Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Arlene King, says wind turbines are not a health problem. Some people living within the vicinity of the machines have reported dizziness, headaches and sleep disturbance. The complaints prompted King to conduct a review of previously published studies mainly from abroad, and current legislation here. When she put them together in a report, she concluded Ontario’s nearly 700 wind turbines are not making people sick.
But there’s a lot more to this story. In isolation, wind turbines are a technology-driven, renewable energy source with the potential to contribute to the greening of Ontario. But what about their aesthetics? And what about their affect on farm animals? Or what about using land to produce energy rather than crops and livestock? Those are hot buttons for people everywhere.
Science and society clash when technology is not well understood or presented. I cover the wind turbine decision in my Urban Cowboy column is today’s Guelph Mercury.
The wind farm photo below is from treehugger.
Good article Owen. I think you raised some important points, and you are dead on that rural Ontarian’s aren’t ready to fully embrace wind power until proper studies are conducted.
Hi Owen, thankyou for taking an interest in the wind turbine issue.
I would have to disagree that turbines are “a technology-driven, renewable energy source with the potential to contribute to the greening of Ontario.”
I think industrial wind turbines are driven by a great deal of misrepresentation and by government subsidies. If that isn’t enough to concern some, the adverse health effects reported by people all over the world should. After turbines started up nearby, in this province alone, many families have been, literally, driven to abandon their homes to try to regain their health.
I was with one of those who was forced to move when Dr. King’s report came out. She read the report and she cried. She was revictimized all over again; dismissed, denied and told it wasn’t happening. But it is happening and what is happening is horrifying.
The following is a letter I wrote regarding Dr. King’s report:
Dr. Arlene King, an employee of the province of Ontario, a province which has a policy to implement industrial wind turbines without conducting 3rd party human health studies to determine safe setbacks and noise levels, has put her name to a literature review report called “The Potential Health Impact of Wind Turbines”.
I read the Chief Medical Officer of Health ( CMOH ) report that concludes that some living near turbines report dizziness, headaches and sleep disturbance and that wind turbines do not cause hearing impairment or any direct health effects.
After doing a fair amount of my own literature review work and after speaking with many people who tell me their health has been affected by industrial wind turbines, I would confirm that no one has complained of losing their hearing from a wind turbine to date.
People are however, complaining of an inability to sleep at night, severe headaches, nausea, digestive problems, heart palpitations and high blood pressure. They are telling me that it seems to be from the noise and vibration coming from the wind turbines near their homes. They say they were fine before turbines started up. They say they get better when they leave the area. They say they get sick again when they return to the area. The report by the Chief MOH does not negate the fact that this is happening to people in this province every day. Many people near turbines are sick and they remain sick in spite of the efforts of ministries and agencies such as Dr. King’s to dismiss and deny that it’s happening to them.
Their poor health just won’t cooperate to match your conclusions Dr. King.
Hello Owen,
If Industrial wind turbines were only green. Then if they followed Europe’s lead and placed them 1.5-2 kms from family homes it might be worth it. However, wind turbines have yet to stop or even slow down ANY emissions, ANYWHERE in the world! Conventional fossil fueled plants, (coal or gas) must constantly run using even more fuel, creating even more emissions to back up the wind turbines when the wind doesn’t blow! The paltry contribution made by the intermittent wind turbines is hardly worth the obscene expense. The feed in tariffs have made Ontario ripe to be exploited by the turbine companies that have worn out their welcome in Europe! 410 coalitions from 27 European countries have marched in protest. People all over the world have reported the same symptoms and illness from exposure to constant thumping audible noise and inaudible low frequency noise that invades the soft tissue of our bodies. Headaches, tinnitus, vertigo, rapid heartbeat and sleep deprivation. Our MOE has admitted that we do not have the technology to measure Low frequency noise, yet they continue to “rubber stamp” approvals. Not one request across Ontario for an independent third party study was granted to balance the bias self study screening report done by the wind turbine companies!!! This is shocking. There are abandoned homes in every county that wind turbines have gone up. Can you imagine paying your mortgage AND paying rent for an apartment in town so that you can get some sleep? Can you imagine that you list your home for sale and no one will buy it? Your health and your hard earned equity have been deemed expendable by your own elected officials! Remember, these people are too sick to care about the view, they are not NIMBIES!
The wind ‘Bubble’ is about to burst as more countries in Europe decide they can no longer subsidize wind power. Reports conclude that for every 1 green job, 2.2 jobs are lost!
Why are we allowing McGuinty to destroy Ontario? Most urban people that have gone to a wind farm and stood underneath a turbine say “It was very quiet, what is all the fuss about?” Of course the quietest place is directly underneath a turbine. By their very nature they project sound which amplifies over hilly terrain in the quiet countryside. When earthworms leave the vast area around the base and raptors and bats are killed, even frogs float up dead in ponds, what does that tell you. Wildlife flee the area and do not return. Cattle and sheep can not flee. Dairy cattle have aborted due to stray voltage from the turbines. What we have to ask ourselves is “Is this worth putting our Grandchildren in debt for?” Just so that our Premier can appear to be Green! When I went to business school we were taught to copy success not copy failure! Folks need to be educated about wind turbines and not from the sellers of wind turbines. Did we believe what the tobacco industry told us about cigarettes?
Hey Owen,
Great article, it’s good to see some news about renewable energy sources…wind is a great stepping stone in the quest for clean green energy. What about solar though? With the new rate paid by OPA for solar energy, people have rushed en mass to set up their solar operations, and rightfully so since it is so profitable and beneficial. They are less obtrusive, aesthetically speaking. They can be put anywhere, on buildings or self mounted, and so far have fewer problems than those that seem to be attached to wind power. An worthy alternative possibly?
Thanks for the feedback, Tony. Solar power sounds like a great idea. Then again, so did wind power. Have you heard of any environmental drawbacks to solar power?
Melodie, thanks for your detailed and passionate message. I think we need a lot more research in Ontario to shed light on what is or isn’t going on.
Thank you for your message, Lorrie. As I mentioned to Melodie in a related post, I believe we need research conducted in Ontario to shed more light on the topic of wind turbines and health.
Thanks for your comment Amanda!