Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (2025)

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Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (12)
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (14) Climate's changed before
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (15) It's the sun
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Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (17) There is no consensus
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (18) It's cooling
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (19) Models are unreliable
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (20) Temp record is unreliable
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (21) Animals and plants can adapt
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (22) It hasn't warmed since 1998
Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (23) Antarctica is gaining ice
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Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health?

Posted on 11 February 2025 by BaerbelW

On November 1, 2024 we announcedthe publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by theSabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School in 2024. Below is the blog post version ofrebuttal #15 based on Sabin's report.

Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (41)

Multiple studies have found that the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by wind turbines are lower than those generated by most common household appliances and that they easily meet rigorous international safety standards (McCallum et al. 2014, Alexias et al. 2020, Karanakis et al. 2021). For context, the average home that is not located near power lines has a background level EMF of roughly 0.2 µT1. However, this value varies greatly depending on proximity to certain household appliances1. For example, from a distance of 4 feet, an electric can opener’s EMF is 0.2 µT, but this value increases to 60 µT from a distance of 6 inches2. A 2020 academic study found that the EMF generated by turbines are approximately 0.44 µT at a distance of 1 meter but less than 0.1 µT at a distance of 4 meters, as shown below (Alexias et al. 2020).

Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (42)

Figure 10: The EMF level, measured in microtesla (µT), is shown to drop dramatically with increase in distance from source. Source:Alexias et al. (2020)

These EMF levels are not dependent on wind speeds.

[1] Radiation: Electromagnetic fields, World Health Organization (August 4, 2016)

[2] Electromagnetic Fields (EMF), Wis. Dep’t. of Health Serv. (Sept. 14, 2022)

Skeptical Science sincerely appreciates Sabin Center's generosity in collaborating with us to make this information available as widely as possible.

Sabin 33 #15 - Does EM radiation from wind turbines pose a threat to human health? (43)

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Comments 1 to 3:

  1. David-acct at 11:02 AM on 16 February, 2025

    Quite a few studies provide much better context of wind turbine noise than the SK rebuttal article.

    [snip]


    Much is made in the article of A/C's, refrigerators, etc producing higher noise levels, Two key points are omitted.

    A/c's and refrigerators operate at only a fraction of the time of windturbines ie 24/7/365

    newer fridges operate at 32-40 dbs.

    windmills dbs are inaddition to other noises, so 40-40dbs for the windmill 24/7 plus the fridge, plus the ac with run 1/3 to 1/5 the time vs all the time.

    Context is important so that you are confused.


    Its both the decibel level and frequency that matters, not just the decibel level.

    Incomplete and partial information will lead to erroneous assumptions and impresssions.

    www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97107-8

    www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032122006852

    todayshomeowner.com/eco-friendly/guides/how-loud-are-wind-turbines/

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97107-8

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032122006852

    https://todayshomeowner.com/eco-friendly/guides/how-loud-are-wind-turbines/

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    Moderator Response:

    [BL] The article you are commenting on does not refer to noise. It refers to Electromagnetic Radiation. As a result, your comment is off-topic.

    You've been participating here long enough to know that there is a Comments Policy. The first bullet point in that policy is:

    • All comments must be on topic. Comments are on topic if they draw attention to possible errors of fact or interpretation in the main article, of if they discuss the immediate implications of the facts discussed in the main article. However, general discussions of Global Warming not explicitly related to the details of the main article are always off topic.Moderation complaints are always off topic and will be deleted

    There are blog posts here at SkS where noise from wind turbines is discussed. You can find them if you make the effort to use the Search box.

    The second bullet point in the Comments Policy states (emphasis added):

    • Make comments in the most appropriate thread. Some comments, while strictly on topic, may relate to issues discussed in more detail in some other thread. Extended discussion of those points should be carried out in the more appropriate thread, with link backs to reference the discussion as needed. Moderator's directions to move discussion to a more appropriate thread should always be followed.

  2. Doug Bostrom at 03:45 AM on 17 February, 2025

    These concerns remind me of a time when a firm I worked with was dealing with a person complaining about their "electromagnetic sensitivity" being triggered by a wireless data relay site near their home.

    The complaining party was communicating with us via their cellphone. Cellphones employ a range of frequencies spanning the band employed by the data network in question. Their EMF exposure from their phone was orders of magnitude higher than exposure from our network.

    We didn't bother trying to explain the implications of these facts as rationality was not part of the picture we were seeing and dealing with. As with the situation of wind turbines.

    0 0

  3. michael sweet at 08:33 AM on 17 February, 2025

    Wind turbines are mounted on towers hundreds of feet tall. If the field is background at 6 meters it would not be measurable on the ground.

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