Tag Archives: wind turbines

Adverse Health Effects, Health, Property Rights

Vacated Homes & Industrial Wind Turbines

1 Comment

New research about housing decisions and relationship to industrial wind turbines.

Wind turbine installation in Haldimand County. Ontario allows 500 metre set- backs from centre of a home that is not the hosting property.

Grounded Theory as an Analytical Tool to Explore Housing Decisions Related to Living in the Vicinity of Industrial Wind Turbines Carmen M. Krogh1*, Robert Y. McMurtry2, W. B. Johnson3, Anne Dumbrille4, Mariana Alves-Pereira5, Jerry L. Punch6, Debra Hughes7, Linda Rogers8, Robert W. Rand9, Richard James10, Stephen E. Ambrose11, Lorrie Gillis121Magentica Research Group, Member of the Board of Directors, Killaloe, Canada.
2Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada.
3Independent, Winterset, USA.
4Independent, Picton, Canada.
5School of Sciences for Economics and Organizations, Lusofona University, Lisbon, Portugal.
6Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
7Independent, West Lincoln, Canada.
8Mothers against Wind Turbines, Member of the Board of Directors, Haldimand County, Canada.
9Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE) Member Emeritus, Brunswick, USA.
10Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE) through 2017, Okemos, USA.
11Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE) Emeritus, Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Emeritus, Windham, USA.
12Independent, Grey Highlands, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1107233 PDF HTML

Abstract Background: Some people living near wind turbines have reported adverse health effects and taken the step to vacate/abandon their homes, while others contemplate doing so or have decided to remain in their homes. Research on the extent and outcomes of these events is lacking. To date, our preliminary findings and an overview of results have been published in the scientific literature. Methods: This study utilized a qualitative methodology, specifically Grounded Theory, to interview 67 residents of Ontario living within 10 km of an industrial wind turbine project. Objectives: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research each has strengths and weaknesses in addressing particular research questions. The purpose of this article is to compare the qualitative and quantitative methodologies and to describe the benefits of having used a qualitative methodology, specifically Grounded Theory, to explore the events that influenced families living within 10 km of wind energy facilities to contemplate vacating their homes and to formulate a substantive theory regarding these housing decisions. Results: It was found that research into the impacts of siting industrial wind turbines in a rural residential population can be challenging for a quantitative methodological approach due to factors such as low population density, obtaining a sufficient sample, and achieving statistical power and statistical significance. We conclude that the Grounded Theory methodology was applicable to this study as it assisted with the development of a coherent theory which explained participants’ housing decisions. Discussion: This paper assesses the appropriateness of a qualitative methodology for conducting the vacated/abandoned home study. Through the utilization of the qualitative Grounded Theory methodology, government authorities, researchers, medical and health practitioners, social scientists and policy makers with an interest in health policy and disease prevention have the opportunity to gain an awareness of the potential risk of placing wind energy projects near family homes.

Keywords Wind Turbines, Vacated/Abandoned Homes, Qualitative

Share and Cite: Krogh, C.M., McMurtry, R.Y., Johnson, W.B., Dumbrille, A., Alves-Pereira, M., Punch, J.L., Hughes, D., Rogers, L., Rand, R.W., James, R., Am- brose, S.E. and Gillis, L. (2021) Grounded Theory as an Analytical Tool to Explore Housing Decisions Related to Living in the Vicinity of Industrial Wind Turbines. Open Access Library Journal, 8, 1-22. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1107233.


DOWNLOAD PAPER: Grounded Theory as an Analytical Tool to Explore Housing Decisions Related to Living in the Vicinity of Industrial Wind Turbines

Animals and turbines, Destruction from turbines, fighting big wind., harm to wildlife, Ontario Wind

Barn owl halts turbine project | Simcoe Reformer

2 Comments

barn owl

By Daniel R. Pearce

The barn owl has done what no anti-wind turbine protester in Port Ryerse has been able to do to date: halt construction of a green energy project in their village.

A woman walking her dog this summer spotted one of the birds — they are on the endangered species list in Ontario — flying into a barn.

An investigation ensued, photographs of the owl perched on a woodpile were taken, and the sighting was confirmed. The evidence was then presented to an environmental review tribunal hearing, which last week slapped a five-month moratorium on the project.

Boralex, the company that wants to construct a four-turbine 10-megawatt wind farm next to Lake Erie, must now apply to the Ontario government for what’s known as an “overall benefit permit” if it wants to continue with the project.

It must submit an amended plan showing how the wind farm will avoid having a negative impact on the owls and that it has explored alternative sites. It must also show it will do something to help the birds, such as creating new habitat.

The tribunal hearing has been adjourned until March 31.

The Port Ryerse case is the first time a project in Ontario has been ordered back to the drawing board due to the presence of barn owls.

As a result, “there are a number of unknowns right now that will take some work and some time to bring to a conclusion,” Sylvia Davis, legal counsel for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, wrote in an email to the parties to the hearing.

The barn owl is so rare there have only been four confirmed nesting sites in the province in the past decade and maybe a dozen or more confirmed sightings, said Bernie Solymar, a member of the Ontario Barn Owl Recovery Team who happens to live in Port Ryerse.

Read rest of article here.

And this related article as well.                                                          Barn owl killed by wind turbine-they said such a thing could not happen.

Animals and turbines, Corruption, Destruction from turbines, Direct Effects, Environment, Government corruption, harm to wildlife, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise, Turbines and Tourism, Turbines run on Subsidies

“Absolute Corruption”

Leave a comment

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHER: WIND INDUSTRY RIDDLED WITH ‘ABSOLUTE CORRUPTION’

Written by James Delingpole, breitbart.com

A Mexican ecologist has blown the whistle on the corruption, lies and incompetence of the wind industry – and on the massive environmental damage it causes in the name of saving the planet. wind turbines

Patricia Mora, a research professor in coastal ecology and fisheries science at the National Institute of Technology in Mexico, has been studying the impact of wind turbines in the Tehuantepec Isthmus in southern Mexico, an environmentally sensitive region which has the highest concentration of wind farms in Latin America.

When a project is installed, the first step is to “dismantle” the area, a process through which all surrounding vegetation is eliminated. This means the destruction of plants and sessilities – organisms that do not have stems or supporting mechanisms – and the slow displacement over time of reptiles, mammals, birds, amphibians, insects, arachnids, fungi, etc. Generally we perceive the macro scale only, that is to say, the large animals, without considering the small and even microscopic organisms…

….After the construction is finalized, the indirect impact continues in the sense that ecosystems are altered and fragmented. As a result, there is a larger probability of their disappearance, due to changes in the climate and the use of soil.

The turbines, she says in an interview with Truthout, have had a disastrous effect on local flora and fauna.          Read more.

Children Affected, Health effects from wind turbines, Noise

The Noise from Wind Turbines: Potential Adverse Impacts on Children’s Well-Being

Leave a comment

 Published July 22, 2011

Corresponding Author: Arline L. Bronzoft, GrowNYC, New York, NY. USA

Albtor@aol.com

Bio:

Arline L. Bronzaft, PhD is a Professor Emerita of Lehman College, City University of New York.

She serves on the Mayor’s GrowNYC, having been named to this organization by three previous

Mayors as well. Dr. Bronzaft is the author of landmark research on the effects of elevated train noise on children’s classroom learning; has examined the impacts of airport-related noise on quality of life; and has published articles on noise in environmental books, academic journals and the more popular press. In 2007, she assisted in the updating of the New York City Noise

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Abstract

Research linking loud sounds to hearing loss in youngsters is now widespread,  resulting in the issuance of warnings to protect children’s hearing.  However, studies attesting to the adverse effects of intrusive sounds and noise on children’s overall mental and physical health and well-being have not received similar attention. This, despite the fact that many studies have demonstrated that intrusive noises such as those from passing road traffic, nearby rail systems, and overhead aircraft can adversely affect children’s cardiovascular system, memory, language development and learning acquisition. While some schools in the United States have received funds to abate intrusive aircraft noise, for example, many schools still expose children to noises from passing traffic and overhead aircraft. Discussion focuses on the harmful effects of noise on children, what has to be done to remedy the situation, and the need for action to lessen the impacts of noise from all sources. Furthermore, based on our knowledge of the harmful effects of noise on children’s health and the growing body of evidence to suggest the potential harmful effects of industrial wind turbine noise, it is strongly urged that further studies be conducted on the impacts of industrial wind turbines on their health, as well as the health of their parents, before forging ahead in siting industrial wind turbines.

read entire paper here : The Noise from Wind Turbines: Potential Adverse Impacts on Children’s Well-Being Arline L. Bronzaft

Uncategorized

“Down Wind” July 10 at 7 p.m. at the Regent Theatre, Picton

Leave a comment

down-wind-movie-promo-small

Dear APPEC Supporter:

The ​

APPEC Fundraising Committee has arranged a showing of Down Wind at the Regent Theatre

​on

Thursday, July 10 at 7 p.m.  Admission $10.00.

Gillan Richards, a spokesperson for SOAR (Save Ontario’s Algoma Region), describes Down Wind as a film “that exposes how the lights of liberty went out for Ontario citizens deeply opposed to wind turbine projects. It tells the stories of communities torn apart, and the rural warriors now fighting for their rights, health and happiness. . .The film tells the ugly truth about lucrative big wind power contracts, skyrocketing electricity prices, and the political connections behind it all.  It uncovers the skeptical sales pitch that wind turbines are good for the air and won’t impact health. And it provides a glimmer of hope that this nightmare can be overcome with fair-minded solutions.”
​Passionate stories, eye-dropping footage and never-before seen interviews, including an interview with Dr. Robert McMurtry, are showcased in the film.
​ ​
Rebecca Thompson,

Sun News Network contributor

and host of this news documentary,

will be on hand to introduce the film.

​​
​​
​This is an excellent opportunity to find out about the full scope of impacts of industrial wind turbine projects on Ontario communities.
Regards,
APPEC Board
Gord Gibbins, Chair

 

Uncategorized

Skydive Burnaby Appealing Tribunal Decision

Leave a comment

Skydive BurnabyFred Furminger  The Tribune  June 28, 2014

 

Construction of Wainfleet Wind Energy turbines has been halted by a court order as Skydive Burnaby appeals the May ruling of Ontario’s environmental review tribunal, which dismissed its concerns about safety to its nearby parachutists.

Tara Pitt, who co-owns the skydiving club with husband Mike, said Ontario Divisional Court has granted an injunction prohibiting Wainfleet Wind Energy from any further work on the remainder of its five-turbine project in the Concession 1 area pending the appeal.

The injunction that went into effect last Monday applies only to the two unfinished turbines some 1.5 kilometres west of Skydive Burnaby on land owned by the Loeffen family, a partner in the wind energy company with Rankin Construction.

Tom Rankin said Tuesday there remains little left to do to complete those two turbines on Station Rd., and tie them in to three other finished Vestas V100-1.8MW turbines that have yet to be put into energy production.

“I should be operating now,” Rankin said.

The Pitts filed to have their case heard by the environmental review tribunal in October 2013 over concerns their business established in 1948 and its skydiving clients would be at risk by the 95-metre-tall turbines. Three weeks of hearings took place over January and February and subsequent conference calls with involved parties in March and April.

In his 87-page decision handed down in May, tribunal vice-chair Dirk VanderBent said the Pitts did not provide sufficient evidence to suggest its skydivers will be seriously harmed by collision with the wind turbines or interaction with their turbulence wakes.

Skydive Burnaby’s next recourse was to file an appeal with Ontario’s Divisional Court, which is responsible for hearing appeals from administrative tribunals. Appeals are normally heard by three Superior Court justices.

The Pitts’ lawyer, Eric Gillespie, said the injunction imposed by the court came with two conditions: that a hearing date be set in August — since set for the 18th and 19th; and that the Pitts give an undertaking to pay Wainfleet Wind Energy damages if their appeal is unsuccessful.

Gillespie said the undertaking will be challenged at a court review next Friday.

Wainfleet Wind Energy’s five turbines working in tandem, its website says, are estimated to generate 26 million kWh of power annually, enough electricity to power 2,500 homes.  Read article here.

Uncategorized

Turbines Spin Without Approval

Leave a comment

Grimsby Lincoln News,  June 19, 2014  Amanda Moore

WEST LINCOLN — They’ve only been running a few days and already residents living near wind turbines say they are feeling the effects.

“I don’t hear the refrigerator or anything anymore,” said Zlata Zoretic, seated at neighbour Wendy Veldman’s kitchen table Tuesday afternoon. “Just this low hum.”

Zoretic said she has felt pressure in her ears since the turbines in the HAF Wind Energy Project were turned on June 12. Her bedroom window gives her an uninterrupted view of the turbine that is just 640 metres from her home.

“Is it in my head? I don’t know,” she said. “It’s driving me crazy.”

The turbines were switched on without warning last week for a 24-hour and have not stopped turning since.  Read rest of article.

Direct Effects, Ontario Wind, Property Rights

MPAC Wind Turbine Property Assessment Study – Stand by for Peer Reviewed Assessments

Leave a comment

First look at the MPAC study which is way OVERDUE! Stand by for reviews from the field. Houses that haven’t sold were not included in the study.

See original study link here which includes a link to all Appendices – http://www.mpac.ca/property_owners/IndustrialWindTurbines.asp

Government Misrepresentation, Health, Health effects from wind turbines, Property Rights, Protecting our children

Presentation: “Harm from Wind Turbines: What Has Been Known for Decades”

1 Comment

Speaker: Carmen Krogh
Date: Wed 7 May 2014.  3:30pm.
Place: DC1302 (Davis Center), University of Waterloo
Abstract:

The topic of adverse health effects associated with wind facilities is globally debated. It is acknowledged that if placed too close to residents, industrial wind turbines can negatively affect the physical, mental and social well-being of some. In addition to the general population, at risk are the vulnerable such as fetuses, babies, children, elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. There is published research on the effects of Low Frequency/Infrasound (LFI) on people and animals dating back several decades. This presentation will provide some of the available evidence drawn from peer reviewed literature, authoritative references, and other sources. It is proposed that known risk of harm can be avoided by siting wind facilities a protective distance from residents.

 

Bio:

Carmen Krogh is published in peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals and has presented papers at scientific noise conferences. She is an independent, full time volunteer and for almost 6 years has researched health and other effects associated with industrial wind energy facilities and shares information with individuals, communities, authorities, wind energy developers, industry and others.  Krogh’s background in health care, vigilance monitoring, editing and publishing helps inform her work. She held senior positions at a major teaching hospital; as a drug information researcher; a professional association and the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada (PMRA). She is a former Director of Publications and Editor-in-chief of the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS), the book used by physicians, nurses, and health professionals for prescribing information on prescription medication in Canada. Her goal is evidence-based siting of IWTs that protects human health.

Uncategorized

OEH Seminar: Wind turbines and human health

1 Comment

Thursday March 20, 2014 from 8 am to 9 am  Toronto, Ontario

Emotional public objection, scientific and government publications, and legal proceedings all play into the debate around the issue of wind turbines and human health. While some argue that electromagnetic fields, shadow flicker, and audible/inaudible noise from operational wind turbines are related to self-reported health effects, others suggest that subjective variables like visual cue, attitude, personality, and expectations related to media, rather than turbine-specific variables, are linked to reported effects. In his presentation, Dr. Loren Knopper will highlight his experience in the field, the most prominent information found in the popular literature, the state of scientific/medical knowledge on the issue, and provide a weight-of-evidence conclusion on this debate.

Presenter: Dr. Loren Knopper

Dr. Knopper is an internationally recognized environmental health scientist at Intrinsik Environmental Sciences. Dr. Knopper’s career has focused on human health and ecological risk assessment, human and ecological toxicology and health, public communication, and scientific training. He has been involved in risk/scientific communication with a number of stakeholders including government and regulatory officials, industry representatives, aboriginal councils, and the general public. He maintains an active academic practice and holds adjunct professor appointments at the University of Waterloo, the Royal Military College of Canada, and the University of Guelph. Dr. Knopper was recently nominated for the prestigious Eni Award, which recognizes researchers who have achieved internationally significant results in the field of human activity and the natural environment.

 

Please note: This is an open invitation, and may be forwarded to interested parties. Attendees may join in person or via webinar. 

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

For Seminar/Webinar details please read here.