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Wind turbines are not what you think
Credit: Argus Leader | June 18, 2014 | www.argusleader.com ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
When we bought our acreage southeast of Canton 20 years ago, we had the expectation of tranquil country living.
Now Dakota Power Community Wind plans to construct 500 wind turbines, each 400 to 500 feet tall, in southern Lincoln County, one of the fastest-growing counties in America.
Acreage and land owners who oppose them were told by a representative that this is a private venture and the public has no need to know. There will be no local benefit because the power is going to Chicago and beyond. The salesmen selling 50-year contracts to landowners fool the public by calling wind energy sustainable and green as a way to promote it. In reality, it is unreliable and expensive. Without huge government subsidies, they wouldn’t exist. The wind doesn’t blow all the time, so turbines produce energy at or above average rate only about 40 percent of the time. They require large amounts of fossil fuels to manufacture, deliver and maintain. Back-up generators are required to provide consistent energy.
The negative impacts of living near turbines can be substantial. Proximity to wind farms can reduce property values drastically. Spinning turbines produce constant sounds, both audible and infra-sound. There can be stray voltage, shadow flicker and FAA lights that flash constantly day and night.
All of this can affect our health, pets, livestock and wildlife. A condition known as Wind Turbine Syndrome causes symptoms such as headaches, nausea, ringing in the ears, anxiety, sleep disturbances and high blood pressure.
I personally experienced turbines in Toronto and felt nauseated and had a headache for two hours afterward.
So the next time you drive in southern Lincoln County near Newton Hills, picture the landscape cluttered with stark white monstrosities and consider living next to them. Many of us may soon might be surrounded by them and have no rights whatsoever
Deanna R. Brouwer
Beresford
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