Fomenting Sickness: Nocebo Priming of Residents about Expected Wind Turbine Health Harms.

Simon Chapman,Luke Fry,Ketan Joshi

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2014.00279

Abstract

A nocebo effect hypothesis has been proposed to explain variations in where small minorities of exposed residents complain about noise and health effects said to be caused by wind farm turbines. The hypothesis requires that those complaining have been exposed to negative, potentially frightening information about the impact of proposed wind farms on nearby residents, and that this information conditions both expectations about future health impacts or the etiology of current health problems where wind farms are already operational. This hypothesis has been confirmed experimentally under laboratory conditions, but case studies of how this process can operate in local communities are lacking. In this paper, we present a case study of the apparent impact of an anti-wind farm public meeting on the generation of negative news media and the subsequent expression of concerns about anticipated health and noise impacts to a planning authority approval hearing in Victoria, Australia. We present a content analysis of the negative claims disseminated about health and noise in the news media and available on the internet prior to the hearing, and another content analysis of all submissions made to the planning authority by those opposing the development application.

Highlights

Australia’s first commercial wind farm commenced operation in 1987, in Western Australia
We present a case study of news media and other disseminated negative information and personal testimonies in the months prior to an administrative tribunal hearing to consider objections to the proposed Cherry Tree Range wind farm in rural Victoria, Australia
We present a content analysis of the claims disseminated about health and noise prior to the hearing, and summarize references to future health concerns subsequently made in all public submissions to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) by those opposing the development application

Summary

Introduction

Australia’s first commercial wind farm commenced operation in 1987, in Western Australia. Over the 27 years, some 52 farms ranging from small single turbine operations to a 120 turbine 420 MW farm in Victoria became operational [1]. Sporadic reports of opposition to some of these wind farms began appearing from about 2002 [2]. These objections were initially focused on esthetic, economic, and fauna risk objections to proposed wind farm developments from property owners who believed the turbines would reduce their visual amenity and property values and kill rare or iconic birds and bats. Several branches of the Landscape Guardians, a movement modeled on the UK’s Country Guardians [4] began to attract minor, sporadic publicity from around 2002

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Conclusion