Falmouth, Mass town folks getting sick from clean energy

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Two wind turbines towering above the Cape Cod community of Falmouth, Mass., were intended to produce green energy and savings -- but they've created angst and division, and may now be removed at a high cost as neighbors complain of noise and illness.

Posted by mysterytoy at 12:21 PM | 17 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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mysterytoy

Joined 2009/05/15
Visited 2013/05/24

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"It gets to be jet-engine loud," said Falmouth resident Neil Andersen. He and his wife Betsy live just a quarter mile from one of the turbines. They say the impact on their health has been devastating. They're suffering headaches, dizziness and sleep deprivation and often seek to escape the property where they've lived for more than 20 years.

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They're suffering headaches, dizziness

I call B.S. I had a roommate who used to say that whenever I put Phish on the radio.

and sleep deprivation

Two words: ear plugs. I've been using them ever since I moved back to the city.

#1 | Posted by Hagbard_Celine at 2013-02-26 12:50 PM | Reply | Flag:

I recall a report that these wind turbines can cause local disturbances in climate activity. If enough turbines are implemented on this planet, it would contribute to climate change, in a negative manner.

#2 | Posted by HeuristicGratis at 2013-02-26 12:59 PM | Reply | Flag:

If enough turbines are implemented on this planet, it would contribute to climate change, in a negative manner.

#2 | Posted by HeuristicGratis at 2013-02-26 12:59 PM | Reply

Probably because it's working the CO2 in the air into a frenzy.

#3 | Posted by matsop at 2013-02-26 01:04 PM | Reply | Flag:

Seemingly contradictory studies on the issue.

green.blogs.nytimes.com

www.southcoasttoday.com

#4 | Posted by Corky at 2013-02-26 01:12 PM | Reply | Flag:

"It gets to be jet-engine loud," said Falmouth resident Neil Andersen.

How can it be "green energy" if it causes noise pollution? Looks like its just replacing one form of pollution with another one.

#5 | Posted by nullifidian at 2013-02-26 01:19 PM | Reply | Flag:

#3 No.

#6 | Posted by HeuristicGratis at 2013-02-26 01:21 PM | Reply | Flag:

"It gets to be jet-engine loud," said Falmouth resident Neil Andersen.

#5 | Posted by nullifidian at 2013-02-26

Wind turbines? I've stood close to really big ones. I was astonished at how little noise it did make.

#7 | Posted by Zed at 2013-02-26 01:22 PM | Reply | Flag:

"Wind turbines? I've stood close to really big ones. I was astonished at how little noise it did make."

Well I guess Mr. Andersen is lying in that case.

#8 | Posted by nullifidian at 2013-02-26 01:30 PM | Reply | Flag:

www.gereports.com

www.renewableenergyworld.com

www.telegraph.co.uk

While it may not be so much "loud" as that it's always there except when the wind isn't blowing. Which probably wouldn't be often as it would make little sense to build a wind turbine where the wind hardly blows.

Some complain that it's the "whooshing" and subsonic sounds and that it interrupts sleep and for some they hardly notice it.

Hard part is the term "it affects some people differently" and you have to determine whether it's actually affecting them or whether or not they just biased against it.

Similar to Donald Trump's angst over the windfarm plan in Scotland ruining the view from the golf course he spent almost a billion building.

Isn't that he's against "green energy" so much as because it's "ugly".

Most of the complaints I've read about it aren't health related but aesthetics.

#9 | Posted by Lohocla at 2013-02-26 01:49 PM | Reply | Flag:

#9 The aesthetic factor is an important part of the difficulty of getting wind energy spread about as much as necessary to have an impact.

Many of the advocates for wind energy hold to a 'we need wind energy and wind turbines to sustain our energy... just not in my town'.

Some like the idea to help the environment but won't support it in their locality due to the aesthetic issues and their property values.

#10 | Posted by HeuristicGratis at 2013-02-26 02:40 PM | Reply | Flag:

"It gets to be jet-engine loud,"

That should be easy to prove.

#11 | Posted by Tor at 2013-02-26 02:52 PM | Reply | Flag:

"I recall a report that these wind turbines can cause local disturbances in climate activity."

So that's what caused the meteor over Russia!

#12 | Posted by Diablo at 2013-02-26 05:54 PM | Reply | Flag:

it gets into your tubular organs

What the hell?

#13 | Posted by rcade at 2013-02-26 08:33 PM | Reply | Flag:

Don't ask, don't tell, Rcade.

#14 | Posted by Diablo at 2013-02-26 11:21 PM | Reply | Flag:

Town officials say taking them down will cost an estimated $5 million to $15 million, but that is just what Falmouth's five selectmen have decided to move toward doing.