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FAQ

Below we answer some of the most frequently asked questions on wind power.
If your question is not answered here, or you would like more information, please try:

• the Friends of the Earth pamphlet "Wind power: your questions answered",

the British Wind Energy Association

www.offshorewind.co.uk

• Or go to the LINKS section of this site.

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Wind energy and environmental impact
* Are wind turbines noisy?
* Don't they kill lots of birds?
* Do wind turbines spoil the landscape?
* Do wind turbines frighten livestock?
* How long does it take for a turbine to 'pay back' the electricity used to manufacture it?
* How safe is wind energy?
* Will building wind turbines help prevent global warming?
* Doesn't the 'dirty' back-up power required when the wind stops blowing mean that the C02 saving is wiped out?
* What is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

Public opinion

* How popular is wind energy?
* Why is there opposition to wind farms?
* Do wind farms affect tourism?
* I want to visit a wind farm, where is the nearest one to me?
* Do wind farms interfere with Ministry of Defence activities?

The mechanics and workings of wind turbines

* What are wind turbines made of?
* How big are they?
* How does a wind turbine make electricity?
* How strong does the wind have to blow for the wind turbines to work?
* How fast do the blades turn?
* How much space do wind turbines require?
* What happens when the wind stops blowing?
* How long do wind turbines last?
* What happens when a wind farm is taken down/decommissioned?
* How much electricity does one wind turbine produce?
* Can they meet all our electricity needs?
* How much of the time do wind turbines produce electricity?

Wind energy and health

* Are wind farms harmful to our health through emitting dangerous infrasound?

Wind energy economics

* Isn't wind power really expensive?
* Do wind farms create jobs?


Wind turbines on your property

* Could I put a turbine in my garden or on the roof of my house?
* I'm a farmer, can I put a wind farm on my land?
* Do wind farms affect house prices?


Offshore wind farms

* Why don't we put all the wind turbines out to sea?
* Where will they be built?
* How far out to sea will they be, and how deep?
* Will they interfere with shipping?
* Will they interfere with fishing?
* How big will they look from the shore?
* What if there's a storm at sea?
* Will they disturb the seabed and cause coastal erosion?
* Will they affect marine life?

Beyond wind

* What about other forms of renewable energy?
* Isn't energy efficiency just as important?
* How can I switch to green electricity?


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