Do Wind Turbines Cause Health Issues?
Patricia A. Holden of West Dennis, MA writes:
I am concerned about the big push for industrial wind turbines in this country. I frequently visit a friend in Falmouth, Massachusetts who has had three of these turbines installed within in a mile (one is less than 1/2 mile) away from his home. He and his neighbors are having health issues as a result of the operation of these turbines so close to their homes……Please be sure that your research and understanding is all-encompassing before you continue to advocate wind energy.
Thanks for this, Patricia. Though I’m certainly not an expert on the subject, I am aware of Wind Turbine Syndrome (WTS), controversial as it is.
To summarize where I see this going:
• There probably are some deleterious effects of living too close to wind turbines, and thus we will ultimately not want huge (megawatt+) versions in residential areas.
• I don’t wish to appear unsympathetic to anyone’s suffering, but I need to point out that we live in a world of trade-offs, and that those concerned about WTS, when and if it can be substantiated, will have a heck of a hard time arguing that wind is more damaging to human health than fossil fuels. You’ll note that Harvard professor Dr. Paul Epstein’s recent report found that coal costs the U.S. $500 billion per year, due in large part to health care costs from heavy metal toxins and carcinogens emitted during the processing of coal. More than 13,000 in the U.S. alone drop dead every year from breathing the aromatics of coal, and hundreds of thousands of others become seriously ill.
• In any case, you’re absolutely right that wind has an ecologic impact. I know that the wind industry is working hard to minimize these many issues including birds/bats, wildlife habitat, health issues, noise, and aesthetics. Did you read what Brian Rutledge from the Audubon Society told me when I interviewed him for my first book? It was rather alarming. You can get a free e-copy of Renewable Energy — Facts and Fantasies here, and check it out.
Thanks for writing.
Just about everything we do has an environmental impact; it cannot be completely avoided. Whether wind turbines create health problems I don’t know. But I do know that when people experience health problems, many will attribute them to changes in their environment that had nothing to do with the problems. Whether that explains the health problems attributed to wind turbines I don’t know.
Although I don’t see wind turbines as a practical source of a significant amount of power for large prosperous countries, it would not be reasonable to use health problems as a way to condemn them unless it can be verified that they actually do cause health problems.
Here is a link to an article which asserts that China is dropping solar and wind power to concentrate on nuclear power:
http://www.learningaboutenergy.com/2012/04/china-to-drop-solar-wind-to-focus-on-nuclear-power.html
Assuming that the article is correct, that does not mean that solar and wind power are useless. In some areas of the world, solar and wind are probably the best alternatives in isolated places where the only other practical choice would be Diesel power.
I suspect that the health effects are largely do to turbine site lease envy!
The folks who live close enough to get lease payments seem to be quite healthy but their neighbors who have the “eye sore” on their horizon but do not get payments from the power company are experiencing all kinds of side effects. I think someone should do a doctoral dissertation on turbine lease envy. Plotting reported illnesses attributed to wind turbines vs distance to ground zero may produce a very interesting graph. It could be worth a few thousand words of critical analysis and a phD.
Larry Lemmert
Wautoma, WI
Doing a doctoral dissertation on lease envy would be assuming what is to be proved. However, a dissertation on the causes of problems that patients assume are caused by wind turbines could produce useful information. Depending on the findings, the information could be useful to determine sources of heath problems. Perhaps there is something about wind turbines that leads to health problems, or perhaps it is totally psychological.
The sonic effects of wind turbines are reproducible so it would not be difficult to expose subjects to the sound effects and see what the results are. The flashing light effects could also be reproduced. Surely it would be an interesting study.
Frank, I agree with you. I could have stated it as a null hypothesis but the budding researcher has to do something to earn his Piled Higher and Deeper award.
The noise factor that you brought up may very well have a physical effect but you would expect that to be inversely related to distance.
Other industrial sites presumably would have similar effects. Banning green technology based on unscientific testamonials and ignoring comparable acceptable risks around established enterprise zones would be detrimental to any improvement in the status quo.
L
You’re right; one would expect it to be inversely related to the distance, or perhaps, the square of the distance, if the problem is related to sound power and not decibels. It would be interesting to know whether there is such a relationship.
Although I do not support wind power as a practical source of power for large developed countries, at least objections to it should be based on objective criteria and it’s unclear whether there are actually valid health concerns.
I sometimes wonder if the ‘health effects’ are due to stress. Most people don’t have a real choice on whether to have wind turbines near them and the fact that they also don’t get any direct benefit makes them feel trodden on which causes stress, which is a known indication for health conditions.
If MA’s friends in Falmouth were to receive a share of the benefits of the output of the turbine, as is common practice in some European countries, it might well change their attitudes and their stress levels.
Maybe a survey of perceived health conditions between those who have a financial interest in the turbines and those who don’t might pinpoint the real source of the perceived or real health conditions caused by wind turbines.
When commercial wind turbines are placed on private land, the owner of the land gets very large annual payments from the power company. When people live close to the land with the wind turbines they can qualify for mitigation payments. Beyond a certain boundary there are no payments available and if those “beasts” are still visible on their horizon…. they may be making themselves sick just thinking about the money they are not getting. L
Re “wind power as a practical source of power for large developed countries”
If the UK installs the 7,000 offshore turbines it intends to (which is theorectically feasible) these could power the UK’s private transport system if/when private vehicles become predominantly EV’s.
You’re right; the wind turbines could power the private transport system whenever the wind happens to be blowing. When it’s not blowing, people could just stay home.
You might also want to check the cost if installing and maintaining wind turbines off shore compared with wind turbines on land. Although the wind is steadier off shore, the costs are considerably higher.
Craig,
You are bending over backwards to provide an unbiased opinion to the point where you are legitimizing unwarranted concerns. Be a little more aggressive. The biggest issue with turbines are aesthetics, followed by shadow flicker and sound. Shadow flicker can be minimized or eliminated through proper siting and sound….well I live close to the Ohio Turnpike and would gladly trade that sound with the noise from a turbine 1/2 mile away.
Hi, Bob, long-lost school friend. Long time no see, like 39 years!
Thanks for the tip; you have a point here, but I don’t like to get too aggressive with people who seem to be sincere.
Commercial wind companies have to be held responsible for poor siting of commercial wind turbines and the resulting health issues.
In January of 2010 Vestas installed and sited two Vestas V 82 commercial wind turbines in Falmouth ,Massachusetts USA. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative a semi quasi state agency sold the turbines into the Falmouth area. Today over one hundred residential homes are affected by infra sound. Negotiations have been going on over health issues from the turbines for eight months.
The wind industry ,state and local officials ,semi-quasi state agencies encouraged by the Governor Patrick Administration’s goal to expand wind power continue to risk the health of citizens.
Town Meeting Members and local politicians have to publicly recognize the physical illnesses and emotional suffering caused by operating wind turbines! Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) is worried about the health of the citizens living around the turbines.Why not Town Meeting Members ? The town is deliberately inflicting acute pain by one person on another for financial gain.