Local news for local people
Book review - "Wind Turbine Syndrome: A communicated disease"
by
Simon Chapman and Fiona Chrichton
April 2, 2026
Every
time a new technology comes along people are fearful and resist
change. The image below is from a time when electricity was starting
to be distributed. I can remember when television arrived in
Australia and there were severe warnings about possible damage to
eyesight from watching it (and scammers selling special glasses to
eliminate the danger). People used analogue mobile phones to
complain about 2G digital signals, 2G phones to whine about 3G, 3G
phones to spread fear about 4G and
4G phones to warn of the dangers of 5G. People went crazy when
smart electricity meters started being installed. It was ever
thus.
This book looks at resistance to a specific technology - the towers used to generate electricity from wind power.
The book contains eight chapters:
- The history and growth of windfarms, and early objections
- The advent of noise and health complaints
- Core problems with health claims about windfarms
- The best evidence opponents have to offer
- The psychogenics of wind turbine complaints
- Opponents of windfarms in Australia
- How the anti-wind lobby reacts when challenged
- Strategies for reducing anxiety and complaints
The chapter heading indicate the breadth of the study. At the time the book was published (2017) Chapman was the Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney and Chrichton was a recent PhD graduate in psychology. This is not a book by someone who is pushing a barrow - it is the result of comprehensive research by capable academics.
The best part, however is in the appendix: "Appendix: 247
symptoms, diseases and aberrant behaviours attributed to wind
turbine exposure". I would list the 247 "complaints" to save you
having to look them up but it's easier to just go to
Page 313
of the book and read them for yourself and have a good laugh.
In January 2012, I commenced building the list shown below of evergrowing claims made about problems in humans and animals that windfarm opponents attribute to exposure to wind turbines. All the claims below can be found in online sources, mostly websites of opponents of windfarms and submissions they have made to governments.
The list is now permanently located on the University of Sydney's scholarship repository (https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/10501), where links to sources for each claim can also be found.
Teresa Simonetti (2012) and Vince Cakic (2013) both assisted with locating many complaints during vacation placements at the Sydney Medical School.
As an aside, in private conversation since the book was published, Professor Chapman told me that the number is now well over 300 and rising.
If the book were to be published in print, this would be the back cover blurb:
"Are wind farms a threat to human health? Public health expert Simon Chapman and health psychologist Fiona Crichton blow away the bad science, rumours and misinformation in an illuminating, fascinating and entertaining look at the makings of a health scare. "Tilting at windmills" is an analogy for the activities of those who passionately believe that wind farms are a threat to human health. This book shows that these fears are not backed by persuasive evidence, and that not all the critics have the grace and dignity of the original Windmill tilter, Don Quixote."
Professor Sir Simon Wessely
President Royal Society of
Medicine
Past President Royal College of Psychiatrists
You can download a copy of the book
from the
Sydney University web site. It is highly recommended for anyone
who wants to separate the truth from the almost nonsensical
arguments from the opponents of renewable energy, who of course say
"I'm not opposed to renewable energy, but ..." while showing clear
signs of climate change denial.
See also: Fake news on everything from whales to wind farms: Australia is flooded with climate misinformation
