Loud wind turbines do not belong near homes
Concerning Mr. Gary Trew’s commentary on wind power on May 8:
Mr. Trew, I am not an engineer so I cannot comment on topics 1 through 4, but I am a health-care professional and a homeowner who lives in the wind factory, and would like to correct topic No. 5.
Wind turbines are noisy a lot of the time — very noisy.
There are two sounds, a motor drone and an intermittent whooshing sound. The noise is constant, loud and penetrating. This noise penetrates my house; especially my bedroom at night, when it is at its loudest because of the cool air at ground level. This noise is with my windows closed. Disturbing your sleep, yes; good for your health, no.
Your comment that this is a noise crickets can drown out is wrong. The sound from the turbines drowns out the noise of the crickets. It’s obvious you have not experienced turbine noise in your bedroom.
I challenge your definition of wind opponents. Most of us have lived in our homes many years, myself over 30 years. We are small business owners, health-care workers and firefighters. We go to church, work every day, and pay taxes. You rue the loss of prime farmland to McMansions. Who is selling them the land? What about the 25 miles of prime farmland paved as access roads to the turbines?
Your comment that we have “not-in-my-backyard attitudes” makes me wonder if this happened to your parents’ or children’s homes, would you be so vociferous about other people’s complaints, or would you tell your family members to just “suck it up.”
Maybe you need to listen closer. We don’t say we are against wind power, but these turbines do not belong near homes; making people suffer consequences of flicker, noise and flashing lights, that affect the “salability” of their homes, their retirement, their life investments, their peace of mind or their health.
I hope the other facts presented in your letter have more credibility than those concerning noise. I feel the wind factory is an example of big business pushing its agendas without ethical considerations.
Sandy Vercauteren is a Byron resident.
16 May 2008
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Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
