HEALTH WARNING ISSUED TO GOVERNMENTS: WIND TURBINE SYNDROME HAS BECOME PANDEMIC, CONSUMER GROUPS CLAIM

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December 14, 2011 (Europe) –On December 10, the European Platform Against Windfarms (EPAW) and the North American Platform against Windpower (NA-PAW) served notice to two European countries
regarding health hazards associated with wind policies. The groups, which plan to notify more government as well as the wind industry in coming weeks, claim to represent 600 citizens' groups from 26 countries. 
 
“Hundreds of families around the world have developed unbearable symptoms of the WTS (wind turbine syndrome) as described by Dr Nina Pierpont in her world-famous book of the same name. Many have been forced to leave their homes,” a letter sent to the Danish government states.
 
The organizations sent the government of Denmark the warning regarding consequences of the Danish “health-threatening manipulations of measurements of sounds and infrasounds emitted by wind turbines.”  The Australian government was also warned about health hazards associated with its windfarm policy.
 
Below is full text of the letter sent to Danish authorities.

To:
 
Mrs Ida Auken, Minister for the Environment, Denmark,
 
Mr Lars Hindkjaer, Director of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency
 
Dear Minister,

Dear Director,
 
The wind turbine syndrome has become pandemic.
 
Between our two organisations, EPAW and NA-PAW, we represent nearly 600 associations or groups of citizens from 26 different countries and two continents. They are in conflict with wind farms for a variety of reasons, of which health is the prominent one. In their names, we are hereby issuing a health warning and serving notice to the wind industry globally, and to all governments world-wide including yours. It is particularly intolerable that in some countries, Denmark for instance, the authorities would manipulate noise measurements and refuse to hear the recommendations of prominent experts such as acoustics professor Henrik Moller, from Aalborg University - not to speak of dozens more from other countries.

Hundreds of families around the world have developed unbearable symptoms of the WTS (wind turbine syndrome) as described by Dr Nina Pierpont in her world-famous book of the same name. Many have been forced to leave their homes. Of those, some have had their properties bought by wind farm owners, generally under the condition that confidentiality agreements be signed - a way of silencing possible witnesses in the predictable court cases that are bound to grow with time. Others haven't been able to sell their homes, and have had their health ruined as a result. Jutta Reichardt, of Germany, is but one example. An enlightening video from the Waubra Foundation is now available (1), and a Pdf file (2).

Having a wind farm as neighbour can best be described as having a truck with its motor idling somewhere around the house. Anyone who has ever been annoyed by the noise of a bus left with its engine running while waiting for its passengers can understand how unbearable the situation can become if exposure to low frequency vibrations happen to last days and nights. In addition, wind turbines emit infrasounds and seismic vibrations able to affect people up to 10 km away. This led Dr Sarah Laurie & fellow directors of the Waubra Foundation in Australia, including a former Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Justice Clive Tadgell, to issue an explicit health warning of relevance to planning authorities around the world, on 29th June, 2011 (3).

Long term exposure to the effects of noise, low frequency sounds, and infrasounds can have seriously detrimental effects on health. Hospitalizations caused by the WTS have occurred, and it won't be long before some vulnerable persons die because they could not sell their houses or otherwise move out of reach of the disturbing vibrations. As in the case of tobacco and so many other health hazards, long term exposure is key.

Peer-reviewed articles on the ill effects of wind turbines may be consulted on Internet. An ever increasing number of independent physicians and acousticians have been studying the symptoms, and all disagree with the methods used in official studies paid by the wind industry or their supporting governments. The situation is, ominously, reminiscent of the health effects of tobacco, long denied by manufacturers and governments till massive lawsuits cost them billions in damages.
Please acknowledge receipt. 
 
Sincerely

Mark Duchamp                                            Sherri Lange
CEO, EPAW                                                CEO, NA-PAW
www.epaw.org                                             www.na-paw.org
 
 References:
(1) - VIDEO - IGNORING THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD ENDANGER THE HEALTH OF RURAL POPULATIONS WORLDWIDE:  http://www.youtube.com/user/WaubraFoundation
 
(2) - Quotes used in the video and their references:
http://www.wind-watch.org/video-waubra.php   see:  "click here for Pdf file"

(3) - EXPLICIT CAUTIONARY NOTICE TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WIND TURBINE SITING DECISIONS: 

http://media.crikey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/caution.pdf 


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