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Friday, July 11, 2014

Big Wind Is Better Than Big Oil, But Just as Bad at P.R.

NNancy Shea didn’t learn about the wind farm until after she moved to northwest Massachusetts to enjoy a quiet country life. The news didn’t bother her. Shea, who describes herself as “green” and “crunchy,” favors clean and renewable energy. But just days after the 19-turbine project went online Shea sensed something wrong. She “felt kind of queasy,” one day in the kitchen. Later she woke up feeling like she had bed spins.

Shea’s husband did some research and learned about wind turbine syndrome (WTS), a condition said to be caused by “infrasound,” an inaudible low-frequency sound produced by the turbines. Sufferers complain about symptoms like insomnia, vertigo, headaches and disorientation. “It’s a hard to describe sensation, you just want to crawl out of your skin,” Shea says.

A few nights later, the couple could hear the turbines spinning—the closest is 2,200 feet away. It sounded, Shea says, like a jet repeatedly flying over their cabin. Neither of them could sleep and they drove through a snowstorm to another property they have several miles away. Shea felt better immediately. Similar symptoms have been reported worldwide by people who live near wind turbines. But America’s wind industry says their condition is psychological.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

My goodness , when will it end , just shut up about everything and stop complaining. I'd like to put her on a wind turbine and spin her butt out to sea.

Anonymous said...

Wind energy is in its infancy. There are many issues like this, along with night calm, hurricanes and tornadoes, SALT WATER (cheeze!)and ignorant bureaucrats on the take to get over before it will even come to designing a rotor that works better without destroying itself and surrounding quality of life.

Keep working...

Anonymous said...

6:18 So people are to just shut up and stop complaining about everything. So may I ask you a question? Why are you complaining? Shouldn't you follow your own advice.

Just to let you know inaudible low frequency sounds are real. Just as inaudible high frequency sounds are real(dog whistles are an example of high frequency sound). Low frequency sound is what the military has been experimenting with as a battlefield weapon.

Anonymous said...

this will happen to the folks in Somerset County, where wind turbines are planned at 1000 feet from homes, schools,Day Care facilities, etc! There are 25 planned for phase 1. Safe for Somerset has many articles posted on their Facebook Page!

Anonymous said...

7:52-Too late.Those people already have the spins.

Anonymous said...

Too late guys. Its a done deal. Rex Simpkins has allowed Pioneer Energy to dominate the meeting room whenever they want and the citizens(taxpayers) aren`t allowed to rebut their presentations at all. Of 29 months of wrangling over these machines the people that live here, (taxpayers), have only been allowed to speak freely 3 THREE times no matter how substantial thier data is or valid. I don`t blame them to sit back and be so smug, after all 3 THREE of them have NO opposition in the November election. Here is a SHORT LIST of their accomplishments. The much touted Walmart Project that never happened ,the Cato Bio-diesel plant and explosion, the 500,000 dollar manure pellet operation on Old P.A. Westover Rd.(currently Tidewater Express), the Som. San. District causing Custom Pack to re-locate from Westover to New Jersey,the free tax Johnson subsity at the Old Chesapeake Mill in Pocomoke and it goes on and on. In four years make SURE no incumbent gets a FREE RIDE,and show these guys they don`t have all the say.I think Jerry Boston has allready gotten some of that flavor.Ha,Ha.

Anonymous said...

Somerset County Commissioners are evaluating a wind ordinance that has inadequate setbacks.
Turbine manuals show the setbacks should be more than twice what is being proposed. It appears Somerset politicians would rather install turbines based on developer need than public safety. If you travel through Somerset, don't forget to wear your hardhat.