International Law

The review concludes that while some people living near wind turbines report symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and sleep disturbance, the scientific evidence available to date does not demonstrate a direct causal link between wind turbine noise and adverse health effects. The sound level from wind turbines at common residential setbacks is not sufficient to cause hearing impairment or other direct health effects, although some people may find it annoying.

A European Commission report has found wind to have the lowest external costs, comprising human health impacts, building and crop damage, global warming, loss of amenities and ecological impact, when compared to coal, oil, gas, biomass, nuclear, hydro and photovoltaic.

For wind energy (one of the more promising renewable technologies to be implemented in some European countries) it should be emphasized that impacts from upstream processes and amenity impacts become important, since no pollutants are emitted during electricity production by wind turbines. These impacts and costs are calculated using emission databases for steel and concrete production - materials used to build a wind turbine and tower. Impacts from noise are quite low. Impacts from visual intrusion are difficult to value. Both impacts can be minimised through planning and consultation. Impacts on birds and animals are negligible when quantified. Human accidents during construction, or due to collisions on sea, are also very small, but can become relatively important when emissions from the production of materials decrease further.