Wind Power, Asbestos and Tobacco

Asbestos is a natural substance. It has been used since antiquity. Believe it or not, the Vestal Virgins in ancient Rome used Asbestos fibres in their lamps. As you know, it was heavily used as a building material 19th and 20th centuries . Initially, it was regarded as benign and was used extensively around the world.

But in the 1920's an epidemiological link was established between Asbestos and illness.

Instead of doing the decent thing and helping the medics with their research, the Asbestos companies formed a cartel to defend their markets from regulation. For the next 50 years they fought an effective rear guard action to block legislation..

The discovery of the health consequences of smoking were concurrent with that of Asbestos. Yet, like the Asbestos industry, the tobacco industry sought to block restrictions on their trade. People who called for regulation were pilloried as anti-social eccentrics, out of touch with modern society.  The vilification the tobacco industry poured on its detractors often succeeded in ruining careers.

So how does this relate to Wind Turbines?

Today, there are growing concerns about the the health effects of forcing people to live too close to wind turbines. Research studies has been produced that suggest that people are being made ill by this close proximity. The credentials of the researchers are impeccable. Regrettably the response for the wind turbine industry and their supporters ( with One notable and honourable exception) is almost identical to the methodology of obfuscation, character assasination and denial presented by the Asbestos and Tobacco industries before them.

The real irony here is that the mitigation being proposed by the researchers and medics ( as well as bodies such as the French equivalent of the BMA) is trivially simple.

Do not build wind turbines within 1 mile of Human habitation.

Simple.

I don't believe wind turbines are effective or reliable. But those arguments are one wholly different level to the risk of causing harm to people who live too close to these wind farms.

We need a full epidemiological survey to be done before we risk making this problem worse. Either the Wind Industry should build no more turbines within 1 mile of human habitation or at the very least let us get a full epidemiological survey before proceeding.

Any industry or group that puts their profits and ideology before the health of the general public deserve our utter contempt

How ever green they claim to be.