Wind Turbine Syndrome Is Real

It’s caused by a virus, and the virus is spread by word of mouth!

Seriously, there is such a thing as wind turbine syndrome, but it’s not caused by the turbines themselves.

It’s caused by negative feelings toward turbines harbored by individuals.

In medical terms, this is called a “nocebo”.

These negative feelings, in turn, are mostly created by anti-wind evangelists who travel the state spreading their gospel of misinformation.

The latest piece of misinformation I heard is that turbines kill dogs.

Killing dogs?

First time I heard that one! How does it work? Do the dogs jump high enough to get hit by a blade? Maybe they are dropped from the nacelles?

Prime agricultural land?

 Google “wind turbines + agriculture” and click on “Images”. You will see all sorts of pictures of crops being grown on wind farms. Cows, too.

 I’ve visited Ireland several times in the last few years. It’s commonplace to drive by dairy and sheep farms with the animals peacefully grazing beneath the turbines.

Here’s an article from National Geographic: Planting Wind Energy on Farms May Help Crops, Say Researchers By Mason Inman http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/12/111219-wind-turbines-help-crops-on-farms/ 

The article states: “Among other positive effects for farming, wind turbines can improve the flow of carbon dioxide to the surrounding crops.

How about noise?

I brought a decibel meter when I visited the wind farm in Searsburg.  The visitors’ parking lot is about a football field away from Route 8. The turbines were emitting a low whoosh – whoosh – whoosh.  This registered 40 DB (decibels) about the interior of a library, or a home computer. When we spoke, it registered 50-60 DB (between a refrigerator and an air conditioner on low).  The noise from the tires of passing cars’ clocked 60DB+.  Diesel trucks on nearby Rt. 9 scored 85DB, up to 95 when “Jake-Braking”.  That’s about the same as being inside of a moving subway car. Motorcycles are off-the-scale.

New turbine technology based on the wings of owls suggests that future turbines will be significantly quieter.

Nobody is suggesting “a turbine on every ridge”. I’d hate to see them on Camel’s Hump, for example.

Ski Areas use lots of electricity. It’s logical for them to generate some of that themselves. No one can make a case that they are preserving pristine ridgelines.

One more point. As a former tour guide for Mount Snow, I can relate from personal experience that “tourists” find them interesting, even attractive. They were so popular that the Searsburg wind farm became a regular stop on our tours.