October 26, 2012
Letters, Ontario

Turbines quickly raise stress levels

www.niagarathisweek.com

Over the past 20 years I’ve travelled all over North America teaching automotive technicians and repair shop owners how to service and repair modern vehicles. In my travels I have come across fields of wind turbines and stayed in the vicinity of them for days at a time while I taught the locals during numerous two- and four-day classes.

This was my experience: at first sight coming upon the turbine field it was like walking into the Dome for the first time. Just breathtaking the huge inspiring spires of technology piercing the sky with their sleek blades slowly turning as they harness the power of the wind. Seemingly silent green and majestic as the blades cut through the air and power the cities and villages they tower above.

They loomed on the horizon as I got nearer my destination and I realized that they were miles away again leaving me in awe of their vast size. As I arrived at my destination I could hear them cut the sky “whomp whomp whomp”. I thought not overly loud in comparison to a passing train in the peaceful and quiet hamlet of St Ann’s where I live. After all, I like to hear the train passing through St Ann’s in the quiet of the night it’s a lonely sound and it reminds me of songs on the radio.

At first they were interesting, new and cool. But after a day or two in the vicinity of them looming over my shoulder I realized that I missed the sky and felt like I had someone standing over me like a nasty boss that I had when I was a kid, peering and leering over my shoulder reminding me of something. It dawned on me what I was feeling was stress.

The blades ever turning slightly faster than my heartbeat, raising my blood pressure as my heart fought to keep pace with the blades. As the wind and the barometric pressure increased, so did my stress. As the blades increased in speed, the stress compounded and my head began to pound. I felt like I was in a race and couldn’t stop and couldn’t get away.

Not wanting to offend the locals I was tactful for once and said “wow, the windmills are so majestic how do you like having them?” One fellow said “they don’t bug me, but as long as I have to put up with them, I think I should get some kind of discount on my electrical bill but I don’t.” Everyone chuckled and the general consensus was that they all wished they had known then what they know now.

The biggest complaint was that their homes couldn’t sell for what they bought them for anymore because property values had dropped to the point where they would lose thousands and in some cases still owe. So they can’t get away.

My questions are: is it too late to stop this and put solar panels on everyone’s home?

What about my property value? If they bug me will I be able to move? My real estate agent said they have already started putting clauses in the paperwork to avert any lawsuits. Clearly an indication that you personally are going to lose money so someone else can profit. Let’s do a study on that.

Forget the studies, folks. It looks like we are getting turbines whether we like it or not. I want to know if they are going to subsidize my loss in property value so I can leave the lovely peaceful and quiet little hamlet of St Ann’s where I’ve spent the last 20 years and get away from the blades without losing $30 to $70 thousand dollars of equity. All this so some turbine company can egg beater my sky, raise my blood pressure and stress level to can make millions selling megawatts of power to who, New York State? Let them build the windmills there. I would rather go solar.

Bill Stafford

Beamsville


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/10/26/turbines-quickly-raise-stress-levels/