Much has been made of the farmer whose chickens laid yolkless eggs, near the Waterloo wind farm, mentioned in articles in The Australian.
Sinister? Maybe it’s not such a worry.
The following was a letter published in the Mid North Broadcaster in Burra, South Australia:
Fowl Falsity
Speculation that wind farms are bad for you because they effect chooks by making them lay eggs without yolks is not true.
At this time of the year the chooks are moulting and getting new feathers, so this causes the chooks to stop laying or lay eggs without a yolk.
I know this because I breed chooks.
So lay off the wind farms.
Sam Wilksch, Robertstown
windpowerrule
June 18, 2012
Hey Ben, in future if any article is published in the Australian let’s do everyone a favour and just ignore it, all of it. Biased, poorly researched and agenda ridden articles insult our collective intelligence. Lets leave it unread on the bottom of the cocky cage, best place for it.
Cheers
Ross
Ben Courtice
June 18, 2012
Fair point, Ross, it was pretty dodgy that Lloyd even mentioned it in his article. On the other hand, it’s since been repeated a bit around the place, including on Today Tonight, so it’s worth giving some air to the sensible response I reckon…
Jerry Capes
June 18, 2012
Unfortunately nobody is listening to sesible responses.
Jerry Capes
June 18, 2012
They might be even more sensible if I could spell!
Steve
June 20, 2012
I’m sure there will be an article soon that wind turbines cause earthquakes…
Peter Johnson
June 20, 2012
I would have thought this kind of nonsense would have disappeared now that we have a sensible and fair buffer distance of 2km. Now that this rule is place there is no need to attribute silly problems about wind turbines afterall they cause enough real problems such as overshadowing, noise issues and aesthetic landscape issues. I believe FoE should be pushing hard for a 2km buffer from coal mines, quarries and CSG facilities rather than taking away from wind farm buffers. Equality should be what you are aiming for. Afterall two wrongs don’t make a right
Leeroy
June 21, 2012
No, the nonsense has not disappeared. Dr Seuss still travels Victoria telling people they will get sick. The Landscape Guardians have stated that the 2km setback “is a start.” Dodgy noise experts say you can hear turbines miles away – yet won’t provide evidence. Criminals still damage wind monitoring equipment. Vested interests use and manipulate vulnerable people into believing wind turbines make them sick.
The setback rule is in place because of these so called “silly problems.”
There is nothing “sensible” or “fair” about the setback and it will ultimately be revoked.
A quip regarding the quake and a wind turbine is appropriate – “vibration pollution” “infrasound” “weird chickens” etc.
Was it Toora or Wonthaggi?
Mark
June 26, 2012
It very disappointing that the people here refuse to acknowledge the problems associated with wind turbines. It views such as these that continue to hold back the growth of this wonderful country
wINdSider
July 3, 2012
It is people who fabricate ‘evidence’, repeat poorly-sourced anecdotes, and rail against progress and science, who “hold back the growth of this wonderful country”.
Not many in the wind industry, or supporters of renewables generally, will deny the “problems” – which are: 1) they are big machines, 2) they make some noise, 3) they have moving parts, 4) they are visible. These are not attributes which are unique to wind farms or individual wind turbines, and thus they are not the evil menace that some sensationalists and hypersensitives would like us all to believe.
P.S. Feel free to add to that little list with some actual facts about wind turbines that might be perceived as a “problem”. I think 1) & 4) could probably be combined, as they are somewhat mutually dependent.
Tess Adams
June 27, 2012
I tend to agree this site seems to have little regard for neighbours of these industrial projects
Andrew
July 6, 2012
My 3 chooks have also stopped laying eggs this winter. Google maps says my place is 860km from Waterloo wind farm!