Dwarfed by Turbines

Dwarfed by Turbines

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Renovations - Was it worth it?

Hi all, Sorry I haven't written lately. I know a lot of you are waiting to hear if the massive renovation we undertook has had any affect on the turbines. The easy answer is, I am not sure.
We are not quite finished the renovation, including the cocking of windows, a few areas for insulation, and a very small portion of the siding. We have been working many extra hours to help pay for the greatly overbudget renovation, so I have not had a lot of time to blog....

This is what I do know.... When renovating, we also did some work on the foundations of the building, I believe that this has greatly assisted with the vibration within our home. I have not had the "vibration" feeling for quite some time while in the house. While I have had some minor feelings of "dizziness", or a "sea legs" type feeling, I am so excited that the mysterious vibrations and heart palpitations seem to be lessened greatly. Unfortunately, I am not sure if that is attributed to the renovation, the fact that I am home far less(therefore less exposure), or because we have not really hit the winter yet and this is when I found it the worst last year. It is unfortunate that even on a nice day we are unable to open our windows because the turbines can not be silenced when the windows are open, or in the yard....

As for the noise, it does seem to be greatly lessened when the windows are closed, etc. in the house. We are sleeping better, however, we often wake with extremely dry tired eyes, and also we all still seem to feel unrested, even after a long night of sleep.

I guess it remains to be seen what happens from here, especially with the new turbines going in out front of the house - we will now be suffering from every angle....

November 16th - media release

Dr. Sarah Laurie (from Australia) attended the health symposium in Picton. For those who are unaware, The Society for Wind Vigilance Health Symposium was held in Picton at the end of October 2010. For more information visit the society website....

November 16, 2010


Media Release

Doctor Advises Clean Energy Council to Admit Adverse Health Effects of Wind Turbines

Former Rural GP, Dr Sarah Laurie condemned a report released by the Clean Energy Council last week as lacking integrity for not admitting that some rural Australians are indeed becoming very ill, when they live or work adjacent to wind turbines.

“The major issue for families living in the vicinity of wind turbines is noise for extended periods of time leading to chronic sleep deprivation, which itself is associated with all sorts of health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, suppressed immunity, difficulties concentrating and depression” said Dr Laurie.

The Clean Energy Council commissioned SONUS report acknowledged that complaints generally relate to concerns regarding noise and health related impacts.

Dr Laurie is now the Medical Director of the Waubra Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation committed to the independent study of health effects of wind turbines on rural communities.

The foundation is concerned at the absence of any published independent peer reviewed studies showing wind turbines are actually safe in close proximity to people over the longer term.

There is however, mounting evidence across the world that these turbines do cause major health problems, identical to those described by Dr Nina Pierpont and Dr Michael Nissenbaum at an international conference in Canada in October attended by Dr Laurie.

“I have now interviewed over 40 people in rural Australia who have been affected by wind turbines, with the same symptoms”.

“The reality for some neighbours of wind turbines in Australia is that they become extremely unwell. Some have been forced to leave their family homes, farms and livelihoods as they can no longer work their land. Others are unable to leave, as their main asset is their house and land, which becomes unsaleable” said Dr Laurie.

The SONUS report states that only a few field studies on noise annoyance among people living close to turbines have been conducted and further investigations have been recommended.

The Waubra Foundation believes there is an urgent need for independent academic acoustic and medical research into this important area before more turbines are constructed close to people's homes and workplaces.

“We call on the government and the wind industry to commit to funding these independent studies without delay” concluded Dr Laurie.

Contact Dr Sarah Laurie 08 8636 2051 or 0439 865 914

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Here we go...

Just a quick note to say that last night the turbines were LOUD! My poor husband had to sleep with the radio on, and overslept thanks to a lack of actual sleep during the night!!! We did have the windows open due to the nice weather, but hopefully at least in the winter we will be able to close everything up and get some sleep....

Friday, September 10, 2010

Friday, September 10th

Last night the turbines were not noticeable at all, thankfully. I woke up feeling more rested and not stiff and sore. It would be nice if this continues...I understand that our premier was not too happy to be approached by those against wind turbines - this is a "Green" project and it looks to me like he refuses to discuss any possibility of problems. http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/858614

Here's something interesting, a women informed me last evening that she tried to find out exactly how many turbines were "needed", "wanted", "planned" for Ontario and can not get an answer. As I look at the more than 20 I can see just from my windows, I wonder also - When is enough, enough?

Nik

Saturday, September 4, 2010

September 4th, I may have spoke too soon

It is 10:30pm Saturday night. The kids are asleep and although I tried to sleep as well, I am up - Again... This past 4 days has brought back all of the memories of the difficulties that the windmills can cause. I was actually starting to hope that we had grown accustomed to them, or that they were fixed, or that by some miracle things had changed. Until now.
On the 31st of August, Tuesday, the turbines were as loud as I have ever heard them. Not even like a plane, more like an unimaginably huge fan in the field. More than the usual woosh, it was amplified, so loud, almost like something from a movie. Then on Wednesday, I noticed they were loud still, but quieter, back to "normal", not like the loudest I had heard them the day before. Still, even though they seemed to quiet slightly after 9pm, I found I could not sleep. My glands on my right side of the throat felt swollen, my eyes extremely dry feeling, and my ear hurt slightly.
By Thursday, after having hardly any sleep, and I am sure no REM sleep at all, I felt Tired, my body felt weighed down, my limbs heavy, the pain in my neck and ear worsened but there were no signs of illness or infection. These feeling continued to Friday and it's difficult to explain, but I felt Nothing. No motivation, no real feelings of any kind, just kind of going through the motions of the day with difficulty. No desire to "do" anything. With regards to work, I had big plans to finish some calls, paperwork and organizing in the office this week in preparation for what I hope will be a very successful September. These plans were so important to me the week before, and are again now, however, during these past days, nothing seemed important - I just wanted to sit, not think, just sleep - this is very strange for me as I am usually very motivated and always moving and busy. Even when the children asked me to play or do something for them, it was with great difficulty that I was able to fulfill their needs, and I left the entertaining up to the television and dad because I just couldn't get enough energy up to really "do" anything. And so I slept. I slept almost all day. Again, I had been unable to sleep the night before, but I just slept on Saturday. On and off, I continued to be needed for things, but as soon as I could, I just went back to bed and slept more. I felt a bit guilty for my behaviour, but honestly nothing really mattered but that much needed sleep. I tried a few times to clean up the house, or do the dishes, or work in the office but literally just couldn't. I couldn't concentrate, couldn't be physical, I just felt so tired. I really can not explain it with words.

Today, Saturday Sept 4th was much, much better. The worst symptom I felt today was that my eyes felt 'scratchy'. Dry, like they have little pieces of glass in them that rub when you blink, I guess that describes the feeling pretty good. Funny thing is that my husband left the house first thing this morning and called me a few hours later to say that he could still feel that uneasiness, that "spinning" feeling even long after he left the house. He too has had the "dry eyes" the past few days, and last night slept with a CD playing loudly beside him while he slept in order to drown out the turbines. I think this past few days is the worst either of us can remember - or maybe we have forgotten just how bad it was last year in our efforts to be optimistic. Because I slept most of the day yesterday and most of the night last night I was able to function today. Still, not very motivated, I forced myself to get things done. Laundry, housecleaning, back to school preparation, feeding the kids, playing with them, even some work in the office and some correspondence, and even, this blog now. It was windy today, very windy at times, perhaps too windy for the turbines. I could not sleep tonight, but honestly, I could not hear the turbines as on Saturday nights we can hear the Buxton raceway and that sound is what I heard through the bedroom window. It's funny, I actually find the distant sound of roaring motors less annoying than the turbines. Maybe it's because I know at 11pm it will end until next week. Maybe it's because the roaring engines are not accompanied by the spinning feeling, by the aches and pains, and, I can fall asleep when I hear them - most nights, except tonight and I think that is due to the turbines playing havoc on my body, and not the sound of the cars which I honestly barely notice.

We still have our windows open, at least some of them, so it remains to be seen whether the house closed up for winter will shield us from the turbines. After this past few days, I am skeptical and worried. I don't know how we can live with the turbines if they affect us this way. My business, I work from home, suffered greatly last year in comparison from the previous year in large part due to the many, many days that I felt drained, unmotivated, tired, sore eyes and limbs. I need to work. We need my income. I choose to work from home. Is it fair that this choice may be taken away from me?

As I sit now in the office, windows in this room closed, ceiling fan turning and the sound of my typing, I can not hear the turbines or any other noise from outside. If I listen closely, I think I can hear the raceway, but really no sounds from outside. I am not sure if the turbines are turning right now but I am guessing they are because I can feel a pressure in my head, like a headache coming on, and a tightness in my upper back and shoulders. This usually signals that they are turning. I will go to a window and check.......Yep. At the open window I can definately hear the turbines turning. They are not overly loud at this moment, but consistent. Turning at a pretty good rate. I guess I should be glad that it is chilly and I can shut some of the windows, but my mind keeps wondering what will happen this fall/winter? Will it get worse? Will we be forced from our home like so many before us? We will fight that all the way. We will do everything in our power to combat the symptoms and make our home liveable, but, what if?

If anyone with any say whatsoever is reading this blog, please find a way to place these turbines farther from homes, businesses, and schools. If they are to be a part of our future, then at least put them far enough away that they are not deteriorating quality of life for so many people.

Guess that's it for today. Be happy and healthy. Nik

Monday, August 30, 2010

Monday August 30th - Things that make you go "hmmm"

It's almost the end of August...We are finished the outer renovation with a few minor details remaining...we are working now on the inside, and yes, we are broke! Ha,ha, okay, not really, but WOW! what an expensive endeavour this turned out to be - between the re-enforcements, the rounded siding, the steel roof and the extreme amount of insulation - I think we have a turbine proof fortress now! It makes me wonder - if we have to spend all this money to continue to be happy and healthy in our homes, why is it that none of the turbines were turning yesterday?? What I mean by that is that I was driving back from camping along Lake Erie from Wheatley to our home (towards Blenheim) and not a single wind turbine was operating. How can this possibly be? I thought these metal giants were supposed to be Green, Energy producing wonderful machines of the future? And yet, not one was turning yesterday, production of electricity - Zero......Hmmmmm.

Another funny thing, my parents visited for a week from the 18th to the 26th. While he was here, my dad said he slept great but he felt tired, not quite himself, worn out... the same things I describe feeling when I am in this house too much! In fact, since I was around the house a lot that week, I too felt exhausted even though I should have been well rested based on the hours of sleep I received. I haven't asked my father if he has felt better upon returning home yet, but I sure noticed that being gone for three days camping this weekend made all the difference for me! The first day, same feelings, second day, feeling better and by the third day when we came home, I'd had less sleep the night before and felt more alive and awake than I have in a long time - likely since the last time I travelled and slept away from home, It's a bit like finding the fountain of youth - leave home for a few days and get away from the turbines....HMMMMM....Things that make you go hmmmm.

A little update. The turbines have been about the same, turning slowly or not at all, not as noticeable with the protection of the leaves on the trees. I truly hope that this fall we find that our renovations were all worth it and that our home is livable. On a good note though, there are so many skeptics out there who think we are all "making up" these symptoms. I am sure someone will buy the house even after I share my blog with them. Why wouldn't they, after all, I am just "making it up" because I don't "handle change well"...Hmmmmm

Wishing you all a Wonderful Day!

Nik

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

I have not blogged for quite some time...we are still in the midst of renovations to combat the noise and vibration from the turbines that are so close to our home. I must say that July and August have been much better. Unfortunately, we won't really know the affects of the renovation until the fall months. You see, like today, during these months the turbines tend to run slower, so, of course, less noise and vibration. Also, during these months, the trees that surround the rear of our home are filled with leaves and we believe this creates a bit of a sound barrier for us. We are very worried about the change in weather and the leaves coming off the trees later this year though. You see, not only do we have the previous turbines to contend with that sit to the rear and side of our home - we now have several others at the front of our home! We fear there will be no relief from the turbines this winter even when the wind is changing direction since we are now surrounded by them.
The landscape is horrible! I used to like the site of them, small lines of them in a few places lined up in the horizon. But, now in our area, you see them scattered throughout the horizon with no pattern, no thought to the scenery, just popped up here and there, wherever permission could be given to erect them.
I must say that this month I am finally beginning to feel like my old self again, with very little turbine activity and the fact that I have not been home very much, I feel more rested. No headaches. Less irritable, more at ease. I hope this continues and that our worries are over, actually, more than hope. I pray.
I still wonder about the affect the turbines have on my children's growing bodies and brains. Still hopeful that they have adjusted to it and will not again experience side affects this winter. My youngest still suffers from itchy skin and rashes, but to a far less degree than the pictures shown earlier in my blog (pictures of his unidentifiable rash, that doctor's could not explain).
Our renovation is nearly complete, and I truly believe that the size, solidness and outer materials and insulation will assist us with the vibration and noise - when we have everything closed up. I do not know how we will do when we are outside or when our windows are open.
Due to the renovations we have been forced to make so that we would not have to leave our home as so many others have, we have gone without proper heat in the winter (the roof was open for a while waiting on contractors) and without air conditioning this summer. I have enjoyed having the windows open, with the exception of when the turbines are spinning and then we still hear them.
Last week, or maybe it was the week before we were out on the deck in the evening and could hear a definite problem with one of the turbines. A whining sound, something wrong in the gears perhaps? Likely from lightening...with all of the storms we had here in July, we saw lightening being attracted to all of the surrounding turbines like bugs to light. It was scary to watch and a bit unnerving to see and hear lightening cracks so close to our bedroom window. We lost our Internet connection twice this season due to lightening striking so close to our airnet connection and we have to replace our router. We have had many phone issues, and television issues, as well as problems with other electronics such as the Wii game my kids love. The biggest burden of all is financial. This renovation has cost us so much more than we ever intended it to. The lumber, insulation, siding and roof added up so quickly. If it were not for the turbines, we would never have undertaken this big project at this time. Once started, we were committed, and now we both work constantly to try to pay the bills created - a debt that will be with us for quite some time. It doesn't seem fair that the wind companies and municipality are profiting while all we face is expense after expense and fear of ongoing health issues. I guess it is true that some people are expendable and you can not depend on your government, or anyone else to protect you from the politics of the world. Y'know it wouldn't be so bad if I believed this was the way of the future and that wind turbines would assist to "save the earth", but the more I read and learn, the more I can see that the "green" argument is not a good one for turbines and they do not contribute. They have not created jobs here. The only winners in this equation are the wind companies and the govt's. Even the people who are being paid now to have them on their land, even the ones who are not currently complaining of noise or health issues, will eventually be hurt as well when they are shut down and the landowner is faced with the huge cost of removing them - as stated in most contracts. These landowners have been used and I fear in the end will suffer just as we are now. It is truly a shame.

But, today is quiet. I feel good. My kids are at camp - safe. It is a good day.
I hope this peace continues. I hope this renovation was worth it and that we can stay in our home this winter and that we can share our success with others who are suffering.

A big thank you to all of you who continue to send me information and check in to see how we are doing. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated. Especially since at this point I can not even get a response from the wind company or the MOE. I will post some new pictures soon and try to keep you updated when, and if, we notice changes.
Nik

Sunday, May 30, 2010

May 30th - Check out this blog ....I could have written the May 23rd entry!!!

I must admit, I have not had a chance to read the entire blog...but this opening description intrigued me and I can certainly empathize with this family....

"we would like our blog readers to know that we are not angry people that go around all day bashing renewable resources. we love life, our neighbors, and people who don't necessarily agree with us. we count our blessings and life goes on. we are not going against the aesthetics of windmills, we are calling for increased setbacks because of constant noise and other issues. we are a small family going up against a very large company who have hired experts to support many of their misleading statements. we are the experts now, because we live with the turbines. 1400 feet is way too close! we would like wind companies, state representatives, county boards, landowners, planning and zoning committees, etc... to realize that they need to make larger setbacks so other residents can be
spared from the issues we (and so many others) are enduring.
thank you for reading."

Our Life with DeKalb Wind Turbines
http://lifewithdekalbturbines.blogspot.com/

I COULD HAVE WRITTEN THE FOLLOWING ENTRY...I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THESE PEOPLE, AND THIS POST LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE SOMETHING I COULD HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG!!!! HOW CAN WIND DEVELOPERS AND POLITICIANS SAY THERE IS NO PROOF....THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING...HOW CAN SO MANY SO FAR APART HAVE THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINTS AND DESCRIPTIONS!!!???!!! TIME TO WAKE UP AND "FEEL THE VIBRATION", SO TO SPEAK....

Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sound is horrible today
it's Sunday afternoon, 89 degrees, winds SSW at 17mph. the sound is horrible today and turbine number 30 is whistling again. we were outside on the front porch and had to come in because of the noise. sitting at the computer now typing this out and can still hear the sound through the walls. it is so upsetting to our family that this is happening. we're going to have to move someday. we are being forced to move from our dream home that we designed and built (with our own hands), the home we brought all our babies home from the hospital, the home that is close to our family/friends/and neighbors, the home where we have created such great family memories, the home that is close to a wonderful school where we volunteer and our children attend....HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY PUT A PRICE ON OUR HOME? we wish the turbines could just be turned off. we could deal with what they look like, just turn them off. we reported this disturbance to the Next Era hotline and the planning and zoning office of dekalb county. this is a noise that NO ONE should have to live with. it's heartbreaking that the wind industry misleads voting members in saying that turbines don't affect people. we are proof that they do! wind companies who are reading this, please tell the truth in your presentations to county board members, landowners, residents, etc... we agree, yes they can sound like a light swishing, babbling brooke, a refrigerator as you claim. but, the reality is that they don't always sound like that. most of the time they sound like jet plane engines in your yard and in your home. the quality of sound and low frequency hum is a nuissance that no one should live with. as a side note....say they did sound like a refrigerator all the time (which they don't)....who would want to sleep next to their refrigerator, bike and walk next to one, have a refrigerator running next to you as you push your child on the swingset, listen to a refrigerator as you sit on the front porch...and so on. that would be a nuissance....to ANYONE! these turbines are way too close to homes. we are calling for the wind companies to be honest in their presentations to county board members, planning and zoning committees, residents, landowners, etc. we heard 2 presentations last week from 2 different wind companies claiming the same thing...very minimal sound. live with them for a month and you will know what we're talking about!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

May 29th - two nights of the BEST sleep!!!

Thursday night was an amazing night sleep for all of us! The wind was from the North which is unusual, and not extremely heavy but just enough to enjoy a great breeze through the house. We were actually able to open our windows and take advantage of the breeze and not hear the turbines. They were not turning much, and the wind was in a better direction for us as far as noise goes...I think we all had the best sleep we have had at home in probably over a year!!! Last night was almost as good....Too bad we couldn't keep these conditions, but soon, we will have to close up the house tight as can be in a feeble attempt to block the noise of our "monster neighbors"... In the mean time, the windows open upstairs is amazing and wonderful - imagine, a world where you could sleep with your windows open in the country and not have to hear the sounds of giant mechanical monsters in the distance....I wonder if our children's children will ever know what silence truly is? Or, will our world be so determined to "advance" technology at the cost of beauty, nature and even human well-being that peaceful country evenings on the porch watching the sun go down will be something only seen in old movies or read in historical books....???? That is a sad, sad, thought.....G'night....Nik

Thursday, May 27, 2010

May 27 - Debate on effects of wind turbines still raging on

May 27th - we did not sleep at home last night so I am not sure how the turbines were, but thankfully, the night before they were not running or if they were, very slowly and quietly so nothing new to report, however, please read the article from the Daily News below and also, Read the letter I have been given permission to share written by Barb A to Dr. King after her report came out. A great letter in my opinion with many, many valid points..


Debate on effects of wind turbines still raging on
Posted By DANIEL PEARCE, QMI AGENCY
Chatham Daily News Article May 26


The controversy over whether industrial wind turbines can make people who live near them sick just won't go away.

Last week, Ontario's chief medical officer of health declared them safe. Well, not so much safe as not proven dangerous.

"According to the scientific evidence, there isn't any direct casual link between wind turbine noise and adverse health effects," Dr. Arlene King announced in a media release.

There's a lot of wiggle room in that statement.

Somebody standing before a judge could be guilty of a crime they are charged with but is set free because it can't be proved.

The fact that the turbines could be harmful hasn't been ruled out. Their harmfulness just can't be proven.

Rather than toning down the debate going on in Norfolk County about the wind farm in the far southwest corner of the municipality, King's report is only going to rev it up.

A group of people living in the former Houghton Township area continues to insist the windmills that have gone up in their area over the past few years are making them sick.

It's easy to dismiss their charges. People become ill, especially as they get older. Headaches? Dizziness? Sleeplessness? These things happen to people all the time.

But if you listen to their stories, something disturbing starts to emerge. Outspoken critic Stephana Johnston insists her problems disappear once she leaves her Lakeshore Road home to sleep in a room she rents in Delhi. Another woman offers a sober, detailed account of the problems she faces: the low level noise from the propeller blades of surrounding turbines, she says, creates vibrations in her house and in her body.

On the surface, it may sound far-fetched, but a Portugese study concluded the phenomenon does happen and is harmful. Vibrations can be set off inside body cavities and soft organs damaged. Their study is referred to in King's report and dismissed.

"This finding has not been recognized by the international medical and scientific
community," her report notes. "This research group also hypothesized that a family living near wind turbines will develop vibro-acoustic disease from exposure to low frequency sound, but has not provided evidence to support this."

Whether or not turbines are a health hazard is an important question for Norfolk County. The province announced recently that another group of turbines are set to go up in the other end of the county east of Port Dover as part of a vast collection of wind and solar farms extending into Haldimand County.

You can say the science doesn't support that turbines are sickening people. But the anecdotal evidence continues to pile up that they are.

What's needed is a scientific report stating clearly and unequivocally that wind turbines are not harmful -- end of story.

Until then, we should all remain skeptical. And our elected officials should join the other municipalities in Ontario that are calling for a moratorium on the building of any new turbines.

More studies need to be done before we can say for sure they are safe.



LETTER TO DR. ARLENE KING FROM ORANGEVILLE RESIDENT BARB A

May 24, 2010

Dr. King,


I have corresponded with your office since January of this year. I asked for your help. I asked you to please respond to the many victims in this province who are suffering and being forced to leave their homes since the start up of wind turbines and substations that are situated too close to their homes.

You claim there is no causal link. How can you call a developer shutting down turbines to alleviate the noise not a causal link? How can you call a house that is audibly humming and vibrating not a causal link? How can you justify an MOE representative admitting there is a 160 hertz tonal noise being emitted from an entire wind farm, which I have been told is very disturbing to the human body, not a causal link? How can you call a developer sending families to live in a motel not causal link? How can you call families that were happy and healthy, some in their homes for decades but now broken up, in distress and unable to sleep in their own homes not a causal link? How can you call hundreds of people across this province and around this entire world that are experiencing identical symptoms since the start up of the wind farms around their homes not a causal link?

To my knowledge, you have not talked to any of the victims. You have not started at the most obvious place to start. Dr. Hazel Lynn of the Grey-Bruce Public health office held two open houses to discuss this topic. One was held in Owen Sound and the other in Walkerton. She invited Dr. Ray Copes. At these two open houses, victims who were able to attend and speak out, lined up at the microphones to tell the public health office what was happening to them and they were asking for help. We all thought that we were finally going to have someone who cares about our health listen to us and help us. We had lost faith in every other ministry involved in this policy but we thought you would listen. You listened alright, and then you ignored.

Is it your mandate to protect and prevent harm to our health? If so, you have not done the job you are supposed to do, just as the rest of the ministries, who for some reason have been silent or have deliberately fed people misleading information, have not done their jobs. If not, then you should not have put this report out under your office's name.

You have just thrown well over 100 victims in rural Ontario under the bus in your allegiance to your Premier. You have also put more people clearly in the path of harm in future wind farms by issuing this report. Is this the legacy that you wanted attached to your career? Is this what you want people to remember when they hear your name? This should be an embarrassment for those who participated in drafting this report. No one in this province will ever trust any of you again.

We heard many times at the beginning of your department’s involvement that renewable energy project health consequences were not included in the mandate of the public health office. Your staff literally did not know what to do with complaints.

I quote:

“I empathize with your concern about the neighboring wind turbines and the ineffectiveness of various agencies to legitimize your grievance. Unfortunately your request that our public health unit be able to take some action on this matter does not align with the current reality. I apologize for any false impressions I may have relayed to you about any type of regulatory capacity we may have but to do so would only give you false hope and perhaps undermine any legitimate avenue of appeal you are trying to seek through the appropriate provincial agency or court action.

Our public health unit does not have the recourse, resources or expertise to monitor the health effects of turbines and seek the type of remedy you are looking for. To circumvent or intervene with the processes already in place, however, would be foolhardy and wasteful on our part given our mandate.

I am sorry that you feel you have been undermined by these very processes but we are unequivocal in our principles to fully practice protecting the public’s health in an effective manner with the tools and guidelines we have. To stray from this course, by pursuing such avenues, would be highly problematic for effectively serving the public in accordance with our public health protocols and directives.” April, 2009

I know that this general message has also been expressed to others. If this is not in your departments mandate then you should have stepped down from any involvement in this and passed it to someone who could do a proper investigation.

This report implies that industrial wind turbine installations are not causing residents adverse health effects. This is shameful and misleading.You cleverly conclude that wind turbines do not cause hearing impairment. It appears you are trying to confuse the public, by adding an irrelevant issue to the issues that they are trying to understand. How could you dismiss so many people and render them invisible? Why would your department completely ignore the precautionary principle and the voices that have been pleading for help from this government? Shame on you as a doctor and shame on you as a person.

I have included in this letter the conclusions of your literature review. As follows:

The following are the main conclusions of the review and consultation on the health impacts of wind turbines:

• While some people living near wind turbines report symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and sleep disturbance, the scientific evidence available to date does not demonstrate a direct causal link between wind turbine noise and adverse health effects.

• The sound level from wind turbines at common residential setbacks is not sufficient to cause hearing impairment or other direct adverse health effects. However, some people might find it annoying. It has been suggested that annoyance may be a reaction to the characteristic “swishing” or fluctuating nature of wind turbine sound rather than to the intensity of sound.

• Low frequency sound and infrasound from current generation upwind model turbines are well below the pressure sound levels at which known health effects occur. Further, there is no scientific evidence to date that vibration from low frequency wind turbine noise causes adverse health effects.

• Community engagement at the outset of planning for wind turbines is important and may alleviate health concerns about wind farms.

• Concerns about fairness and equity may also influence attitudes towards wind farms and allegations about effects on health. These factors deserve greater attention in future developments.

Can you really dismiss the low frequency issues when your fellow ministries have admitted they don’t even know how to measure it? Again, you are confusing the public. Unfortunately it is the victims of these vibrations that are the most knowledgeable and experienced at this, but sadly, you failed to ask them about it.

You suggest that community engagement may alleviate health concerns? How? How does that stop noise, low frequency vibration and dirty electricity from bombarding ones home and body?

My husband had just finished building his dream shop. We were building it as the turbines were being erected. I was gleefully taking photos of each. We did not anticipate any problems and we had certainly not heard about all of the problems in previous installations because many of those people had been silenced. How dare you imply to the public reading your conclusions that my husband and I would not have had problems had we been more involved in the process. How dare you imply that a small child who is howling with earaches when she lives in her home and that are relieved when she is taken out of her home, is angry because she has been left out of the process. Your insults are not taken lightly by the residents of this province.


In the Toronto Star newspaper, May 21st, 2010 you said:

“There are no direct links between wind turbines and adverse health impacts,” King said in an interview. “This variety of symptoms can be caused by a variety of different factors. It is important if individuals have symptoms or concerns (that they) be assessed by their physicians.”

How can patients be properly assessed by their physicians when you have broadly and publicly told doctors that their symptoms are not being caused by industrial wind turbine facilities? By this statement you have jeopardized every victim in getting help. If you have not talked to any victims or completed any ground studies then this statement to the press is inappropriate.


you should immediately resign from your position. You have done nothing to protect our health and you have done nothing to investigate valid health concerns.

Barbara Ashbee

Monday, May 17, 2010

ANOTHER Letter to the Editor - when will someone take notice!!!

Dear editor

As a member of CFFO I felt it important to comment on the recent opinion letter by Nathan Stevens "Sharing the Green energy wealth". I believe CFFO has embarked upon a very slippery slope, to suggest that money can mend the strife between neighbours over wind lease agreements. This clearly is trying to put a Band-Aid on a severed leg. What CFFO is not realizing, is that the damage is done. Like a Stealth bomber, the wind industry for the past 5 to 8 years have wooed almost every Ontario farmer into options and questionable land lease agreements, binding them for the next 40 to 50 years. Now landowners who have signed contracts are realizing that proceeding with these projects is contrary to the wishes of the community. The consequences will be borne for years to come in community relationships, health, viability of neighbouring agricultural operations and legal proceedings. In other areas of Ontario, several landowners who had signed lease agreements are already pursuing options to rescind their contracts for these reasons.

Despite efforts to send information to all three main ag. organizations, nothing can be found which pushes for a proper resolution addressing problems over invasive turbine noise , reduced homeowner property values, wind lease agreements which included the ability to apply construction liens, gag orders or impose provisions for first-rights of refusal and postponement of mortgages. The fact that Industrial Wind lacks economic benefit, all organizations remain silent and instead of doing due diligence, CFFO decides that money is the solution to problems such as envy, disappointment and frustration for neighbours who are the "losers". As a farmer who had the opportunity to host a turbine, this could not be further off the mark and I am deeply disturbed to think that a Christian organization could suggest that money is the solution to the growing opposition to Industrial Wind.

It never ceases to amaze me how so many continue to overlook the other side of Industrial wind development which has caused residents to abandon their homes, cannot prove that it can lower harmful emissions, reduce the mining and burning of coal, lower or stabilize electricity rates, wean us from foreign oil, nor provide a timely and reliable product needed in a modern society. Instead we let ourselves to be mislead by the Wind industry into thinking that the noise is no louder than a refrigerator, or that erecting IWT's will provide a new green economy and jobs. These turbines will do nothing other than provide a superficial feel good gesture, political move for the McGuinty gov't to appear environmentally conscious and an opportunity for developers to make a lot of money off the taxpayer's back. Renewables, especially Industrial Wind, are not proven, effective nor efficient. I don't have the new technology answers, but wholly believe that things like wind energy is not only over subsidized, but subsidized to the point of putting our province at risk of a debt load our children will not be able to support for decades to come. ( estimates of $25 Billion to $80 Billion).

Parallel to the corn ethanol bubble, I believe our governments has created a gold rush INSTEAD of a meaningful impetus to an overall solution regarding our future energy needs. The subsidies the wind industry receives, do not reflect the quality of the energy product, it's proximity to load, transmission congestion constraints, it's ripple effects on the load balancing resources in our grids, it's sprawl factor , nor the value received for the energy tax dollar compared with other technologies. The industry's statements, which have induced these subsidies, constitute fraud in my opinion, and until proof of benefit can be quantified and verified (measured), and people can live safely within project areas, CFFO needs to encourage this McGuinty gov't to cease paying hard earned tax dollars to things like Industrial Wind energy.

Colette McLean

R.R. #5, 1245 Gore Rd

Harrow. Ontario

N0R 1G0

519 738-3356

Sharing of Information - We are not alone!

Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 12:43 PM
Subject: [windconcerns] Letter to Editor



"It may be that the health concerns are overblown. The verdict is still out. But in some respects health issues have become a red herring.
Proponents say it's really about NIMBY: Not in my backyard. The real issue, they say, is "just" esthetics. No landowner wants to stare at a giant turbine as it sits on another landowner's property, smack in the middle of what used to be the view."

Michael Den Tandt, Sun Times Newspaper

Your comments tell me that you don't live near any wind turbines Michael. They also tell me you are uninformed and unconcerned as are many who don't have the prospect of another sleepless night, another unexplained headache that no pill can touch or any other adverse effect that has assaulted families living near turbines. The people in this province who are experiencing debilitating health issues, the same ones who were fine before turbine installations started up nearby, have been publicly revictimized by your flippant remark.

The verdict is absolutely NOT out for these people Michael. They know what is happening to them. They know it's real. They know their body is being assaulted by noise and vibration. So does this government. So does the wind industry proponent.

It's stunning that you call the health issue a "red herring". I see families having to abandon their homes, families being billeted in motels by wind companies, people who've quietly and reluctantly sold a home they've lived in for decades because they can't stand it anymore (and heaven help the poor soul who moved in next), people bringing lawsuit after lawsuit against proponents, people trapped and getting sicker with every day that passes, as an enormous red flag to the people of this province.

Of course proponents say it's NIMBY. Of course you don't expect them to discredit their own product, any more than the tobacco industry would discredit theirs. The wind industry seems to have studied techniques used by the tobacco company. They work very hard to deny problems exist. They use lobbyist language to describe people who are pro health and pro viability; NIMBY, anti wind, detractors and opponents. I see that much of the media simply latches onto these terms,even when they are trying to express concerns with the issue.

Talk to the people who have or are living in a mess of turbines. They'll tell you what's going on. Many of them will tell you they are too damn sick to worry about their view.

As McGuinty plans for several thousand more wind turbines to sit next to several tens of thousands more people, some very close to towns, perhaps the serious health issues will become clearer to those who choose to call it "overblown". I want Ontario families to be healthy and safe. Perhaps a better alternative would be a moratorium on turbines until independent (as opposed to reports and 'studies' paid for and submitted to govt. by the wind industry) studies by health professionals support claims made by this industry that people are not getting hurt. Is that too much to ask for?

Lorrie Gillis

Grey Highlands

Does Anyone know who this resident in Merlin is? I would love to meet him...

Turbines’ ‘woof’ sound annoying

Credit: The Windsor Star, www.windsorstar.com 14 May 2010


Though I live in Windsor, I have a friend who lives in Merlin. He has three wind turbines directly behind his residence in a field.

While raking his backyard last week, he brought to my attention the noise of these turbines. I listened and heard the low “woof” sound. This was from a mere three turbines.

There are currently 50 built and another 50 are proposed in this area. While speaking of the annoyance, I told him I would never buy a house near a turbine after hearing this.

It’s not like living near a train rail where it occurs once in awhile. This noise occurs all the time.

Though technology wants to move forward, the man’s chances of now selling his home and the value of his home will now be reduced. These issues are not considered when approving these turbines.

I would only believe that if this were done near my investment, I would be looking to be compensated for “my loss.”

Is anyone looking out for these people?

I would hope that the news would be more forthcoming to those who will suffer.

Cynthia Flemming,

Windsor

Wind Turbines; Offensive industrialization of human space

The list of environmental costs imposed on wildlife and people are now being recognized
Wind Turbines; Offensive industrialization of human space
By Online Monday, July 28, 2008
By: Dr. Brian L. Horejsi, Dr. Barrie K. Gilbert, George Wuerthner

People are barking up the wrong tree by promoting, or succumbing to, wind turbine construction regardless of where it is proposed and how many there might be. Many North Americans are infected with tunnel vision and erroneously appear to believe that turbine generated energy is somehow linked to reversing the growth in and impact of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.



There exists NO evidence anywhere that Turbine energy is substituting for or displacing fossil fuel dependence, nor is there any evidence that it is in any material way slowing the rate of GHG emission growth. Turbine energy is a non factor in the never ending growth agenda of the fossil fuel industry, and it is not a factor in the agenda of governments promoting growth in and dependence on oil and gas consumption. There can be no better example than North America of the failure of turbine energy to slow growth in anything.

People have been hoodwinked into promoting wind turbine energy as some sort of Nirvana all while human population growth and per capita energy consumption continue to spiral upward. Turbine energy generation is fueling growth in human population and energy consumption and growth in a false “economy”. It is NOT doing the opposite.

Matching the folly of the energy replacement misunderstanding is denial by governments and promoters of the ecological impacts and health effects of turbines; the ugly reality is that they are a serious addition to the industrialization of quiet rural landscapes that people have long valued for quality of life, retirement, and recreation.

The list of environmental costs imposed on wildlife and people are now being recognized; they are far from meaningless, but they have been trivialized by turbine promoters and politicians that have systematically tilted the deck sharply in the developers favor. Environmental costs have been systematically ignored by a political and regulatory system that has corrupted individual and societal freedom and environmental integrity by relegating these values to some distant offshoot of economic growth. These costs, and those who stand by them, are treated with contempt; how dare they influence the decision to grant some landowner a chance to make a buck by carving your backyard and your space into fragments with giant chopping machines?

Wind turbines are an assault on human well being and act to degrade the human “gestalt”. Promotion of wind turbine energy is a case of serious misjudgment by those who fraudulently use green wash to promote their commercial aspirations.

Buried deep within the human genome is an innate recognition and suspicion of monsters – large objects – looming on the horizon. Wind turbines are todays versions of a threatening monster, jammed down the throats of neighbors and localities. 30% of the human cortex occupies itself with processing visual information, far more than any other sense, and nothing delivers a more intrusive and intense visual picture than the tower and blades of wind turbines. Turbines erode freedom of the human mind hour after hour, night after day, virtually forever, like a cell phone ringing incessantly and yet no one is able to turn it off. To many people this intrusion into their physical and physiological space is an insidious form of torment. The mental effect is analogous to the physical effects of a heavy smoker sitting next to you essentially for life!

We do not subscribe to the managerial / market approach to democracy or conservation with its deeply entrenched bias against human values such as an unadulterated horizon. This largely corporate view denigrates the value of freedom of the human spirit – the very pedestal upon which human dignity, character and strength are built.

In an honest and fair regulatory and political environment, local citizens and communities would bury turbine projects long before they get to the serious implementation stage. Once again, however, citizens are being forced to try and employ the very tools that degrade our quality of life and humiliate us as mere pawns of some corporate created market economy. That being the case, it occurs to us that wind turbines wearing eternally on the human psyche, constituting a “taking” by corporate promoters and biased government collaborators; a taking that damages the well being of all residents. We asked ourselves if $1000 payment per person would compensate for the damages imposed on the ever day life of hundreds and thousands of affected citizens? Not even close. Perhaps then, $3000, or $8000? Would that kind of money make up for the forced collapse of part of your quality of life, your loss of right to space, loss of privacy, loss of political power, curbs on your freedom, and the mental and physical costs imposed on you by stress associated with constant angst, irritation and distraction? For some, we suspect yes would be the answer. For others, like those who have lost a child to negligent corporate behavior, been strangled slowly by nicotine, or been poisoned by toxic emissions or effluent, no amount of money can compensate for the deprivation and harm they have and will suffer. Regardless of the compensatory damages you might place on that part of your life lost because of turbine industrialization, should you not be compensated for this taking?

The commercial private sector is forcing itself into your life, and that constitutes a taking of your rights, benefits and well being. We propose that each person impacted by a turbine receive, as a starting point for negotiations, $3000 annually, to be paid by the developer for the loss of private and citizen rights, a very large portion of which includes peace and satisfaction, a critical part of your state of mind. We all know that is a significant part of personal, social and democratic well being. The concept is simple; if the developer and some uncaring land owners want to destroy your rights and those of other citizens, inflicting on you suffering and mental distress, the good old “free” enterprise system developers and local governments love to hide behind, comes into play; they pay to destroy part of your life. There has to be pain and resistance in the system for those who knowingly exploit the public and individual vulnerability, a now institutionalized vulnerability which commercial and private sector interests worked hard to establish.

The recent proliferation of wind turbine farms is just one more case of the serious aggression and destruction that reflects the continuing expansion of an extremist private property and commercialism agenda. This socially, legally and politically defective agenda and process is being exploited by corporations, some local residents, and local governments. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not freedom and it is not democracy; it is vandalism and oppression in the name of commercialism. As citizens we have the right, and we say the obligation, and we must marshal the courage, to reject wind turbine invasions as a corruption of our well being that is cached “in our spirit rather than in our wallet”.

Dr. Brian L. Horejsi

Behavioral scientist and citizen advocate for democratic process
Box 84006, PO Market Mall
Calgary, Alberta, T3A 5C4
403-246-9328

And

Dr. Barrie K. Gilbert
Wildlife Ecologist and conservation activist
Box 252
Wolfe Island, Ontario KOH 2HO
613-385-2289

And

George Wuerthner,
Ecologist and writer.
POB 719, Richmond,
Vermont 05477
802-434-3948
28 July 2008

Friday, May 14, 2010

May 14, 2010 - Quick Update

Sorry I haven't blogged, our internet went down in Friday's storm. Here is a quick update.
The weekend was actually pretty good, although windy, the rain seems to help with our symptoms, and the wind was so high that I think the turbines may not have been running for part of the weekend.

On Tuesday the 11th, I met with a gentlemen named Ron who was responding to my call to Kruger office from the previous Friday (april 30th) when it was so bad here. We had a good discussion. He was going to share some of my further concerns and questions with Kruger management and get back to me. ( I should mention that he is actually contracted with the company and not representing the company directly, but I had called his number last Friday and he was good enough to respond. I have met him in the past and I do appreciate his efforts in coming out to hear the updates).

So, we are currently waiting to hear back from Kruger and hopefully we will be able to find some type of middle ground. I did suggest that if they were unwilling to shut down the two turbines closest to us, perhaps we could try shutting them down when wind levels are in the direction and at the RPM's that seem to be affecting us the most. Perhaps we can find a level and direction where this would happen automatically and thus eliminate some of our concerns.

At this time, we are really dealing with only the symptoms and health concerns issues while inside our home. However, as summer comes we will be spending more time in our yard and on our property and we will likely need to deal with the issues of being outside, as well as the "annoyance" factor at a later date.

Through all of this, I remain optimistic that the completed renovation, together with cooperation from Kruger may assist us to relieve our symptoms. Having said that, I am still concerned about the unknown affects to our children and ourselves. There seem to be a lot of well-educated and informed "professionals" out there who believe that long term exposure to the turbines and the low frequency noise they emit can be harmful.

Further to that, I hope that others out there who are having extreme symptoms and are being forced to leave their homes are going to be heard and helped. Our government needs to take notice and do something NOW, not years from now when the suffering and illness has spread accross Ontario and Canada.

I heard our local Mayor, Randy Hope, on the radio the other day and I am very disappointed that he does not seem to have any concerns at all with the numbers of wind turbines being erected in ChathamKent and in fact, is focusing on only the dollars being brought into the municipality from them. He had stated that he wanted to see that money spent on certain things and not just put into the general funds.
I have to wonder if this is not an attempt to "buy" the general population of ChathamKent with the attitude of sacrifice the few for the good of many. I don't think my family is worthless and I certainly believe that if the general population new about the ongoing suffering of the few (which are slowly becoming the many) that the majority would agree that no life is worthless.

I still compare this issue to smoking. It took far too long for the government to admit that smoking is harmful and addictive and that deaths were a result of not only the choice to smoke, but also second hand smoke. Finally people can make an educated choice whether to expose themselves to the affects of smoking and second hand smoke. Where is our choice? Why are we forced to be exposed to wind turbines so close to our home that we can feel the vibration....

That's it for today...

Nik

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

May 5th - 1:59am

Can hear the turbines outside, they are very loud. Kids are getting a good night sleep at Grandma's but my husband and I are here....listening....trying not to listen, but once you hear them it's hard not to hear them....there is no way this is a legal sound level for the middle of the night....if this was the city and someone made that kind of noise, a neighbor, a factory, a machine, the police would be visiting the owner......hmmmmm, that's a thought, maybe I'll call the police and report that "my neighbor" is being too loud and keeping me awake....MOE doesn't seem to do anything, maybe the police can do something.....hmmmm, I am going to give that idea some serious thought........Nik

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

May 4, 2010

As I am writing this post in my office, I can hear the turbines outside (woosh, woosh)...it must be that time of year again because the past week has been unbelievable loud - I had forgotten how loud the turbines can be!!! In fact, this past week, they seem louder than ever...
WE called the spills action centre at 1-800-268-6060 (something everyone affected should be doing) on April 30th during the day. This was the first time I had ever called during the day, I usually only call when we are up at night. I was directed to the Windsor office and when I let them know that I was calling to report the noise and health issues from the turbines they were indifferent. The fellow I spoke to asked what was wrong and I told him that the turbines were extremely loud through the night and had continued to be loud today. My husband and I got little sleep, we both woke up in the morning with extremely puffy, dry eyes. My oldest son complained of his legs hurting very bad in the morning, and my headache had been ongoing for about 24 hrs. The fellow asked if I had called the wind company to which I replied "not today, but many times". He said they should be informed so they could fix the problem - ha! I laughed out loud. I told him that we had been registering the problem for over a year and had noise testing done and were still waiting. He said "okay", and then he seemed like he was finished with the conversation. I asked him if they would be sending someone out to investigate the noise and his answer was "I am not sure". I just said okay, thanks and we ended the phone call. ...
I called the Kruger head office here in Raleigh township and got voice mail, that was Friday - Today is Tuesday - to date, I have had no response to my voice mail.

Then on May 1st, I called the spills action centre again at midnight to report the loudness of the turbines - this was probably as loud as I had ever heard them, and there was a "thunk" in the mix that was very loud as well. They again said, thank you for the call, we MAY send someone to investigate.

On Sunday night, when I didn't think they could get any louder, they did! My youngest son vomitted in his bed around midnight and there seemed to be no cause. He has not shown signs of flu or anthing like that since, and we all ate the same dinner and no one else was ill. I HOPE that this is not the start of the nauseau and vomitting that he suffered from last fall - symptoms which I am positive are in direct relation to the wind turbines!!! When I woke Monday morning, I too felt a bit nauseaus and exhausted! My eyes were so dry and puffy that I had a tough time opening them in the morning - Turbines!

KRUGER EXECUTIVE - if you are reading my posts, as I know you have in the past, would you PLEASE respond to my phone calls, letters, and emails...we need a solution for our family health and well-being!

Renovation Update - For those of you who have been asking, we are putting up the siding now and once it is in place, we will see if we are able to stop the noise. We seem to have lessened the feeling of the actual vibration within the house but the actual results remain to be seen upon completion.

Side note: I was speaking to my neighbors yesterday and as we listened to the turbines I asked if they had noticed them lately and they said "oh ya!" They related to me how the other night (Friday I think)they could see the pond water vibrating in their back yard, not rippling from wind, but vibrating...they thought something large was swimming around in it until they realized it was the vibration from the turbines!!!

Will this ever end!?! I am so proud of all of the people who took the time to travel to Queen's Park last week and stand together for the victims of wind past, present and future. I wish I could have been there and hopefully I will be there next time. Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you for making time to have voices heard!

Nik

Friday, April 30, 2010

April 30th, 2010 - loudest in a long time

This morning we could hear the turbines. They are as loud as they have ever been. The first thing my husband said to me was "too bad they are not monitoring the noise levels today"...We both woke up with extremely dry eyes - like our eyes were being sucked out of the sockets. My oldest son immediately upon waking complained of the aches in his legs and asked me "chop them off" so he could feel better. I have "the headache" for about 24hours now. It started last evening sometime and nothing seems to be taking it away.....
Today was very disheartening because my husband was kept awake by the turbines last night and I am feeling exhausted like i did not sleep at all either...we were so hopeful that our renovation expense was paying off, but even though it's not finished and we haven't given up hope, we are no longer so sure it's going to work.
I called the MOE spills line this morning and they transferred me to the Windsor office because when the office is open, apparently that is what they do. I have only ever called at night and on weekends in the past I guess...I reported the noise and health problems and the fellow seemed a bit disinterested. He asked if I had called Kruger and I told him they were next on my list. He said that they probably have a problem with one of the turbines. That's when I told him that "no, there is a problem with all of the turbines - they are too close to residents and someone needs to do something." I told him that I have been calling and calling and that nothing is getting done, I asked him if they were going to send someone out to check it out and he said something like "I am not sure."
My next call was to Kruger where I got voice mail and left a message. I don't think anyone has returned my call yet. I have been out all day, but I don't see any messages on my machine.
Tonight I will try to write more letters, contact more people and bring more attention to our problems - if I can stay awake long enough...at this moment, my eyelids are heavy, I feel exhausted and my headache is as bad as ever....hopefully this will pass and I can proceed with my letter writing plans.
Disappointing day.
Nik

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

April 28th, 2010 WCO Media Release, March in Queen's Park

Media Release

MAD AS HELL!



APRIL 28, 2010

11 AM QUEEN’S PARK





From Tiverton to Toronto to Tiny Township, Ontario citizens will converge on Queen’s Park to protest the irresponsible location of industrial wind turbines too close to human habitation.



This April 28 ‘Ontario Day of Action’ is one of several International protests taking place including Japan, April 30 and Berlin, May 15.



Around the world, government policies concerning industrial wind development have been heavily influenced by the Wind Energy lobby and other interest groups. As a consequence, policy decisions have been made that put peoples’ health and quality of life at risk.



Under the new provincial Green Energy Act, the Ontario Liberal government is fast-tracking renewable energy projects in a bid to meet an election promise to eliminate coal-fired generating plants. In so doing, it has bypassed planning powers of municipalities and infringed on the democratic rights of their citizens.



By imposing huge turbines on rural communities through flawed processes and industrialized environmentalism, families and hundreds of thousands of hectares of beautiful Ontario countryside are being systematically ravaged. At the same time, the objections of local municipalities and citizens have been silenced by the Green Energy Act.



The government of Ontario must protect all its citizens and ensure that independent scientific research on health impacts is conducted before more industrial wind installations are built.



Speakers include:

· Mr. Ian Hanna who has made the Application for Judicial Review of the Green Energy Act as it applies to industrial wind turbines.

· Dr. Robert McMurtry, Chair, The Society for Wind Vigilance

· Mr. Eric Gillespie, Environmental Lawyer

· Mr. John Laforet, President Wind Concerns Ontario

· Michael Trebilcock, Professor, Law and Economics, University of Toronto

· David Grey Eagle Sanford, Toronto-based Eco Warrior



There will be speakers from Queen’s Park as well as elected Municipal officials from across Ontario. Live music will be provided by Toronto artists such as Karen Wild Child, Bruce Palait, Seb Agnello, and Benny Sanders.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact:

Wind Concerns Ontario

windconcerns@gmail.com

647 588-8647


--

Saturday, April 10, 2010

April 10 - 2010 Update

Did not notice the turbines too much last night and this morning is a beautiful one. Yesterday, I still felt sluggish and had that annoying headache!! Today though seems to have started out great...Now that the nice weather is here, I am excited to spend more time away from the house and the turbines and see if that helps the ongoing, fatigue, headaches, moodiness and general feeling of "blah"...There are many workers here today which is exciting because we are finally at the final stages of the renovation and even though the vibration has not been a problem like it was, we are excited to see if the finishing touches (siding, etc.) will solve the noise problems and allow us to get some decent sleep at night. Of course, with the nice weather we now experience the noise and annoyance outside! Here we have this great yard and we can hardly enjoy it as the constant sound of the turbines is hard to ignore...even at the front of the house, the other day it sounded like a train behind the house going by.
Chatham Kent continues to approve turbines and our newest worry is the 55? going up in the Merlin project not far from here. I believe we may be surrounded by turbines this time next year....talk about compounding the problem!!! I have to wonder, When is enough enough? What will it take for the powers that be to realize that the setbacks from homes are not far enough? With whole towns of people all over the world becoming ill after turbines - and all with the same symptoms (headaches, joint aches, sleepless nights and all that goes with that), you would think that the issue would at least be tested, investigated and dealt with to protect the public. I mean really, the opposition is not asking for zero turbines, simply setbacks that are a reasonable distance to take care of the problems....That's my two cents for today...I am only grateful that the kids seem to be okay, and other than the complaints at night - "my legs are hurting" "my back is hurting"...they seem to be, as kids are, quite resiliant to the problem....
Have a Beautiful Day !
Nik

Thursday, April 8, 2010

April 8th - Yes we will share

Someone sent a comment which I can not seem to get to display for some reason asking if we would share our renovation details if they provide us with relief and the answer is YES!!! As soon as we are finished with the entire project, we will be sure to post the details of our renovation (insulation, siding type, roof, etc) so that people can read and see what we found worked for us...assuming it works, we have had some success are not totally free of the noise YET... In fact, as I type this from my office I can hear the turbines loudly outside even over the noise of the contractor on the other side of my wall...BUT we are not finished yet and have high hopes for the final stages.
I also plan to advise different victims and wind groups so that the information can be shared. The unfortunate part to all of this is that the cost is extremely high and it is certainly not fair that homeowners would need to take on this kind of costly renovation for no other reason but to try to find peace from the turbines installed so close to our homes.
Nik

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

MUST WATCH THIS

A must to watch...This is incredible....


http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/02/19/2825235.htm


And, here is a point of interest...it is 8:10pm and our power has flickered for the third time today. We have also lost 4 light bulbs today. The turbines are turning like crazy and are loud, loud, loud...I am about to call the 1-800 reporting number to report this problem....Nik

April 6th, 2010 - Just When We Thought We Were Okay...

Hello Readers,
You have not heard from me in a long while. This is due to a few factors: 1. Ongoing renovations have kept us extremely busy 2. We have had some health issues
3. We found some relief to the vibrations and did not realize that we have likely still been affected by the noise and other affects of the turbines.

1. The renovations are into their final stages. Good news, we have noticed a great difference in the vibration to our home! We no longer see items vibrating off of shelves and it has been a long time since any of us has experienced the vibration feeling within our bodies. We do not seem to feel the vibration since certain renovations took place. We are very excited by this and hope we will never have to feel that discomfort again.

2. I have had ongoing headaches (off and on), and extreme fatigue along with the inability to concentrate. I had thought I was dealing with a cyclical problem related to PMS, however, after tracking the symptoms over the past few months I find that it is in fact not only cyclical, but ongoing. I have begun to notice that the fatigue seems to be going hand in hand with the turbines. Although I do not notice them as much since the vibration is not strong like it was, and we already hear them less even though renovations are not finished, I have started watching them again when I feel extremely fatigued and they are in fact turning. I have tried to omit all other possibilities and this seems to be the last remaining possiblity. Over the past few weeks, we have been able to hear the turbines quite a few nights and some days. I believe that they are still disrupting our sleep as my boys have been experiencing sleep disturbances as well. The fatigue seems minor compared to the problems of before, however, for me, it has affected my job, my relationships and other aspects of my life and I fear for all of our health if we are unable to get proper rest in the months and years to come.

3. As stated, we did find relief to the vibration after some of the renovations started and we fully expect that once the outer renovations are complete that we will have found an answer to the noise issue (at least when the house is sealed up with windows shut, etc). It remains to be seen how we will be affected when we are outdoors this summer in our yard, pool, etc.

Oddly, over the past few weeks, not only has my fatigue become almost debilitating, but also, we have had almost every light bulb in our home burn out. I find it odd that the light bulbs seem to burn out at the same times we are experiencing the most problems and wonder if it is related to the turbine issue.

As we finish up renovations and continue to try to find our own solutions to all of the problems that only began after the turbines were erected, we are horrified to know that more turbines are proposed for this area. As time goes by, we learn of more and more affected families affected by turbines near their homes. To date, WE HAVE NOT HAD A REPLY FROM THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT OR KRUGER WIND ENERGY WITH REGARDS TO OUR COMPLAINTS, OUR REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE, OUR REQUESTS FOR SPECIFICS ON THE REPORTS AND MEASUREMENTS THAT WERE TAKEN LAST YEAR AT OUR HOME, OR ANY ANSWERS TO THE MANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE ASKED BOTH WRITTEN AND VERBAL. I plan to contact them again this week and see if there is any news, but I am sure I will be told the same thing again...waiting for the Ministry of Environment to analyze the report....

Hope all is well with you, wish I could be better at keeping you up to date...will try harder...Be well, Nik

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Here We Go Again - January 13th, 2010

A few things have happened this week that I thought might be of interest to my readers.
1. Our Power, as well as neighbors in the area, including Dealtown, has been "flickering". It goes out every couple of hours for just a few seconds and then kicks back in. This has been going on since Saturday night I think it was. My husband was up in the night (due to the turbine noise), and said the power was out overnight about 3 hours.

Here is the interesting part. I spoke to my nieghbor who called and reported the problem to Hydro One and was told by them that the problem is related to the turbines and to contact Kruger. I also reported the issue to Hydro One, but I have not heard back yet.

2. I woke up today with one of the "turbine" headaches as I refer to them. I know it is a headache related to the turbines because of the way it sits in the front of my forehead, and runs down my neck and is not eased by medication, sleep, food or drink. When I mentioned it to my husband, he told me that the turbines were turning especially loud and fast last evening and he also reminded me that I have not been out of the house for quite a few days except for an hour or two yesterday.

I truly hope the winter problems are not starting again. To date I have not rec'd any replies to my requests for information from Kruger other than to say they would get back to me. I have also not heard back from the Ministry of Environment since the last call where I was told that the reports were forwarded and our local rep's were waiting for their counterparts.

As I look out the window today, I see that the turbines are once again facing the direction which gives us the most problem. I noticed over the holidays, they seemed to face other directions for quite a bit of the time. Looks like the prevailing winds are back in action and we may be getting the brunt of the wind farm again. On a positive note, I have not noticed or felt excessive vibration so perhaps our renovations are working (still in progress, but hopefully moving forward soon).

Nik