Dear Editor,
This past week, we visited our daughter and her family on Lake Huron in Kincardine. This was reading week for their daughter, home from university.
For her thesis to get her master’s degree she chose the topic “Community Response to Turbines”. She had interviews set up all week with people, both “for” and “against”.
The one interview especially interested me. This interview was with a farmer’s wife. Her dairy farm had been greatly affected by a turbine which was 560 metres across the road.
After the turbine was working, the cows’ production went down 500 litres every pick up. This was every four milkings for approximately 60 cows.
Following a great deal of observation and investigation, they discovered the cows were not getting enough water. Why? The metal water tanks in the cows’ free stall enclosures had become electrically charged.
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This happened to the dry cattle, the heifers and the milking cows. They all got a shock trying to get a drink. This affected, not only milk production but the health of the animals. Stray voltage was coming from the turbine, underground, to the metal tanks. Rubber tanks had to be installed.
Another interview was with a lady who had a beautiful bed and breakfast on the lake. Her adjoining neighbour, unbeknownst to her, had optioned his lot to erect a turbine. She fears she must move as her livelihood is in danger. Needles to say, she and her neighbour are no longer friends.
After hearing and reading my granddaughter’s reports, I realized that it will take years to truly determine the varied effects wind turbines will have on our communities. It seems there is little consideration as to whether they are the right way to go or not.
Money has the final say.
June Herriman
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