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?

	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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