Wisconsin residents say wind turbines are making them sick

In “There Will Be Wind,” an article in the Chicago Reader Michael Miner writes…

Some Wisconsin residents say wind turbines are making them sick—but it’s hard to get any sympathy when you object to something as squeaky clean as renewable energy.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/theseparts09/wisconsin-wind-turbines/

Anyone who knows a little bit about the physics of vibration is aware that low frequency vibrations have long wavelengths that contribute to the ability to travel very long distances. Vibrations in the air that go lower than the threshold of human hearing can still be felt in the body (been to a disco or a “boom car” lately?).

From the Handbook On Acoustic Ecology:

Infrasonic frequencies are felt as vibrations which, if intense enough, may result in feelings of nausea, vertigo and eventual black-out or internal hemorrhaging.

It’s hard to understand how the author, Michael Miner, can be “agnostic” about the debate when plenty of evidence exists to prove that infrasound (very low frequency vibration) can and does cause significant health problems for people, to say nothing of the effect on non-human species. Or, should we chalk it up as another example of “seeing is believing”? That is, a visualist bias against what is not seen. In a culture that privileges seeing over other senses, what’s heard isn’t verifiable, not “real.”

This is a followup blog post to the article in the Chicago Reader, publ. May 14,  about local opposition in the state of Wisconsin to the construction of wind turbines for generating electricity. People living near the extent ones complain of a host physical health problems caused by the infrasonic vibration. The developers dismiss such complaints as hysterical and unfounded, though, according to the author, the won’t produce evidence that refutes the residents complaints. Miner reported that Wisconsin farmers who have turbines on their property are bound by gag orders in their contracts with the electric companies, prohibiting them from discussing any possible negative consequences. The Better Plan, Wisconsin website promotes the other side of the residents who are suffering the negative health effects.

One thing I don’t understand is why or how the author, Michael Miner, can be “agnostic” about the debate when plenty of evidence exists to prove that infrasound (very low frequency vibration) does cause significantly adverse effects on people’s health, to say nothing of the effect on other living organisms.

Political-economic self-interest aside, it’s hard to understand how the author, Michael Miner, can be “agnostic” about the debate when plenty of evidence exists to prove that infrasound (very low frequency sound below the audible threshold) can and does cause significant health problems for people, to say nothing of the effect on non-human species.

In a culture that privileges sight over other senses, should we chalk the skepticism up as another example of “seeing is believing”?