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And of course,
wind turbines
are fully compatible with agriculture, massively reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, make
little noise,
save lives by displacing coal-fired power stations
that kill millions of people each year with their air pollution, and harm no
one's health.
See also, the advantages of having a nearby wind farm |
"The Eastern Mt Lofty Ranges Landscape Guardians is an organisation of residents and landholders whose aim is to preserve the flora, fauna, amenity and tranquility (sic) of the Mt. Lofty Ranges near the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Cambrai, Sedan and surrounding areas in South Australia."It can easily be shown that they don't really care about the environment...
Wind farms kill few birds. The world's main bird protection groups recognise that climate change is a far greater threat, so they support wind power development. Australian flora and fauna will suffer badly as the climate changes; damage is already to be seen if you look for it (photo below). As the climate changes species will no longer suit their habitats, and those that cannot move will be forced into at least local extinction. As for the tranquillity that the EMLRLG talk about, wind turbines do not make much noise and cannot often be heard at all at distances greater than a kilometre or two. Immediately beneath a wind turbine a conversation can easily be conducted without raising one's voice, and often the sound of the breeze in nearby vegetation drowns-out the sound of turbines at distances of a kilometre or more. The claim to aim to protect the local environment is a universal one by the various Landscape Guardians groups. It seems to be a ploy to sound positive. Calling themselves the Eastern Mt Lofty Ranges Wind Power Opposition Group sounds negative; but it would be a more accurate name. By far the main interest of the EMLRLG seems to be in pursuing a short-sighted strategy of keeping wind farms out of their immediate vicinity (see NIMBYism). Environmentalists have long urged people to "think globally, act locally"; Landscape Guardians groups "think deviously, act selfishly". How SKWF came to my notice
I have written about the scientific method and science in practice elsewhere, so here I will confine myself to pointing out that science is not about listening to "experts" who say things that agree with one's preconceptions; it is about going out into the world, making direct observations and measurements, and examining the scientific literature. (There have been at least 20 reviews of the scientific literature, not one of which has confirmed the claims of groups such as EMLRLG; they all conclude that there is no credible evidence that wind farms harm anyone.)
The email went on to say that I should "Be glad [I am] 15km and not one[,]
two or up to ten km from wind turbines".
Apparently the writer is under the impression that while I found wind
turbines absolutely benign when I slept beneath them, and have not had any
problems relating to living 15km from a wind farm, if I lived between
one and ten km from them I would have problems!
This shows a very poor understanding of the propagation of
sound, of the
inverse square law of
physics and the
dose-response relationship between
environmental hazards and health.
It is arguable that the exceptionally hot and dry summer that was responsible for the damage in the Sping Gully Conservation Park shown above may not have had anything to do with climate change. What is undeniable by any well informed and honest person is that exceptional weather events such as this will become more common as climate change progresses unless we get serious about taking action such as replacing fossil fuel fired power stations with wind farms and other forms of benign renewable energy. Saying "climate change action is well and good, but not if it is near me" should not be accepted by right-minded people. |
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