Academic’s response was disappointing
The Courier, www.thecourier.com.au 4 January 2012
I am disappointed that such a self-proclaimed fighter for the health rights of others as Prof Simon Chapman has joined the ranks of those who deny that wind turbines have any impact on those who reside in close proximity.
To further denigrate these victims as only suffering due to envy, is a very poor response from this academic of such high standing.
Whether there were 30 or 2000 at the wind industry conference is not the issue, but rather that public health research has got it wrong before and while no offence was ever intended to the victims of tobacco or asbestos, original research cleared both products of any adverse public health outcomes, and these industries denied any health problems attributable to their products.
How wrong they were. The wind energy industry and its supporters like Simon Chapman, maybe should take a risk adverse approach and view all the available evidence and stop their denials.
I would welcome Prof Chapman to visit us, and meet people in our communities who suffer sleep deprivation and other more severe effects of living close to wind turbines.
And by the way, if Prof Chapman had attended the wind industry conference, he would have heard me say that I have no problem with the aesthetics of wind turbines, and that our Council supports renewable energy. However, it is our job to stand up for our communities and make sure that they are not being bullied and hurt by any industrial development whether it be wind farms, coal mining or other noxious industry.
PAT GRIFFIN
Mayor, Moorabool Shire Council
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/05/academics-response-was-disappointing/