The debate on the effects of infrasound on the health of people and animals living near wind parks has been raging on with more intensity than ever – especially since Denmark unexpectedly halted the permitting of new wind parks due to “health concerns” from infrasound.
Infrasound is defined as low frequency sound under 16 Hz – below the threshold of human hearing. Wind farms are notorious for generating these potentially harmful sub-audible frequencies. It is said that infrasound can be sensed as pressure to the ears or to the stomach, or as a slight vibration.
There’s a Swedish report available on the hazard, click here. It calls for the legal framework for the creation of wind parks to be revised.
German NTV public television reports recently that in Denmark mink farm operator Kaj Bank Olesen from Herning is a neighbor to four large-scale wind turbines only 330 meters away. Olesen and other neighbors had protested the planning of the wind turbines, fearing negative consequences from their noise and shadows.
However the community rejected their claims, basing it on a lack of credibility. The turbines were installed. Now it seems that Olesen’s earlier fears may have had merit as he claims that the infrasound generated by the turbines are making the mink animals on the farm aggressive and is leading them to die. After one night he found 200 dead minks the next morning. The incident has since sparked the Danish government to take action. Permitting of wind parks in Denmark is now on hold.
The alleged health impacts from wind turbines have been making the news (0:55) in Germany as well.
In Schleswig Holstein, Germany, the Hogeveens have been forced to sleep and eat in their basement in a desperate attempt to find refuge from the maddening infrasound emitted by recently installed turbines near their home.
The wind industry and many government authorities deny there’s a connection between infrasound from wind turbines and health impacts on humans. Hermann Albers of a wind lobby group says there’s no connection between the turbines and the irritation sensed by those living close by, claiming that it is a “subjective” perception or that it’s “politically motivated”. In other words, people living close to wind turbines are just making it all up and they should instead just shut up and live with it.
The German government says it will study the matter further and consider if infrasound should be taken into consideration during the wind park permitting process.
In Australia a link has also been found between wind turbines and health in the so-called Cape Bridgewater report. Steven Cooper investigated the possible link, saying that availbale data so far is very small, but adds:
There’s definitely a trend. There’s definitely a connection between the operation of a wind form and what the residents were identifying as disturbances, and so it’s definitely open to debate as to what the cause or link is in terms of that data.”
Data from comprehensive studies are difficult to come by. Wind farms are reluctant to share their data with researchers, fearing unfavorable results and consequences.
The impacts from infrasound on human health will continue to be debated in the future. But other things are already sure and beyond debate: Wind farms are rapidly losing their attractiveness and support from the public due to their poor performance, hazard to birdlife, ruining of property values, and their blighting of the natural landscape.
An adverse connection to human health would be yet another large nail in the coffin of the now increasingly controversial wind industry.
Hat-tip: Wolfgang Neumann at Facebook.
Also read more here: www.climatedepot.com/danish-professor-sacked-for-highlighting-dangers-of-wind-turbine-noise/
I recalled that I had downloaded material on this horror before. Found it – published in The Daily Caller in 2011. I just accessed it today and it is still current.
You can add this to the stack of evidence.
“Wind Turbine ‘Infrasound’ May Be Making Thousands Sick In UK, US”
http://dailycaller.com/2014/08/11/wind-turbine-infrasound-may-be-making-thousands-sick-in-uk-us/
Remember this:
http://www.climatedepot.com/2014/08/09/danish-professor-sacked-for-highlighting-dangers-of-wind-turbine-noise/
Thanks
I’ve added the link at the end of the post. I’ve also added a link to a Swedish report on the hazards of infrasound from wind turbines near the start of the post.
Why don’t the people understand that it is necessary to make sacrifices to save the world from dangerous anthropogenic CO2 driven warming? Sure the heat is missing, it probably hiding somewhere. People suffering and animals dying from infrasound is the price of an infinitesimal contribution to reducing CO2.
Since young people are heavily exposed to loud noise (ok, not infrasound) at concerts, perhaps a health study could be made? I think army tried a Humvee with sound as a nonlethal device to disperse mobs. Perhaps this could be modified to infrasound? Then it could parked near any official who “denies” that infrasound is harmful.
“Since young people are heavily exposed to loud noise (ok, not infrasound) at concerts, perhaps a health study could be made?”
It’s ongoing. We dedicated Schlewsig-Holstein and its population to this noble task. The exclusion zone around a mammoth wind turbine there is a radius of 350m.
I’ve been there in December. I think they’re all nuts by now.
Ah, Schleswig-Holstein, not Schlewsig… the northernmost state of Germany. All flat and windy and optimally suited to drive out human settlements.
“Why don’t the people understand that it is necessary to make sacrifices to save the world from dangerous anthropogenic CO2 driven warming?”
Prove it.
CO2 has been rising slowly the last 20 years or so but the climate has not warmed at all and is showing a slight cooling. The only result from more CO2 is that the planet has become a greener as CO2 fertilizes.
There is nothing to understand if you go by the facts instead of a green dream.
“The alleged health impacts from wind turbines have been making the news (0:55) in Germany as well.”
Looks like somebody can kiss his journalist career goodbye. Merkel and Gabriel will not be amused.
Let us put things into perspective:
Some places in Denmark are awaiting the result of a study:
http://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1340365/market-status-denmark-municipalities-await-health-study-results
That does sound reasonable to me.
In the past, no significant effect has been found:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4256253/
But of course even minor problems among some people should result in careful positioning of new wind power.
The relevant minister in Denmark is a centrist (market) “liberal”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorning-Schmidt_II_Cabinet
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Most effects of wind power discussed by those opposing it, simply turnout to be by magnitudes less problematic than problems with other power sources.
Coal for example is poisoning water:
http://www.indyweek.com/news/archives/2015/04/21/state-says-wells-near-duke-coal-ash-ponds-exceed-state-groundwater-standards
Most people who have been displaced in Fukushima would possibly love to trade their current situation against some infrasound “problem”…
“Most people who have been displaced in Fukushima would possibly love to trade their current situation against some infrasound “problem”…”
i suppose you have asked them all ?
You should also ask the germans, that are living in the “Schwarzwald” (Black Forrest?) – south west germany – they have higher radioactivity there than in the Fukushima Area. Its caused by natural sources. Use Google, type “guarapari radioactivity” – and then fasten your seatbelt. You shouldn’t repeat this standardized Green”peace” rubish about radioactivity.
So the odd mine causes a temporary problem to a water supply, unfortunate but no big deal. On the other hand EVERY wind turbine cam adversely affect the health of those living near it. As usual it is you that needs to put things into perspective.
people in China are dying from coal (in the mines and from smog).
An yproblem you find with wind power is by a factor of 10 to 100 smaller than those with coal and that is a simple fact.
the wind problem might be a “no-cebo” effect…
http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2015/04/18/wind-turbine-syndrome-answers-blowin-the-wind/14292792001751
sod, please move into the immediate vicinity of a giant wind turbine and keep us updated about your wellbeing. The world needs idealists like you as free guineapigs.
So let’s talk about the major beef of the warmunists : The Precautionary Principle, which states that we must spend trillions to reduce the chance of a POSSIBLE slight warming because it MIGHT be bad.
The same warmunists are now telling us that infrasound emissions that are very measurable in the here and now and not at all hypothetical are to be ignored?
Well, you are doubtlessly simply greedy and earning a bag of subsidies then.
And how many millions would die if you banned using coal there tomorrow? As usual you throw up a specious argument. How many die of coal related illness in the West? China can and will stop that happening and we haven’t even mentioned the carnage caused to wildlife by windmills.
Sod, your reactions are not perspective, they are bias. You fail to see any shortcomings in wind, even in the face of unreliability, environmental damage, and poor economics. On the other hand, you see environmental damage from coal where it might as easily be just the local soil. The people displacement at Fukushima was from a Tsunami. The damage to the Fukushima reactors was from a Tsunami. The length time of the displacement is the result of over-caution. Tell me how Japan should generate sufficient electrical power? Windmills on Fujiyama? I don’t think so!
Solar power, geothermal and wind could easily replace nuclear in Japan (and/or coal).
Solar can be deployed really fast:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-04/21/giant-floating-solar-panel-plant-japan
And Japan could get enormous amounts of electricity from offshore plants. They just lost deacdes by focusing on nuclear.
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/04/01/nagasaki-plans-asias-first-major-testing-site-for-marine-energy/
This nonsense barely warrants a reply.
“Solar can be deployed really fast:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-04/21/giant-floating-solar-panel-plant-japan ”
Oh come on sod. It’s wired, which means that orbital solar power isn’t a problem either.
http://archive.wired.com/geekdad/2011/06/space-based-solar-power-an-overview/
I totally agree BTW: Throw enough money at any problem, and you can build anything. If Germany invested 50% of the entire GDP into wind+solar every year, we would have 100% of our primary energy consumption covered by wind+solar. We would also have to maintain the entire old energy infrastructure as you know well, to cover the moments of zero production.
So, yes, it’s a total waste, but it can be done.
I prefer that the wind + solar fanatics like you pay for their wind + solar machines themselves. You know, I am just not a thieve a.k.a. socialist like you.
“”Most effects of wind power discussed by those opposing it, simply turnout to be by magnitudes less problematic than problems with other power sources.””
Much as the _power_ derived from wind farms is orders of magnitude less than _power generated_ from other power sources?
With the notable exception of the deficiencies of solar power of course.
“Much as the _power_ derived from wind farms is orders of magnitude less than _power generated_ from other power sources? ”
How much power you get from a wind plant will be known in advance. Do you have an example of a wind plant, that produces MAGNITUDES less power than what was promised bevore?
I guess you are getting confused by “nameplate capacity” again.
My advice to the wind power industry is simple: Just print half of the real output on the nameplate and have your machines produce over 100% power at some times. Most people of the anti-wind-crowed will get toally confused, when their arguments do not work any longer..
Ah so you now admit to being a con merchant
Currently in the UK,
coal 10,498MW
gas 13,234MW
nuke 77,757
.
.
.
wind 336MW…………………. roflmao !!!!
Just how PATHETIC and totally UNRELIABLE is that wind CRAP !!!!
“How much power you get from a wind plant will be known in advance ”
Yep s.o.d., you did mention ZERO % of nameplate.. 🙂
Oh wait.. it just dropped to 320MW wind (12GW installed nameplate).. so 2.5% what a JOKE !!!
Dropping the claimed nameplate to 50% isn’t going to fool anyone except a fool.
sod 22. April 2015 at 20:47 | Permalink | Reply
“My advice to the wind power industry is simple: Just print half of the real output on the nameplate and have your machines produce over 100% power at some times. Most people of the anti-wind-crowed will get toally confused, when their arguments do not work any longer..”
Arguments cannot be defeated by a stupid lie, sod. But while you are recommending lying, why don’t you just recommend to the wind turbine industry to stop even connecting the wind turbines to a grid. After all, 100% spinning reserve must be available anyway so why bother. Isn’t all that counts the cash coming in? Bribe Gabriel and his gang, so the law is corrected accordingly, who cares about the 2% of primary energy consumption produced by wind and solar combined, I sure don’t – I only care about the wholesale corruption of the political caste (and the scientists).
Hey sod,
you like the wind power industry? I’m an aborigine Schleswig-Holsteinian, and your industry is desecrating our holy places. Do you know how many Viking gravesites and howes are affected by this industry there? Find out yourself. And if you think this is an silly argument, read this:
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20150420_Mauna_Kea_telescope_petition_delivered_with_53000_signatures.html?id=300713681
An often overlooked advantage of solar panels:
They destroy town halls.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-32382795
h/t WUWT
Here are a few links to news coverage of the Cape Bridgewater report by Steven Cooper and the current Australian Senate Select Committee on Wind Turbines:
Channel Seven – Today Tonight 8 April 2015,
Radio – ABC Victoria 21 Jan 2015 – Steven Cooper and
A Stop These Things Report on Senate Inquiry Into the Great Wind Power Fraud
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