While there’s a great deal of evidence to demonstrate wind turbines do not directly affect human health, some continue to try and show otherwise.
A study into wind farm noise and residents’ reactions to it claims to have identified a “special noise signature” that could give “new insights for medical research,” reports the ABC.
Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said the study was not by any means rigorous.
The study involved three houses near Pacific Hydro’s Cape Bridgewater wind farm. Located in southwest Victoria, Cape Bridgewater was completed in 2008. The 58MW facility features 29 wind turbines producing enough electricity to supply 35,000 households.
Participants in the survey were those who had previously made complaints about the wind farm’s operation.
“The author believes he has discovered a link between ‘sensations’ felt by the participants and the operation of the wind turbines. However, a number of these ‘sensations’ were reported when the wind turbines were not operating,” said Mr. Marsh.
“A small, hand-picked selection of the data was used in the preparation of this report and the wind farm operator Pacific Hydro has said the conclusions of the report do not appear to be supported by the data. The acoustician involved has been working closely for some time with opponents of wind farms to try and show there is a problem with wind turbines, rather than looking at the issue objectively. It is not surprising he has drawn some very strong conclusions here.”
It seems Pacific Hydro paid for this study; apparently also knowing the acoustician’s history.
“In the end Pacific Hydro have just paid for the anti-wind farm lobby to take their absolutely best shot at identifying a causal link between wind turbines and health problems – and what they’ve come up with isn’t terribly impressive,” says Climate Spectator’s Tristan Edis.
The Cape Bridgewater Acoustic Study Report can be viewed here.
Wind turbines have been blamed for all sorts of maladies grouped under what’s been called Wind Turbine Syndrome (WTS) – referred to by some as a “communicated disease“. On a lighter note, wind farms have also been blamed for the very tongue-in-cheek “wind in brain” disease.
In February 2014, the National Health and Medical Research Council stated there is no reliable or consistent evidence wind farms are directly responsible for negative health effects in humans.
In March last year, the Australia Medical Association (AMA) also stated local and international evidence doesn’t support claims wind farms cause adverse health effects .
In 2013, South Australia’s Environment Protection Authority released a report showing infrasound levels at homes near wind turbines were no greater than what is experienced elsewhere.
The existence of WTS was also debunked by Australia’s Climate And Health Alliance (CAHA) in 2012.
One of the major groups fueling anti-wind farm sentiment has been the Waubra Foundation; which was recently stripped of its health promotion charity status by the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission (ACNC).
