Some people think that wind turbines spoil the landscape. They also say that wind farms are harmful to wildlife and that they are too noisy if they are built too close to where people live.
Do you think that wind farms spoil the beauty of the countryside?
Wind farms are often built in rural landscapes where there are no other buildings. Because some people think that they spoil the landscape, some think that one solution is to build more offshore wind farms because fewer people would see them.
Wind farms are blamed for killing birds.
Wind farms have been blamed for disturbing wildlife. Some studies suggest that birds, such as eagles, are killed by flying into the giant rotor blades. Other studies suggest that this is not true and that most birds fly over or around them. Before a new wind farm is built, studies are carried out to assess the danger to wildlife.
Some people say wind farms are noisy.
If you stand near a wind turbine you will hear the noise of its rotor blades spinning in the wind. Some people complain that this noise disturbs people living nearby. However, most wind farms are built at least 300 metres from homes. At this distance the noise is less than that of a car engine.