Why Am I Scared Of Wind Turbines?

Wind turbine phobia, or anemomenophobia, is an unreasonable dread of wind turbines.

Is it common for people to be afraid of windmills?

A WOMAN is so afraid of wind farms that she feels compelled to lie down or hide whenever she sees one.

Alison Prior has an unreasonable dread of whirling electrical generators, which she claims began when she was a child after seeing a giant pink mechanical gorilla.

The situation

Anemomenophobia is a medical term for a fear of turbines that causes excruciating panic in victims.

Alison, a 33-year-old hairdresser, is so irritated by the wind that she nearly crashes her car as they loom over the horizon.

“I was on vacation up north, and they were right off the highway.” She stated, “I almost crashed because I was so afraid.”

“If I pass a lorry carrying a wind turbine component, I must come to a halt and exit the road.”

“My heart begins to race, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge, and I feel compelled to lie down, hide, or flee.”

She also has a dread of other giant mechanical devices, which she believes stems from her childhood terror of a large pink mechanical gorilla that used to startle her at a market.

It has helped her control some of her worry to some level, which is useful given the amount of turbines near her home in West Calder, West Lothian.

Is there anyone who has died as a result of a wind turbine?

After blade failure, fire in wind turbines is the second most common form of accident reported. While some models of wind turbines have a larger danger of fire than others, all wind turbines contain fire risk elements. Highly flammable materials, including as hydraulic oil and polymers, are stored near electrical cables and equipment within the nacelle. If there is an ignition source, such as an electrical arc or a fault within the transformer, a fire can quickly start and spread. Fires in turbines are less common than in other energy businesses, but the financial consequences are enormous, costing upwards of $4.5 million. In this article, we’ll look at five different wind turbine fires.

#1 San Gorgonio Pass

The View Fire, which started in June 2012 in the Whitewater area east of Cabazon in Riverside County, California, was caused by a wind turbine fire. Despite efforts such as cleaning grass and debris from the turbines’ bases, the turbine fire ignited a wildfire that burned 367 acres. Authorities were alerted when many witnesses reported the fire, and residents in the box canyon were evacuated. Over 100 firemen fought the fire on the ground and from planes to get it under control in less than 24 hours. There were no injuries or structural damage reported.

#2 Piet de Wit Wind Farm

There had never been a human death as a result of a wind turbine fire before 2013. On Tuesday, October 29, 2013, it all changed when two of the four mechanics working on a wind turbine in Ooltgensplaat, Netherlands, were killed. A fire trapped the mechanics, aged 19 and 21, on the top of the turbine, and they killed as a result. The fire service had difficulty extinguishing the fire due to the height of the turbine and its position. To tackle the fire, a professional team of firefighters was dispatched with a big crane, which took many hours. One mechanic was discovered on the ground near the turbine’s base, while the second victim was recovered by the specialized crew from the turbine’s top. The other two mechanics were able to get away without harm. The fire was caused by a short circuit, according to Deltawind.

#3 Harvest Wind II

A wind turbine caught fire in Oliver Township, near the community of Elkton, in Michigan’s Thumb-region, on Monday, April 1, 2019. Because they lacked the equipment to reach the height of the wind turbine, the attending fire brigade was unable to put out the fire. They also had limited access to the location because the on-fire turbine was about a half-mile off the main road. However, as the turbine was burning out, first responders were able to set up a perimeter and secure the area. Exelon, the wind farm’s owner, also turned off the power to the other 32 turbines on the property as a precaution. Since November 2012, the Harvest II Wind Project has been active. Over the last 10 years, two other wind turbine fires have been reported at different wind farms throughout Michigan.

#4 Juniper Canyon

On Saturday, July 19, 2019, melted pieces of a wind turbine caught fire in southern Washington state, igniting the surrounding grass and bush. The fire grew, resulting in the Juniper Fire, which burned over 250 acres and threatened 39 houses. The Pine Creek Drainage region was placed under a level three evacuation order during the wildfire. Nearly 200 people were involved in the firefighting effort, according to officials. Twenty-five fire units, two dozers, and two engines, as well as two strike teams and three hand crews, were dispatched across Klickitat County. On day three, the fire was 99 percent extinguished, with no injuries or structural damage reported. The wind farm is divided into two parts, each having 128 turbines.

#5 Buffalo Gap

The Rhodes Ranch 3 Fire in Mulberry Canyon is being blamed on a wind turbine fire near Abilene, Texas. On Monday, August 26, 2019, a wind turbine caught fire, sparking a wildfire that scorched 250 acres. To construct containment lines, bulldozers and graders were brought in. Firefighters had added obstacles due to the rough terrain, record temperatures of 109 degrees, and the fire’s growth into a tiny canyon area. A fire truck and a single-engine plane dispersed fire retardant, while a helicopter dropped water on hot spots. Firefighters scoured the area for hot spots and kept an eye on the containment lines. The fire was 90 percent extinguished in two days. The turbine was declared completely destroyed.

Because of the height of the wind turbines, the distant locations, and in some cases, the rugged terrain, the chances of a fire brigade being able to put out a wind turbine fire are slim. The only alternative during these fires is to let the turbine burn out on its own. On the other side, there are actions that can be taken to prevent this. Automatic fire suppression devices installed near probable ignition sources or fire-prone locations and components within the wind turbine will detect and suppress a fire before it spreads out of control.

How can you know if you have wind turbine syndrome?

It’s crucial to analyze what constitutes human health when analyzing the negative consequences of IWTs. “A state of total physical, mental, and social well-being, not only the absence of disease or infirmity,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).21

Despite its widespread acceptance, the WHO definition of health is routinely neglected when evaluating the effects of IWTs on human health. With varied degrees of completeness, accuracy, and neutrality, literature studies on the health impacts of IWTs have been generated. 22 Some of these commenters admit that the stated IWT health effects are plausible, and that IWT noise and visual effects may induce discomfort, stress, or sleep disruption, which can have other repercussions. However, because “direct pathogenic effects” or a “direct causal link” have not been proved, these IWT health implications are frequently dismissed. The Potential Health Impact of Wind Turbines was published in 2010 by the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, who acknowledged that some people living near wind turbines experience symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and sleep disturbances, but concluded that “the scientific evidence available to date does not demonstrate a direct causal link between wind turbine noise and adverse health effects.” 23 Dr. Gloria Rachamin, the report’s principal author, admitted under oath that the literature evaluation only looked at direct ties to human health. 24

The discussion is limited to a small portion of the potential health impacts of IWTs by focusing on “direct causal linkages.” According to a 2011 judgement by the environmental review tribunal, substantial impairment to human health includes “indirect repercussions” (e.g., a person being exposed to noise and then exhibiting stress and developing other related symptoms). 20

According to Europe’s night noise guidelines:

Physiological tests on humans have revealed that moderate noise causes health effects similar to those generated by high noise exposures on the direct pathway. Noise-induced disruptions of activities such as communication and sleep begin the indirect pathway. 25

Sleep disturbance, headache, tinnitus, ear pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, tachycardia, irritability, problems with concentration and memory, and panic episodes associated with sensations of internal pulsation or quivering when awake or asleep were among the symptoms reported by people exposed to wind turbines, according to Pierpont.

13 The American Wind Energy Association and the Canadian Wind Energy Association held a panel literature assessment, which concluded that these symptoms are “well-known stress effects of noise exposure, or in other words, are “a subset of irritation reactions.” 26

Noise-induced annoyance is known to be harmful to one’s health.

2730 Noise disturbance that persists for a long time should be considered a serious health hazard. 31 “The potential of a noise to produce annoyance depends on many of its physical qualities, including its sound pressure level and spectral characteristics, as well as the fluctuations of these properties over time,” according to WHO recommendations for community noise. 32 At comparable sound pressure levels, industrial wind turbine noise is reported to be more unpleasant than vehicle or industrial noise. 33 Industrial wind turbine amplitude modulation,34 audible low frequency noise,35 tonal noise, infrasound,36 and a lack of nighttime abatement have all been recognized as noise characteristics that could cause discomfort and other health impacts.

What is the definition of Ancraophobia?

Anemophobia, sometimes known as ancraophobia, is a broad term that refers to a number of of air-related phobias. Some people are terrified of drafts, while others are terrified of strong winds. 1 Some people are afraid of swallowing air (called aerophagia). The fear might be moderate or severe, and it can often be fatal.

What is it about big expanses of water that makes people afraid?

Thalassophobia is a strong aversion to huge bodies of water. You may be terrified of the ocean, sea, and vast lakes if you have thalassophobia.

Some people may be apprehensive about swimming in the ocean. Fear of the sea, on the other hand, might be a significant issue for some people. You may develop thalassophobia if your fear of the sea is so persistent and intense that it interferes with your daily life.

What causes this aversion to long words?

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the English language, and it’s also the name for a fear of lengthy words, in an ironic twist. Another name for the fear is sesquipedalophobia.

This phobia is not formally recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, on the other hand, is classified as a social phobia.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has a very clear definition for social phobias in its most recent edition. The DSM-5 is a diagnostic tool used by medical professionals.

The DSM-5 includes the following criteria for social phobias:

  • a dread or worry about being inspected in social circumstances, such as meeting new people or having a conversation
  • The anxiety or terror is out of proportion to the social situation.
  • The fear or anxiety is constant, and social situations are avoided to an excessive degree.
  • Clinical distress is caused by fear, worry, or avoidance.

Is it possible to touch a wind turbine?

“They’re quite safe to touch, though we wouldn’t recommend it during a rainstorm.” This is one of the myths we attempt to debunk, and the DTI’s guidance will only serve to reinforce it. Following a spate of mishaps, the DTI’s engineering inspectorate published instructions prohibiting people from touching the turbines.

Is it possible for lightning to strike wind turbines?

Wind turbines, like tall trees, skyscrapers, and telephone poles, are easy targets for lightning since they are hundreds of feet above ground. They will be struck simply because of their height.

For traditional wind turbine blades, lightning protection technologies are available. Blades created from a new type of material, thermoplastic resin composites, and manufactured utilizing an innovative thermal (heat-based) welding process devised by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, however, required protection (NREL).

Thermoplastic materials, such as plastic bottles, can be recycled more easily than the thermoset materials now utilized to manufacture wind turbine blades. While thermoset materials must be heated to cure, thermoplastics cure at ambient temperature, reducing blade production time and cost.

These gains are enabled by NREL’s patent-pending thermal welding technique for thermoplastic blades, which replaces the adhesives currently utilized to join blade components. Welding rather than adhesives avoids the disadvantages of extra weight and the risk of cracking.

While thermal welding has advantages, it also necessitates the inclusion of a metal heating element within the blade, which might attract lightning. As a result, a team of NREL researchers lead by Robynne Murray and backed by GE and LM Wind Power (a GE subsidiary) devised a new lightning protection system to keep the revolutionary thermoplastic materials safe.

How many individuals have died as a result of falling off windmills?

These are really low figures. In England, coal produced around 180 billion kWhrs in 2011, resulting in about 3,000 deaths. In England, nuclear energy produced nearly 90 billion kWhrs with no deaths. In the same year, America generated over 800 billion kWhrs from nuclear power with no fatalities.

Can we just forget about it because so many more people die from other causes? Do you like eagles?

Is there any energy source that kills a large number of people?

We examined human mortality by energy source in a piece from last year (How Deadly Is Your Kilowatt? ), and how coal is the deadliest energy source in the US, with 15,000 deaths per trillion kWhrs produced, while nuclear is the safest, with zero. Wind energy kills about 100 people per trillion kWhrs, with the bulk of deaths resulting from falls during maintenance (Toldedo Blade).

Because we worry more about this in the United States than most other countries, our statistics are the lowest in the world. Global energy-related death rates are substantially greater than in the United States, with coal accounting for 100,000 deaths per trillion kWhrs (China is the worst), natural gas for 4,000, biomass for 24,000, solar for 440, and wind for 150. Using the worst-case scenarios from Chernobyl and Fukushima, nuclear power now has the highest death rate of any energy source at 90 deaths per trillion kWhrs produced.