A Step Towards Mitigating Wind Turbine Annoyance‘What is their problem, really?’ This question has been voiced by developers and operators of wind power, as it relates to citizens who complain of annoyance from wind turbines. ‘After all, most people are not annoyed, and they recognise how important development of wind resources is to combat climate change,’ we hear. Sometimes, the statement is more forceful: ‘most normal people are not annoyed,’ implying somewhat harshly that there may be something abnormal with those annoyed. When one makes a conscientious effort to communicate with people expressing annoyance, one finds they are neither malcontents nor oblivious to climate change concerns. Yet, one hears them express words such as, ‘I just haven’t been able to stand it in my home since the wind turbines were installed.’ For those impacted, annoyance is not merely a temporary unpleasant phenomenon but a condition that adversely impacts their life and health.
By William K.G. Palmer, Independent Researcher, Canada
