Several studies have shown that industrial wind turbines produce infrasound. It is produced by the gigantic blades passing the pole in a roughly 180-degree arc. The taller the pole, the greater the swath of infrasound. Infrasound is a sound below the normal hearing level. Dr. Mariana Alves-Pereira, who has studied infrasound for 30 years in the aerospace industry, states that wind turbine generated infrasound is an “agent of disease.” The dangers of infrasound have been known since the 1980s when the U.S. military heavily invested in infrasound (below 20 Hz) as a weapon. It looked like it had great promise, according to Col. John B. Alexander who was involved in weaponizing it. The military gave up on infrasound as its effects on people were too random: some potential targets were seriously debilitated; others not so much. Giant industrial wind turbines deliver a cacophony of pulsing, practically incessant, low-frequency noise, vibration and infrasound. An Australian Court has concluded it to be a pathway to disease.
Effects of infrasound include thickening of the pericardium (the fibroserous sac enclosing the heart), thickened artery walls, vibroacoustic disease, changes of brain activity across several regions, sleep disturbance, panic attacks, depression, and changes in blood pressure, respiratory rate, EEG patterns, and heart rate. The effects on each individual vary. Individuals are not protected by the walls of their homes. Declassified documents by intelligence agencies as well as academic studies also reveal other common symptoms such nausea, irritability, depression, fatigue, suicidal thoughts, & tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
Disturbances in the eye as well as the ear caused by infrasound are also well documented. The wind industry seems to ignore the infrasound generated by its turbines, focusing only on audible sound. Audible sound is the sound those living near wind turbines constantly hear and which can be a terrible nuisance. The wind industry likes to blame health problems on “the nocebo effect,” a worsening of mental or physical health, based on fear or belief in adverse effects. The fact is that new research on infrasound is being presented around the world on a regular basis showing the harmful effect of living among these industrial wind turbines. The World Health Organization has determined that sources of noise pollution, including wind turbines, are a major threat to public health. Most of the current research has involved humans. There have been persistent reports of negative health effects of turbines on cattle, sheep, horses, etc. It is also time for researchers to take seriously the large volume of reports coming from owners of domesticated animals.
Lastly, will our leaders ignore the life-threatening effects of infrasound when its dangers are so extensively documented? Will our Douglas County officials condone the use of residents as guinea pigs, citizens deprived of informed consent?
Presentation by Dr. Alves-Pereira:
