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The Forum > Article Comments > NHMRC says more research on wind farm noise is needed > Comments

NHMRC says more research on wind farm noise is needed : Comments

By Max Rheese, published 2/4/2014

Reports concentrated on claims there was no evidence of adverse health effects, neglecting to note '...the body of evidence...is small and poor quality'.

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The body of evidence is small and of poor quality?
What the?
The evidence for that claim, is likely much much smaller and of even lessor quality, or limited, in the main, to very subjective analysis, by the few non expert or the very misinformed, who object?
Often on perceived personal financial grounds? To wind farms!
All of which are fine, just as long as they're not in my backyard?
I mean, the conversion to metric made the farm smaller and further from town, and the missus already whines enough already, [not flamin golf again?] without I should have to put up with something similar, day and flamin night!
Hell's teeth and stone the flamin crows!
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Wednesday, 2 April 2014 11:25:28 AM
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Unlike its previous head-in-the-sand finding, this NHMRC finding is somewhat responsible.

In the past, the supposed experts who found "no evidence" of wind farm noise effects, had a conflict of interest. They came mostly from Australian universities (e.g. the University of Adelaide team) and other organisations whose researchers unquestionably believed in anthropogenic global warming, and therefore felt obliged to promote "renewable energy" wind farms at all costs.

The Australian Medical Association last week released a statement on wind turbines and health effects, which concluded that there was no evidence to support a link.

This drew a refuting response from Canadian Dr Robert McMurtry , a member of the Order of Canada, former Dean of Medicine at Western University, and former Associate Deputy Minister for Health Canada:

Re AMA Position Statement Wind Farms and Health

1. I am a Canadian citizen, formerly a dean of medicine, assistant deputy minister of health federally and a practising orthopaedist. I am a founding member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded Evidence Network.

2. I have engaged with over 100 exposed individuals residing near industrial wind developments in the province of Ontario. These cases are documented.1

3. I have appeared as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiffs in actions versus the erection of wind farms too proximate to human habitation.

Cont. next post
Posted by Raycom, Wednesday, 2 April 2014 1:16:29 PM
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Post cont.
4. I am writing to comment on the AMA Position Statement. The position statement is surprising. It is not well informed, references are absent and the authors of the document are undisclosed. Many of the phrases and claims in the document faithfully reflect wind industry claims, claims which cannot be substantiated.

5. Review of the existing evidence in which direct assessment of exposed individuals has been carried out uniformly reveals adverse health effects2. The common denominator of complaints consists of sleep disturbance, inner ear disturbance and stress response. These are serious adverse health effects. These adverse health events have been reported globally in the media and grey literature.

5. I concur with that part of the AMA document that asserts that siting of wind farms “should be guided by the evidence”. Unfortunately the remainder of the AMA document fails to meet that standard.

6. I challenge the AMA to support third party research that leads to simultaneous physiological monitoring of exposed individuals during sleep and concurrent recording of sound pressure levels (SPL) including all frequencies (infrasound and low frequency sound) as well as weighted and unweighted decibel or sound intensity levels in the bedroom and outside the home. [Note averaging of SPL should not be done exclusively since key characteristics of the noise such as cresting and amplitude modulation will be excluded.]

7. In the absence of the information outlined in #6 above there has not been nor can there be evidence–based guidelines for the siting of wind turbines. This fact ought to concern the AMA and all responsible physicians.

8. More details are available upon request.

R Y McMurtry CM, MD, FRCSC, FACS

1. Krogh C.M.E., Gillis L., Kouwen N., and Aramini J., WindVOiCe, a Self-Reporting Survey: Adverse Health Effects, Industrial Wind Turbines, and the Need for Vigilance Monitoring Bulletin of Science Technology & Society 2011 31: 334.
2. Arra M., and Lynn, H., Literature Review 2013, Association between Wind Turbine Noise and Human Distress, presented to the Grey Bruce Health Unit in March 2013, since submitted for peer review and publication. (https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/association-between-wind-turbine-noise-and-human-distress-literature-review/ )
Posted by Raycom, Wednesday, 2 April 2014 1:20:10 PM
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See Dr McMurtry’s letter at

http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/prof-robert-mcmurtry-former-dean-medicine-writes-ama/

To view Professor McMurtry’s extensive experience as a medical practitioner, see
http://waubrafoundation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/McMurtry-Dr-R-Ltr-of-Support-for-Dr-Sarah-Laurie.pdf

Other articles and papers by Professor McMurtry may be found at the following links:
http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/dr-robert-mcmurtry-commentary-chapman-nocebo-paper/
http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/prof-robert-mcmurtry-evidence-known-adverse-health-effects/
http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/facilitating-clinical-diagnosis/
http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/irresponsible-denial-genuine-suffering-professor-bob-mcmurtry/
Posted by Raycom, Wednesday, 2 April 2014 1:26:18 PM
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The only disease or disability most if not all these people in the so called these Waubra Foundation would be cured instantly with the Liberal application of lots of cash in their bank accounts.
Incidentally when are the Waubra Foundation going to drop the Waubra as the locals are upset at that lot of frauds besmirching the actual towns name.
When are they going to get a Dr who is an actual Dr as the lady who runs it is a bit shifty on that front has she any actual research to back her up apart from the usual denier nongs like the author of this load of rubbish.
Posted by John Ryan, Wednesday, 2 April 2014 3:57:45 PM
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Unfortunately the anti-wind farm issue has been hijacked by groups with vested interests. Also the usual bunch of unstables are attracted to the debate especially when they live near or often in their case within one or several hundred kilometres of one. The unstable usually exhibit the same symptoms as the anti-immunisation group with their immersion in a litany of imagined ill-effects cloaked in a mist of pseudo science.
Posted by SILLER, Wednesday, 2 April 2014 8:14:28 PM
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'NHMRC says more research on wind farm noise is needed' - 'Do not divert article discussions to the general discussion area'. Who are these John Ryan and SILLER people? Lost the plot. Max Rheese is pointing out in his article that the NHMRC is calling for appropriate, usable & independent research into the health impacts of wind turbines and that the federal government has announced that this will be undertaken. The NHMRC called for it in 2010. The 2011 Senate Committee called for it. If only these calls had been acted upon sooner! But it is never too late (except for those poor devils who are suffering now and need some clarity and resolution).
Thank you Max for a succinct description of the current status of the debate.
Posted by Roslyn, Thursday, 3 April 2014 10:14:26 AM
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