WIND POWER promises a clean and free source of electricity. It will reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and reduce the output of greenhouse gases and other pollution. Many governments are therefore promoting the construction of vast wind "farms," encouraging private companies with generous subsidies and regulatory support, requiring utilities to buy from them, and setting up markets for the trade of "green credits" in addition to actual energy. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) aims to see 5% of our electricity produced by wind turbine in 2010. Energy companies are eagerly investing in wind power, finding the arrangement quite profitable.

A little research, however, reveals that wind power does not in fact live up to the claims made by its advocates, that its impact on the environment and people's lives is far from benign, and that with such a poor record and prospect the money spent on it could be much more effectively directed. . . .

. . . Click here to continue reading "A Problem With Wind Power," by Eric Rosenbloom 

(featured in At Issue: What Energy Sources Should Be Pursued, Greenhaven, 2005,
and Opposing Viewpoints: Global Resources, Greenhaven, 2007)

Links from "A Problem With Wind Power"
[ including many pages on this web site not listed below ]

D O N A T E

»»  Call for 2-km (1.25-mi) minimum setback between homes and large wind turbines  ««
Worldwide petition

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Learn the  F A C T S  about wind power
 (click here) 

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[ top   papers   reference   resources   groups   industry   news ]
O T H E R   P A P E R S   O N   T H I S   S I T E

"Health Effects of Noise from Large Wind Turbines," by Eric Rosenbloom a concise overview of research commissioned for Wind Energy: A Reference Handbook, ABC-CLIO, 2014 "Why Not Wind," by Eric Rosenbloom an open letter "The low benefit of industrial wind," by Eric Rosenbloom a brief summary of documents (summary in html also available) cited by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Development of Wind Turbine Facilities in Coastal Waters, N.J., final report, April 2006) featured in Opposing Viewpoints: Energy Alternatives, Greenhaven Press, 2006 "Ridden by the Wind," by Eric Rosenbloom a social activist view "Not so fast with wind power," by Eric Rosenbloom editorial: low benefit, high adverse impact "Exploitation and destruction: some things to know about industrial wind power," by Eric Rosenbloom another social activist view "Industrial wind, corporate vandalism," by Joanna Lake a progressive view "How to fight the big wind onslaught," by Calvin Luther Martin a matter of conscience "Wind Turbine Noise - a themed sequence of sonnets," by Gail Atkinson-Mair a poet's view "Windmill farms are industrial development," by Martha Frey a preservationist view "Questioning the faith of wind power," by David Roberson an environmentalist view "Big money discovers the tax breaks," by Glenn Schleede a fiscal conservative view "9 days and 7 wind farms," by Sue Sliwinski a report of the human toll "Free lunch or Damocles' sword?" by John Etherington an analysis of big wind's minuscule benefit "He is not an environmentalist," by Eric Rosenbloom a critique of Charles Komanoff on wind "Bluff and bluster," by Eric Rosenbloom a response to critics

Bottom line:  Industrial wind turbines do not reduce the use of other fuels.

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R E F E R E N C E   P A G E S   O N   T H I S   S I T E

Industrial-scale wind projects in Vermont Technical specifications of common large wind turbines Units used for energy and other measures of wind turbines Published studies of physiological effects of infrasound Wind power primer

Useful fact:  Wind turbines produce at or above their average rate only 40% of the time.

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[ top   papers   reference   resources   groups   industry   news ]
O T H E R   R E S O U R C E S

U.S. coalition of opposition groups Country Guardian the original British opposition group "The Wayward Wind," by Jon Boone incisive critique Articles by Mark Duchamp special attention to birds Report by John Mollica setback, icing, structural failure, noise "The aesthetic dissonance of industrial wind machines," by Jon Boone incisive critique of wind power's "aesthetic chic" Wind Turbine Syndrome, by Nina Pierpont adverse health effects "An Ill Wind," by Nigel Barnes extensive compilation of arguments

Useful fact:  Wind power requires 200 acres per megawatt of output.

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[ top   papers   reference   resources   groups   industry   news ]
A   F E W   O P P O S I T I O N   G R O U P S

Vermonters with Vision affiliation of opposition groups Ira Wind Ira, Vermont Citizens for the Preservation of Georgia Mountain Milton, Georgia, and Fairfax, Vermont Ridge Protectors Sheffield and Sutton, Vermont Kingdom Commons Group northeastern Vermont Glebe Mountain Group Londonderry, Vermont Save Tehachapi Mountain California Friends of Lāna'i Hawaii Protect the Flint Hills Kansas Friends of the Highland Mountains Maine Friends of Lincoln Lakes Maine Friends of Maine's Mountains Jackson Wind Power Subcomittee Maine Partnership for the Preservation of the Downeast Lakes Watershed Maine People's Task Force on Wind Power Maine Protect Our Lakes Maine Real Wind Info For Maine Citizens For Responsible Wind Energy Bourne, Massachusetts Counter Cape Wind Massachusetts Firetower Wind Falmouth, Massachusetts Friends of Florida and Monroe Massachusetts Green Berkshires western Massachusetts, featuring articles by Eleanor Tillinghast Save Our Seashore Wellfleet, Massachusetts Shelburne Wind Massachusetts War Against Wind Osterville, Massachusetts Citizens for Responsible Green Energy Monterey Township, Michigan Coalition for Sensible Siting Goodhue County, Minnesota Cohocton Free! New York Great Lakes Wind Truth New York and Ontario Madison Matters New York Springwater Preservation Committee New York Western Catskill Preservation Alliance New York WOW -- We Oppose Windfarms New York Save Western New York Wethersfield Wind Energy Ethics Group Cape Vincent, New York Wind Power Toolkit (John Droz) Adirondacks, New York Save Jones Beach (SJB) Ad Hoc Committee Long Island, New York Save Western Ohio Lucien Rosenbloom North Carolina No Free Wind Pennsylvania Coalición Pro Bosque Seco Ventanas Verraco Puerto Rico Ill Wind Rhode Island WE-CARE -- Wind Energy – Concerns About Rural Environment South Dakota John R. Sweet Virginia Mountain Preservation Association Virginia Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy West Virginia Protect Pendleton West Virginia WINDCOWS -- Wisconsin Independent Citizens Opposing Windturbine Sites Blue Highlands Citizens Coalition Ontario Amherst Island Wind Information Ontario CORT -- Coalition of Residents – Tiny Ontario Healing the Earth Ontario Ontario Wind Performance Ontario Wind Resistance Wind Concerns Meaford Ontario North American Platform Against Windpower BOLT -- Birdsedge Opposition to Large Turbines England FORCE -- Friends of Rural Cumbria's Environment England Habitat 21 England STILE -- Stop Turbines in Lunesdale Environment England STINC -- Stop Turbines in North Cornwall England Lochgelly Scotland RWF Group: Opposing Little Raith Wind Farm Scotland Views of Scotland Fairwind Ardnamurchan, Morvern, and Mull, Scotland Cefn Croes Wales, featuring horrifying photographs of the destruction Betws Mountain Preservation Guide Wales Stop The Exploitation of Mynydd Mynyllod Wales Trannon Residents Against Power Plans Wales Laois Wind Energy Awareness Group Ireland Molonglo Landscape Guardians New South Wales, Australia Groupe d'information sur les éoliennes (La Roche-en-Ardenne) Belgium Občanského sdružení „Na Skále“ Radošice Czech Republic Vent du Bocage France, featuring documentation of accidents [for accidents, also see Caithness (Scotland) Windfarm Information Forum] Παρατηρητήριο Αιολικής Ενέργειας Greece Szélerőművek Hárskúton? Hungary Nepavėjui Lithuania Rassemblement Jura Crêtes Switzerland Deep Green Resistance

Useful fact:  Wind turbine output is low, variable, and rarely coincides with demand.

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[ top   papers   reference   resources   groups   industry   news ]
T H E   I N D U S T R Y

Wiggerswug an archive of wind industry trade news American Wind Energy Association facilities in the U.S. British Wind Energy Association facilities in the U.K. Danish Wind Industry Association introductory technical guide, in English U.S. Department of Energy U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change

Useful fact:  Western Denmark used only 16% of its wind plant production in 2003.

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[ top   papers   reference   resources   groups   industry   news ]
N E W S   &   B L O G S

National Wind Watch (U.S. & international, with global and local feeds) Out of Kirby Mountain (Vermont & beyond) → Search Kirby Mtn. Search Google-indexed news

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