Folks around the world are becoming smarter regarding problems associated with wind energy, including noise pollution, health effects, destruction of scenery and expensive subsidies, and are fighting their construction
People from California to New York and from France to Germany are becoming aware of the problems with wind power due to its noise pollution, scenic disruption and unfulfilled promises. In Germany, many anti-wind groups have launched litigation against developers and government to either prevent wind farms from being built or to seek substantial financial compensation for the loss of the use and enjoyment of their homes. San Bernardino, California—the state's largest county—banned the construction of large wind farms of over one million acres of private land because residents do not want their rural desert community littered with industrial renewable generators. In France, associations of local residents reported disturbances from the “wind turbine syndrome” where noise that is described as “piercing, preoccupying, continually surprising, and irregular in intensity,” is the frequent complaint. The spontaneous recurrence of the noises disturbs sleep, awakening individuals when the wind increases in intensity and preventing their return to sleep. It seems that the more people become familiar with the downsides of wind power, the less people support it.
