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| Britain |
| Wind farms ’make people sick who live up to a mile away’ |
| 2004-01-31 |
| Put the wind farm directly down-wind of a modern hog farm and people will be sick for farther away than that. Onshore wind farms are a health hazard to people living near them because of the low- frequency noise that they emit, according to new medical studies. Doctors say that the turbines - some of which are taller than Big Ben - can cause headaches and depression among residents living up to a mile away. Low grumbling noises give me a headache too ... oh hi darling, what am I writing? Oh nothing nuttin’ at all. One survey found that all but one of 14 people living near the Bears Down wind farm at Padstow, Cornwall, where 16 turbines were put up two years ago, had experienced increased numbers of headaches, and 10 said that they had problems sleeping and suffered from anxiety. Dr Amanda Harry, a local GP who did the research, said: "People demonstrated a range of symptoms from headaches, migraines, nausea, dizziness, palpitations and tinnitus to sleep disturbance, stress, anxiety and depression. These symptoms had a knock-on effect in their daily lives, causing poor concentration, irritability and an inability to cope." Sounds like Terry McAuliffe after the latest poll. Dr Harry said that low-frequency noise - which was used as an instrument of torture by the Germans during the Second World War because it induced headaches and anxiety attacks - could disturb rest and sleep at even very low levels. "It travels further than audible noise, is ground-borne and is felt through vibrations," she said. "Some people are having to leave their homes to get away from the nuisance. Yet, despite their obvious suffering, little is being done to relieve the situation and they feel that their plight is ignored." Bet the air is clean, though. Similar problems have been found by Dr Bridget Osborne, a doctor in Moel Maelogan, a village in North Wales, where three turbines were erected in 2002. She has presented a paper to the Royal College of General Practitioners detailing a "marked" increase in depression among local people. "There is a public perception that wind power is ’green’ and has no detrimental effect on the environment," said Dr Osborne. "However, these turbines make low-frequency noises that can be as damaging as high-frequency noises. When wind farm developers do surveys to assess the suitability of a site they measure the audible range of noise but never the infrasound measurement - the low-frequency noise that causes vibrations that you can feel through your feet and chest. "This frequency resonates with the human body - their effect being dependent on body shape. There are those on whom there is virtually no effect, but others for whom it is incredibly disturbing." People shaped like Michael Moore have it really bad -- wonder if that’s his excuse? There are more than 1,000 turbines on 80 wind farms around Britain. They have rapidly increased in number during the past decade as a result of the Government’s aim of getting 10 per cent of Britain’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2010. To meet that target, there would have to be at least 5,000 turbines. ARE YOU READY TO RUMMMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEEEE??? Mark Taplin, who has lived close to a wind farm near Truro in Cornwall for almost a decade, said: "It has been a miserable, horrible experience. They are 440 metres away but if I step outside and they are not generating I know immediately because I can hear the silence. They grind you down - you can’t get away from them. They make you very depressed - the chomp and swoosh of the blades creates a noise that beggars belief." The Greens would complain if they were hung with a new rope. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #21 Frequency of noise this is from memory - I might be off a bit, but not too much typical truck exhaust noise is about 300 hz, human voice can as low as about 60 hz and about as high as 1600 hz. Typical male rap singer is about 150 hz but lowest notes of bass guitar are at 60 hz or below |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-1-31 10:21:06 PM |
| #20 Whitecollar redneck - I know who that unrepentant Nazi was. What I don't understand is the meaning of his comment. But then, he probably doesn't either. :-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-1-31 9:12:23 PM |
| #19 Is rap music low frequncy? |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-1-31 7:31:44 PM |
| #18 Don't worry about that, Redneck. The clan is probably so shitfaced when they're at "the compound" that they probably see it already. Or visions a lot worse. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-1-31 6:54:16 PM |
| #17 As someone with a serious tinnitus and hyperaccusis problem (~70dB at 6000hz, bilateral, constant, with "supporting" sounds ranging from 800hz to about 10,000hz), this is not a joke. My wife and I are seriously moving to an area where our nearest neighbor is ten MILES away, just to get away from extraneous noise. As for the traffic noise, between the constant bouncing from the potholes to the constant blare of some people's idea of "music", by the time I make the 12-mile one-way commute to take my wife to work or bring her home, I'm a basket case, and need at least two hours of NOTHING in order to recover. My case isn't "normal", and what these people have to put up with is different, but it's still a serious concern. Sounds like someone didn't do any HUMAN engineering when they were working on the design. Maybe they can relocate these "wind farms" to some more isolated, uninhabited areas, such as some of the bare rocks off the northeast coast of Scotland. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-1-31 6:52:21 PM |
| #16 NMM wrote: Any chance C'mon, NMM, be a sport, we're all supposed to be friends here. You can Barb can have a mutual exchange of blunt instruments elsewhere. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-1-31 1:09:23 PM |
| #15 On another windmill note. Does anyone remember the stink that some of the Kennedy clan were making about the potential windfarm that could be viewed from their compound (Versaille) on the Cape? Freekin' hilarious! Talk about the Bourbons of the US. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-1-31 11:26:04 AM |
| #14 BS, I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong (thanks ahead of time) but Leni Riefenstahl made "The Power of Will" for Hitler. I don't understand the reference though. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-1-31 11:20:58 AM |
| #13 Does anyone remember the "Brown Noise" episode of South Park where the whole world sh*t its pants? There has been research in that area concerning crowd control. It's hard to riot when you're carrying a load in your pants. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-1-31 11:09:45 AM |
| #12 I spent yesterday next to a screaming 200 MW GE Steam Turbine. I feel groovy what with that paycheck 'n' all. Plus my ears are clean from the earplugs. We call that a bonus. My computer fan on the other hand is out of hand. I am going to lay down now... |
| Posted by: Zpaz 2004-1-31 11:05:39 AM |
| #11 Continuous low frequency noise is used as torture. No shit, haven't you ever been stuck at a traffic light with some snot-nose blasting Eminem next to you ? |
| Posted by: Anonynoony 2004-1-31 10:58:15 AM |
| #10 NotMikeMoore (or maybe you are): Care to explain further? I don't get the joke, or the reference. Whitecollar redneck: LOL |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-1-31 10:52:09 AM |
| #9 They've been complaining about the wind farms killing birds, too. Guess we human-types just can't do anything right. |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-1-31 10:17:52 AM |
| #8 Gee NMM, you don't get attacked until you say something stupid. Why can't you afford the same behavior to others? |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-1-31 9:02:02 AM |
| #7 Barbara, They can be hanged but only if the rope is hemp. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-1-31 8:38:18 AM |
| #6 Didn't you get the memo? It's open season on Faisal, et al. Murat season opens soon, I think. Aris is open all year. What's the bag limit? |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-1-31 8:11:36 AM |
| #5 We don't generally go in for personal abuse here Didn't you get the memo? It's open season on Faisal, et al. Murat season opens soon, I think. Aris is open all year. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2004-1-31 7:47:07 AM |
| #4 NotMikeMoore - We don't generally go in for personal abuse here at Rantburg and I suggest you restrict your abuse to left wing sites where it seems to the standard for interaction. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2004-1-31 6:59:29 AM |
| #3 Attach flutes and oboes to the tips of the blades so that they make a nice cheery noise? |
| Posted by: snellenr 2004-1-31 1:33:45 AM |
| #2 Any chance |
| Posted by: NotMike Moore 2004-1-31 1:01:29 AM |
#1 The Greens would complain if they were hung with a new rope.Any chance they will be? :-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-1-31 12:22:20 AM |