustion dynamics in a configuration
as complex
as a GE gas
turbine combustion system.
In early March, politicians in Northern Ireland called for better monitoring of
noise as well
as limits on how many wind
turbines could be spread across the landscape.
Its number - crunching capabilities are used to study ship hydrodynamics and air turbulence, to probe industrial combustion
turbines to create cleaner engines, and to understand global ocean circulation,
as well
as for earthquake simulations and aircraft
noise - reduction modeling.
None of the others cover any medical or health skill or expertise, and it hasn't been possible to locate any medical or health related training or degree, or indeed any other relevant technical, professional or academic qualifications he has achieved with direct relevance to wind
turbine noise or health,
as he does not provide details of them.
Research into aero - acoustic properties will result in both the improved efficiency of wind
turbines and increased siting opportunities,
as the associated
noise is decreased.
The evidence proving the unnecessary damage done to wind farm neighbours by the
noise generated by giant industrial wind
turbines is mounting by the day: Germany's Max Planck Institute has identified sub-audible infrasound
as the cause of stress, sleep disruption and more (see our post here); and a Swedish group have shown that it's the -LSB-...]
Mr Barnard also fails to mention the opinions of rural family physicians such
as Dr Sandy Reider, from Vermont, who is at the front line of clinical care for those affected by wind
turbine noise, that «wind
turbine syndrome» is a euphemistic description which does not sufficiently depict the clinical severity of the clinical cases he is seeing [10].
«Shooting the professional messengers»
as the Energy and Policy Institute publication by Barnard [14] has tried to do, will not stop the litigation for
noise nuisance, negligence against complicit acousticians, or applications for injunctions to cease the operation of
turbines, and will only further reduce the diminishing social licence for the wind industry to operate.
Independent analysis demonstrated that the
turbines would not only exceed the
noise ordinance
as proposed by CMS and adopted by Mason County but that the
turbine noise would create widespread complaints and result in legal action by those subjected to this industrial development in a rural environment.»
As for the tranquillity that the EMLRLG talk about, wind
turbines do not make much
noise and can not often be heard at all at distances greater than a kilometre or two.
We are dismayed to see people being forced from their homes due to incessant, wind
turbine generated low - frequency
noise and infrasound; and horrified
as we witnessed those in positions of power not only fail to help those people, but turn on these victims of a government - sanctioned, subsidy - soaked industry.
Literature reviews of previous studies serve a purpose
as do the plethora of separate studies by acousticians, sleep experts and physicians, many of which draw the conclusion there is a strong prima facie case that low - frequency
noise generated by wind
turbines causes chronic sleep deprivation in some people which then degenerates to adverse health impacts.
Despite these claims by the wind industry
as of late 2012 there were over a dozen peer - reviewed published papers linking wind
turbine noise with health impacts.
There are also concerns that wind
turbine farms — particularly large ones — may disturb migratory birds, and serve
as a source of
noise pollution for those living and working nearby.
Using data without a safety margin, such
as mean values for a given
turbine model, measurements from a single
turbine, or «best guess» for future
turbines gives in principle a probability of 50 per cent that the actual erected
turbines will emit more
noise than assumed and that
noise limits will be exceeded.»
Massachusetts moves to shut down
turbine over
noise levels David Abel — Boston Globe — May 16, 2012 Step may boost wind - power foes For the first time since the state began promoting wind power, environmental officials have recommended shutting down a wind
turbine because of elevated
noise levels that they described
as unacceptable to local -LSB-...]
Regarding
noise, the report has bad news for wind developers who regularly declare wind
turbine noise limits of 45 or 55 dBA
as «safe» and no louder than a library.
[25] Wind
turbine noise ``... annoyance was found to be statistically related to several self - reporting health effects including, but not limited to, blood pressure, migraines, tinnitus, dizziness, scores on the PSQI, and perceived stress»
as well
as related to «measured hair cortisol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure.»
Wind
turbine noise was described
as comparable to rustling leaves, flowing streams, air - conditioned offices or refrigerators heard from the next room.
In rural Australia, acoustical consultants working for the wind industry or other
noise polluters are regarded almost universally with complete contempt by those people whose health has been harmed by the
noise pollution, regardless of the source of the
noise (eg mining, CSG field compressors, gas fired power stations
as well
as wind
turbines).
However,
as the wind speed increases,
noise from wind passing through vegetation also increases which can mask the
noise from wind
turbines.
Even Leventhall, who consults for the global wind industry, seems to agree that the constellation of symptoms I identified
as Wind
Turbine Syndrome have been known to him to be caused by exposure to sound energy in frequencies below 200 Hz, specifically infrasound (0 — 20 Hz) and low frequency
noise (20 — 200 Hz).
Perhaps not surprisingly, the council found that people who benefited from
turbines could endure the
noise «despite exposure to similar sound levels
as people who were not economically benefiting».
However, at the moment, uncertainty about how factors such
as low wind speeds, high levels of turbulence,
noise, visual impact, and animal strikes influence the performance of micro wind
turbines make it hard to determine their true potential in this form.
Ron and Peter have given evidence about the debilitating impacts of incessant
turbine generated low - frequency
noise and infrasound on their ability to sleep and function
as a farmer and heavy - vehicle driver: -LSB-...]
The evidence proving the unnecessary damage done to wind farm neighbours by the
noise generated by giant industrial wind
turbines is mounting by the day: Germany's Max Planck Institute has identified sub-audible infrasound
as the cause of stress, sleep disruption and more (see our post here); and a Swedish group have shown that it's the pulsing -LSB-...]
At that meeting, WAWC learned that the
noise assessment data for the
as yet untested Enercon
turbines was not complete, and there was no timetable for when it would be available.
Complaints about
noise emissions from the
turbines continue, often beginning
as soon
as the power projects begin operation.
WCO says that projects not built yet should also be halted, such
as the North Kent II, where water problems persist, and Amherst Island, to name two, where a tiny island community will be exposed to
noise emissions from 26 50 - storey high wind
turbines and endangered wildlife will be affected.
Infrasound — Expand MOECC testing to include the full range of
noise emissions from wind
turbines as independent testing shows the presence of elevated levels of infrasound in homes where residents have had to leave to protect their health.
Is there evidence to suggest that specific aspects of wind
turbine sound such
as infrasound and low frequency sound have unique potential health effects not associated with other sources of environmental
noise?
**** Australia is blessed with a former tobacco advertising guru who is paid a packet by wind power outfits — like near - bankrupt Infigen — to pedal a story that the adverse health impacts caused by incessant
turbine generated low - frequency
noise and infrasound (such
as sleep deprivation) are the product of «scare - mongering» — which, on his -LSB-...]
STT followers will remember Rusty
as the creator of the «Atari defence ``, which he conjured up in answer to the highly relevant work done by NASA in the 1980s, that proved the direct causal relationship between
turbine generated low - frequency
noise and infrasound and adverse health effects, and which Rusty and his ilk have spent 30 years covering up, ever since (see our post here).
Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council has long since disqualified itself
as a body fit, willing, or even able to investigate and report on the known and obvious consequences to human health and well - being caused by incessant
turbine generated low - frequency
noise and infrasound.
As a matter of fact, the Generation Development page of the Ontario Power Authority says, «Manufacturers of modern wind
turbines have also reduced
noise levels to that of a quiet whisper».
Post-operation, the numbers of bat deaths and bird kills far exceed what was expected from the wind
turbines,
noise complaints are being made more frequently
as a result of more powerful
turbines, and wind power companies have abused their approvals by removing trees from protected woodlands, for example, or placing
turbines on sites not consistent with the approvals.
... According to a review by Lovich and Ennen (2013), the construction and operation of wind farms have both potential and known impacts on terrestrial vertebrates, such
as: (i) increase in direct mortality due to traffic collisions; (ii) destruction and modification of the habitat, including road development, habitat fragmentation and barriers to gene flow; (iii)
noise effects, visual impacts, vibration and shadow flicker effects from
turbines; (iv) electromagnetic field generation; (v) macro and microclimate change; (vi) predator attraction; and (vii) increase in fire risks.
The review includes a review of individual risk factors, such
as noise sensitivity and others that may affect how people respond to living near wind
turbines.
But wind
turbine noise is nearly constant, lasts
as long
as the
turbines and comes from multiple directions,
as in the area where the whales were recently stranded.»
Germany made big
noises and lots of wind
turbines, but increased coal burning to make up for the closing of nuclear power plants,
as did Japan.
he's worried about the health of his family,
as well
as the effect
turbine noise and vibrations could have on his livestock and soil, fearing it -LSB-...]
Here is a «time line» showing the history of Wind
Turbine Noise problems, going back
as far
as 1979.
Four years ago, Dr Robert McMurtry (former Dean of Medicine and Western University, companion of the Order of Canada) and independent health researcher (retired pharmacist and health care executive) Carmen Krogh published a «case definition» and diagnostic criteria
as a diagnostic tool to help family physicians and others caring for patients who may have been exposed to wind
turbine noise emissions.