Category Archives: Adverse Health Effects

Adverse Health Effects, Children Affected, Green Energy, The problem with Wind Turbines

Interview AM900 CHML of WLGWAG Chair

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wlwag-2013

West Lincoln Glanbrook Wind Action Group (WLGWAG) in partnership with Mothers Against Wind Turbines Inc. held a recent information session in Smithville.  On December 1st , 2016  WLGWAG Chair, Mike Jankowski was interviewed prior to the public meeting and questioned on reactions to the Premier’s “mistake”, the Green Energy Act, impacts to health and well-being and the recently operational Niagara Wind Project.

P.S. His last name is  “JAN-KOW-SKI”

To hear the interview:

  1. Set “Audio Date” to December 1
  2. Set “Audio Time: to 2:00 PM, click play
  3. Fast forward to 40:00 (3 quarters of the way) by clicking the bar below the play button

http://www.900chml.com/audio/

Adverse Health Effects, Children Affected, Direct Effects, Green Energy, Health

Wind Turbine Investigation

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wind-turbine-investigationMedia Release                                  

Huron County Health Unit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 29, 2016

Information Session on Wind Turbine Investigation

Huron County, ON – Residents of Huron County are invited to an information session hosted by the Huron County Health Unit.  The session is about the upcoming investigation related to reported human health concerns associated with residential proximity to industrial wind turbines.  There will be information on the investigation survey, and time for residents’ questions.

December 6, 2016

7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Huron County Health Unit

Health and Library Complex, 77722B London Road, Clinton, Ontario

Please let us know if you plan to attend at 519-482-3416 (dial 0 to speak to the receptionist)

Adverse Health Effects, Green Energy, Ontario Wind

Wind Industry in trouble in Niagara Region and beyond

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“house surrounded by wind turbinesI’m seriously worried that our region will miss out on a significant economic opportunity if the Ontario government doesn’t stick to its renewable energy targets.” – Tom Rankin, CEO, Rankin Construction, Niagara, Ontario”

All together now let’s raise a glass of cheer and send them all packing!  The Harm the wind industry has inflicted fails to generate any sympathy over their current wails of woes.  Niagara Wind came online in October 2016 and already MOECC is being called out to measure noise emissions and  multiple complaints  demanding investigation, representing a new wave of families and individuals who are finding their health adversely impacted by wind turbines. Yet project operators and industry continue to turn a deaf ear, heckle and belittle impacted residents and no meaningful action taken to relieve suffering of wind power’s making.

Turbines continued to be allowed to kill wildlife and fragment sensitive environmental habitats with the protections of legislated government statutes. Yet its is expected the ratepayers paying for this sorry state of affairs are expected to be worried about the wind industry’s economic well- being?   Sorry no go.   If wind power wants to survive as a viable renewable and be “sustainable” it is beyond time to clean up the mess and deal with the realities of your spinning Industrial turbine generators.

Responding to the rising heat of political wildfire,  wind proponents in the Niagara region have banded together and created yet another lobby group. The following commentary beats false tones on the PR drum extolling claimed wind power virtues and benefits.  READ AT: https://niagaraatlarge.com/2016/11/17/niagara-ontario-employers-fight-to-protect-jobs-and-a-clean-affordable-energy-supply/

Niagara, Ontario Employers Fight to Protect Jobs and a Clean, Affordable Energy Supply

Posted on November 17, 2016 | 3 Comments

“I’m seriously worried that our region will miss out on a significant economic opportunity if the Ontario government doesn’t stick to its renewable energy targets.” – Tom Rankin, CEO, Rankin Construction, Niagara, Ontario

Rankin Construction, Pumpcrete Join Province-Wide Coalition to Promote Renewable Energy and Protect Jobs in our Region

A Call-Out to the Ontario government from the Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario

Posted November 17th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines/Niagara, Ontario – Local business leaders Tom Rankin and Ken Williams called on the Ontario government (this November 16th_ to protect local jobs by ensuring that renewable energy remains a vital part of Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan.renewable-energy

Rankin, CEO of Rankin Construction on Martindale Road, and Williams, President of Pumpcrete on Progress Street, will be representing the newly formed Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario (REAO) at Ministry of Energy led consultations tonight at the Holiday Inn on Ontario Street in St. Catharines.

Together, Rankin Construction and Pumpcrete employ over 700 hundred people in the St. Catharines and Niagara Falls region.

Rankin and Williams will be making the following points to government officials:

1) Renewable energy helps to stabilize long-term energy costs.

2) Ontarians support renewable energy by wide margins, and are in favour of increased investment in renewable energy technologies.

3) Investment in renewable energy technology has resulted in the creation good paying jobs in the Niagara region. Since 2012, renewable energy has created over 1000 jobs in the region, and increased the regions employment capacity by a minimum of three hundred thousand working hours. This new work has a positive economic impact for the province and the municipalities that host renewable energy sites.

4) As Ontario moves toward the implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan, there is a projected increase in demand for energy and Ontario will need to meet this increase in a cost effective and carbon neutral way.

5) Ontario must stick to the target of 50 per cent renewables by 2025 if it is to maintain its place as a world leader in renewable energy in the face of stiff international competition from China and India.

6) Renewable energy is now as cost effective as other sources of energy. It is not the reason Ontarians have been facing higher hydro rates.

Quotes:

“Rankin construction has been located in St. Catharines since 1978 and I’m seriously worried that our region will miss out on a significant economic opportunity if the Ontario government doesn’t stick to its renewable energy targets.  Ontarians need clean and affordable energy and the people of St. Catharines need more well-paying jobs. Renewable energy needs to be at the core of the provincial Long-Term Energy Plan.” – Tom Rankin – CEO, Rankin Construction

“Renewable energy like wind is now equal in cost to traditional energy sources.  India and China are investing billions of dollars into renewable energy industries. We can’t afford to lose any more ground.” –Ken Williams – President, Pumpcrete

Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario:

The Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario is a broad coalition of employers, labour and industry groups dedicated to working with the Ontario government to ensure renewable energy continues to play a vital role in Ontario’s energy mix.  At present membership includes the following organizations:

  • The International Union of Operating Engineers
  • The Laborers’ International Union of North America
  • The Ontario Crane Rental Association
  • The Canadian Wind Energy Association
  • The Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario
  • Rankin Construction
  • Pumpcrete
  • Surespan Wind Energy

 

 

Adverse Health Effects, Contracts Cancelled, Cost Benefit, Green Energy

Faces of Energy Poverty

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a-crying-lady“Our children are our world and they’ve always been well cared for and loved,” said Carol. “But here we are, feeling scared and horrified because this could happen to us.”

Terrified, Carol and her husband do all they can to remain strong for their family.

I usually wait till the kids are in bed and I know they’re asleep,” Carol said. “Then I cry, because I try to be as positive as I can for them.”

Wealth is not only measured in money but what resources you can access to create a safe home for your family and children. Electricity is an essential service in a cold climate country like Canada. Rates in Ontario are out of control and an increasing number of homes are now in default and cannot pay their bills. Without electricity furnaces don’t heat, food isn’t kept safe for consumption in cooled refrigerators, water pumps don’t bring water to a home, sump pumps in basements sit idle allowing water to seep in resulting in mold and structural damage.  What has fuelled the crisis of today?

The tipping point has its roots in the Green Energy Act of 2009 which included the institution of a cryptic entity called the Global Adjustment.  This mechanism is used for recovering differences in costs such as introducing renewables generation systems and the priority access to the grid given for wind and solar. It includes the cost of the contracts held with renewable generators which are paying above market rates for electricity, selling electricity at a loss for out- of- sync demand generation and a growing frequency of payments for curtailment.

Consequences for political decisions made surrounding energy policies are personal. Having your electricity cut off  for non- payment is a nightmare but it is also a measure our society. How do we protect the vulnerable and what will be done?

Cancelling wind contracts would save billions in costs and would be for the greater good.

Read more about Carol’s family at: Hydro One leaves family of 6  without electricity for months:   http://globalnews.ca/news/3085450/hydro-one-leaves-family-of-six-without-electricity-for-months/

 

Adverse Health Effects, Direct Effects, Green Energy, Health

Wind Turbine Investigation

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wind-turbine-investigation

Huron County Health Unit is hosting an information session about the Wind Turbine Investigation.  Please attend & RSVP.

WHEN:    December 6th, 2016

TIME:       7-8:30 pm

WHERE:  Huron County Health Unit- 77722B London Road,  N0M1L0 Clinton

Residents of Huron County are invited to an information session hosted by the Huron County Health Unit. The session is about the upcoming investigation related to reported human health concerns associated with residential proximity to industrial wind turbines. There will be information on the investigation survey, and time for residents’ questions. Please let us know if you plan to attend at 519.482.3416 (Dial 0 to speak to receptionist).

 

Adverse Health Effects, fighting big wind., Green Energy

Noise issue still popping up

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whack-a-mole

“You’d think we could all take a rest. Not so. Wind-industry moles spring up in every corner of the state, begging to be whacked.”

Noise issue still popping up
November 19,2016

Windham and Grafton soundly voted down the industrial wind proposal for our towns. You’d think we could all take a rest. Not so. Wind-industry moles spring up in every corner of the state, begging to be whacked.

The mole of the week: the Vermont Public Service Board’s “Proposed Rule on Sound from Wind Generation Facilities.” 

The gist of this rule-making is: “Help us figure out impossible rules that can’t be monitored or enforced, concerning the noise that can be legally inflicted on Vermonters by our friends, the wind developers.”

You might feel that such rules mean it’s still open season on Vermont’s communities, given that unenforceable standards amount to nothing more than a knowing nod to the wind profiteers. If you’re right, then let us give this particular mole the whacking it deserves.

READ MORE: http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20161119/OPINION06/161119587

Adverse Health Effects, Animals and turbines, Green Energy

My Haldimand

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dscn1859

My Haldimand

This is an enchanting place, a captivating landscape.
Where eagles soar and owl sounds fill the night air.
This is a healing place, an enriching place,
Where hawks teach their young to hunt and herons stalk fish on river banks.

But soon, forty-two storey grinding eyesores.
Red strobes filling the night sky.

Hush, Hush, Hush (don’t tell your neighbours)

This is a nurturing place, a meditation place.
Where bats and dragonflies gather mosquitoes at dusk and dance their graceful reel.
This is resting place, a gathering place.
Where monarch butterflies feast on milkweed and gain strength before flight.

But soon, slicing, dicing, killing.
Blood on the fields

Hush, Hush, Hush, (don’t speak of it)

This is a place to throw off the cares of the week.
A place for hammocks and splashing water.
A family place and a place to retire.
To pitch a tent, sleep under the stars.

But soon, vibration, headache, heartache.
Twenty-four seven.

Hush. Hush. Hush (shhhh)

This was a neighborly place, a kind place.
Where neighbors shared and helped each other.
But now, the bitterness of helpless rage and loss.
What a shame.

Pat Morris, Dunnville

Adverse Health Effects, Green Energy, Health

Niagara Wind Who are you going to Call?

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Why, Where and How to Report Health & Wellness Issues or Observations

Niagara Wind Contact Number: 1-884-363-6491

Call 911 for emergencies

MOECC Niagara District Office  (Mon. – Friday 08:30 – 5 p.m.) 905-704-3900 or 1-800-263-1035 x 43906

 Any Time: call MOECC – Spills Action Centre

1-800-268-6060

Parts of the NRWF industrial scale wind facility have become operational -that is -not only spinning, but also under load (Generating power).  Now it gets interesting…

The best things we can do to protect ourselves:

  1. Maintain a logical frame of mind:
    1. Do not focus on any noise or vibration they might create in your home – only observe if they are present or not, then focus away.
  1. If noise and/or vibration is present:
    1. Keep a log of what you observed and when you observed it.
    2. Include what you did about it
    3. Complete the log as soon as you can after the event occurs – improves accuracy.
    4. Please see the linked “Wellness Log” template below you may wish to use. I prefer to use Google Drive because I can access the log from anywhere on any device. (Requires a free Google Gmail account)
  1. Report any issues through official channels:
    1. This is the primary method by which we can effect change!
    2. The Wind Power Corporation is bound by law to report conditions to the MOE(Ministry of the Environment), when you issue an incident report to them.
    3. Even if you don’t get any reply – continue doing this. The reports of issues can be obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and used.

Please circulate these materials to your friends and neighbours. We hope that no one feels any negative reaction, but if we do, we must not suffer in silence.

Here is a link to a Wellness Log Template. Ways to use this file:

  1. Sign up for a Gmail account, open the spreadsheet and click “File > Make a Copy”
  2. If you don’t have or want a Gmail account, click “File > Download As > Microsoft Excel”
  3. Print

Wishing everyone good health and happiness.

Adverse Health Effects, Green Energy, Health

Sound of turbines is an ethical issue

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sound-1

Assessing the need for industrial wind farms and their siting requires ethical values. The wind industry repeatedly dismisses the adverse health effects of living close to industrial wind farms. The claims are made on the fact that there have been few “peer-reviewed” articles directly connecting adverse health outcomes to the proximity to wind farms. However there is a plethora of published complaints worldwide linking health complaints to living near wind farms.

As a physician I was intrigued by this discordance. My experience with human disease told me that we all were missing something. I began to research the health impact of industrial wind farms on those individuals living in close proximity. I wish to share my conclusions.

Wind turbines produce audible and inaudible sound waves. Not all individuals living close to wind turbines are adversely affected. Nevertheless a significant number are intolerant in the long term. High levels of audible wind noise are clearly associated with degradation of health, which is improved as the decibel level is decreased. Inaudible infrasound and its effect on human and animal health has not been adequately studied. The lack of scientific information linking infrasound to adverse health outcomes may be because we are just beginning to understand the alterations in human physiology confronted with infrasound. There is a growing body of evidence that infrasound matters and may be the cause of negative health outcomes.

Recent research suggests that the inner ear is capable of sensing infrasound and affecting the way we sleep, learn, problem solve and interpret the environment around us. Some communities have recognized the existence of adverse health impacts and have begun to legislate to protect individuals.

Back to ethics. Why then are we in such a hurry to place wind farms so close to living organisms when there is a potential for an adverse outcome? Corporate and ethical responsibility no longer is a matter of how much money is donated to a person or a cause. Rather, ethical corporations should not adversely affect the environment and degrade human life. Instead of siting industrial wind close to populations, why not look to conservation and other renewables that don’t have associated health complaints? Is it ethical to ask that some suffer while others prosper? I would argue no. I would argue my peers would agree when they review the emerging data.

DAVID A. CHERRY, M.D.

Windham

Published October 19 , 2016  Rutland Herald:

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20161019/OPINION02/161019623

Adverse Health Effects, Green Energy, Health

Knowledge Partner in Wind Turbine Health Study

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huron-county-wind-turbines

By October 19, 2016 4:39am

The municipality of Bluewater is now officially a “knowledgeable partner” in the study being conducted by the Huron County Health Unit, the University of Waterloo and Wind Concerns Ontario into the relationship between health problems and wind turbines.

Council approved the motion this week and will issue a letter of support acknowledging that position.

Mayor Tyler Hessel explains the role of the municipality and the Health Unit at this point is collecting complaints from residents who live close to turbines and are experiencing health issues.

He’s adds he’s looking forward to hearing back from the people at the Health Unit working on that, and their analysis of the complaints.  Hessel says that analysis might form future actions of the municipality.

READ AT: http://blackburnnews.com/midwestern-ontario/midwestern-ontario-news/2016/10/19/municipality-bluewater-knowledgeable-partner-turbine-study/