Sued for Being Sustainable
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 07.14.07
Michael Mercurio was paying $340 per month for gas and electricity, but managed to cut that down to only $114 per year - less than a thirtieth of the previous cost. He did it by installing a 35 foot tall wind turbine at his home, which unfortunately hasn't pleased his neighbors.
Mercurio owns a company that installs wind turbines, and is obviously a passionate advocate of wind power, "It just makes sense. This is a clean, renewable source of energy.” Unfortunately though, his neighbors have filed a lawsuit against him because the turbine is 8 feet taller than is allowed. He was granted permission to erect it, but it seems that the authorities made a mistake when they agreed to the plan. His neighbors dislike the look of the turbine, as well as the noise it makes.
The article contains all the standard complaints - people claim that they are all for wind power, just not near their homes. One even claims that the island where they live isn't big enough for the turbine, which seems ludicrous because it's nothing to do with the island, but the size of peoples gardens and their proximity to other houses. “People always say, ‘Not in my backyard, not in my backyard. I want to flip it around. It should start in my backyard,” said Mercurio.
This is a fantastic example of a household that has become almost completely self-sufficient for energy. Only the gas barbecue in the garden still needs fossil fuels. Sure, it may make some noise, and it might not be to everyone's taste aesthetically, but people need to realize that this needs to happen everywhere, in everyone's back yard. ::NY Times
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It boggles my mind that anyone would care. I live in an area where there are screaming children, police sirens, and the general living sounds of my neighbors. I can't imagine a windmill could top that. I won't even get into the folks who don't like the 'look' of it.
Maybe I should start suing people. I don't live in a suburb but my parents do. And there are things that bother me about their neighbors. One has painted his house a color that contrasts quite a bit with those of all the rest - some nasty pinkish color with ugly fake Roman-style balustrade. A really painful eye sore. I'm going to sue their pants off. Another neighbor has a kid that owns a motorbike. One of those motorbikes that make a ton of noise - you can hear it from a mile away. The kid is constantly coming and going in it. I'm going to sue their pants off. Oh, we all now the list can go on forever with the things we hate about our neighbors. I hope someone in Mercurio's neighborhood sues the suing neighbors for being anti-environmentalists...or for whatever. Someone trying to do the right thing and he has to look over his back to make sure he doesn't get stabbed for his efforts. Shame on those shameless neighbors.
I have mixed feelings about this. It's kind of a double-edged sword problem: environmental advocates are in favor of wind power, but we're in favor of wind power because it has less impact on the environment. Minimizing, mitigating or offsetting environmental impacts are the considerations we insist on.
The neighbors are framing their counterargument in the same terms, and I think they probably have legitimate environmental complaints -- the windmill is said to cause noise pollution, interrupt their supply of natural light (in a stroboscopic manner that is distracting and detrimental to humans), and disturb views.
What this dispute tells me, and should tell advocates for backyard windmill power, is that the current solution is not the right design. They are solving some problems (dirty power, power transmission, etc) at the expense of creating other environmental impacts. I know we shouldn't wait for immaculate, perfect solutions in wind power or anything else -- the net environmental impact assessment would say installing current windmill designs is better than continuing with current practices.
But we can't disregard real complaints from those who are feeling collateral damage from net-environmentally-good changes -- especially not when their complaints are framed in, and thus validate, the very value-system environmental advocates promote. The solution is to keep inventing, keep designing, and keep refining until we have solutions that are 100% winners, and we don't have to talk about net gains but only gains.
No kidding. I'd rather hear a windmill than my neighbour blasting the lion king soundtrack and robbie williams at 7am (true story), not to mention all the other urban noise around our building.
Not to point to particular individuals in this example, but the top half of society has its share of neurotic, control-freakish, attention-starved jerks who don't have enough to occupy their minds. I
This is pretty similar to those rules that dissallow clotheslines in the back yard and require frequent mowing.
I have a neighbor complaining about a tree that she is convinced will soon fall on her shed.
I'd love to replace that tree with a vertical axis wind turbine. Perhaps one from quiet revolution. Perhaps a group of them.
Teehee. I just don't care that she wouldn't like my new tree(s).
dyg
Wind turbine manufacturers need to find a way to get rid of the sound. It's great to be sustainable, it's patriotic, but it needs to be fixed. People call the police on noise. It can become so bad as to be a private nuisance. So that needs to be dealt with.
As for the looks, however, people need to get used to it. Why do we think it's okay to have ugly utility lines and telephone polls, but it's not okay to have a wind turbine flipping out? It looks good. We need to get used to the looks. People can be ugly, but it's harder to be noisy.
I think that Michael will have to do the following in order to please his neighbors:
1. Lower his turbine down by the required 8 feet unless his permission stands.
2. Coat the outside of the turbine section with sound dampening materials as those sprayed on the back of pick-up trucks.
3. Paint each of the blades red, white and blue so as to visually give the color pattern of an American flag.
If he does these three things, I do not see how his neighbors could continue to object unless they are jealous of him saving money or have a personal grievence of some other nature against him.
I believe that compliance with the law and that avoiding any disagreements with the neighbors is of importance but there is a point at which a person can say "I own this property, pay taxes on this property, live in the USA and have a right to live on it and to raise vegetables, trees or wind turbines if I wish.
adrianakau2aol.com
Obviously, we need to overcome objections if they exist; but this 'report' doesn't help anyone.
Even as a strong advocate of this tech and application, when I read this I have to think that the article is a biased load of crap... The proximity, noise level, rotor size, and speed aren't even implied, let alone reported! And I know it is NOT because the information is not available - the first google result I looked at provided some of the missing context:
Mercurio's windmill is located 15 feet from the neihbor's bedroom window. (That's closer than my TV is to my couch!)
The shadow of the spinning blades falls on the windows of the neihbors house (Think 24/7 disco strobe).
The turbine varies between a little over 50dB to 60dB, which = from normal conversational voice volumes to a reving car engine. Perfectly acceptable... if it weren't 24 hours a day, 15 feet from your bed.
I'd be pissed off too - and I'm about as green as they get!
We need some basic regulations to DEFEND this technology; that is, he should have been forced to put it on a taller tower, or on the other side of his yard maybe. If you let people disregard the neihbors when they make good efforts, then people will try to ban good efforts!
I think that the fault lies in the restriction on height, which Mercurio had to fight in the first place. Get those spinning blades out of the neihbor's faces and they lose the substantive arguments against it.
This is really sad. I wish I had neighbors that progressive. They should have to pay his energy costs if he has to remove it.
As I read this, I'm listening to one of my neighbors using a gas-powered weed whacker. This is my entire weekend: lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers . . . not to mention the yappy dog next door. Give me a break.
In short, jealously, because the wind turbine maybe generating enough power to get the man home "off the grid". Also mad because it's blocking their view of some countryside or something.
someone should stick windmills in the butts and mouths of those inconsiderate neighbors. make the fly away. lol.
come on people. now, just because windmill is Good doesnt mean we should be content with deficiencies such as its noise.
it is known that wind turbines produce low freq noise which potentially can be harmful and certainly is very annoying, because you can't well insulate against it.
so lets not be snobs and cut those neighbors a break and instead root for manufacturers to invent and make quieter and more benign windmills.
"someone should stick windmills in the butts and mouths of those inconsiderate neighbors. make the fly away. lol."
WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!! GOODNIGHT!
Speaking of noise, I'm staying in Kansas this summer and every night I fall asleep to the sound of oil being pumped from the ground over a half mile away. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt a lawsuit about the sound of an oil well would hold much weight in court. I'd rather live next to a turbine than an oil well any day!
I would love to have wind power at my house
"someone should stick windmills in the butts and mouths of those inconsiderate neighbors. make the fly away. lol."
Windmills do not work that way!!! Goodnight!!
(That was a joke by the way, not flaming)
"someone should stick windmills in the butts and mouths of those inconsiderate neighbors. make the fly away. lol."
WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY! GOODNIGHT!
Given the choice.Between windmill noise and neighbors idiots stereo going Boom-Boom- Thump-Thump all night.I will take the windmill any day.
Right, let's just destroy the earth even more by building destructive turbines that use huge amounts of resources to produce on a mass scale and that kill wildlife to boot. Birds don't know what these are.
The solution is to get rid of our electricity needs completely. Fuck "alternative energy."
From $340 a month to $114 a YEAR?
IF those neighbours had any sense they'd just demand he give them all free windmills.
They are old people. Or they live in a rural area. Those are the only two people that would bitch about saving money or the environment. Old people are going to die soon so what do they care if it reduces the dependency on fossil fuels. And people out in rural areas to the only sound they hear is cow shit making contact with the ground. If it doesn't involve a v-8 and a bonfire made with diesel it ain't hick enuf!
i bet when oil runs out and electricity stops these people will change their minds!
I LIVE in Kansas. I would rather too have the sound of a windmill near my home rather than the coal plant !
Unpleasant noise? Welcome to the world, buster. The aftermarket auto-parts industry has passed laws in many states making it far harder for police to cite loud pipes on cars and motorcycles, we're overwhelmed with annoying two-stroke leaf blowers that burn at 20% efficiency, gigantic dogs never seem to ever shut up, every downtown shopping district or street fair pipes in music (including Christmas music in October). I'm amazed you can HEAR the windmils at all !
They significantly reduce property values. If you dont care about your net worth, send some of that cash my way.
I wonder if this situation could have been avoided using a more sophisticated approach the design...
(im not affiliated with these people, I was just blown away by what I saw here. Maybe they could have solved this problem before it was one)
www.aerotecture.com
Low speed wind power, optionally built into the architecture of the building itself... Sounds good to me.
As I'm typing this comment I'm listening to BOTH next door neighbour's houses being re-sided (hammers, air hammers, compressors, saws, drills, etc) AND listening to 6 children jumping on the trampoline in the backyard of one of those houses screaming bloody murder (not to mention the profanity from their mouths, I don't mind swearing, I swear worse then anyone but coming from a 6 year old just doesn't seem right). Right about now I'd welcome all of that going away and the sound of a windmill instead. I think it might be kind of tranquil and soothing.
I suppose when you don't have to endure the noise pollution many of us get every day of our lives, something like a windmill might annoy you. Anyways, good on this guy for standing up for what he believes in but I have a headache and need some Advil.
I would htink he'd have a heft lawsuit against the city if he lost use of the windmill. He invested significant money into installing it after going through all the proper channels. He also stands to lose a significant amount due to increased energy costs. This is a real cost the city is forcing him to take on. Further, he is being forced to defend himself due to an error made by the city.
He is in no way at fault and should not have to suffer financially as a result. He followed the rules, went through the proper channels, got the permits. It's the city that should be sued, not him.
I would like to see some numbers on the noise pollution level of various wind turbine designs and sizes. If that information can be nicely collected and compared to other common sources of noise pollution (especially in areas with high population density) this might not be a problem. In other words education could be the road to victory on this topic.
Before you guys go off half-cocked, have any of you been under/around a wind turbine? They are WAY louder than you can imagine. I understand the need for getting off fossil fuel reliance but if all of us had these things running it would be miserable. I'm all for this move, it's a good start. But remember, the Lion King movie ends after 2 hours, and even if you have to sit through an entire Robbie Williams CD, it's over in under an hour. These things run as long as there's wind. Hopefully they perfect this technology and make it quieter, it has great potential.
His neighbors will change their tune when their energy costs are ten times higher than they are now!
Most of the standard complaints don't hold water anyway. It's time people started taking the energy situation more seriously.
Walt
Find out who his neighbors are and sue them for crimes against humanity.
Some freak tries to tells me what I can or can't do on my property and I "teach them a valuable lesson". That's worked evrey time so far.
I am very interested in this post since I too am considering installing one at my house in the next few years. There are newer wind turbines that have reduced the noise significantly. I am personally a fan of the vertical wind turbine design by
http://www.quietrevolution.co.uk/
This can be attached to hi rise bldgs
there is also this product by sky stream that is supposed to be very quiet.
http://www.skystreamenergy.com/skystream/
one thing to note, wind begets noise, via tree leaves part of the year in many locations. Typcially this is louder than the actual wind turbine. In michigan windows are closed and people hide out in the winter time so it should not be an issue.
I think it is such a waste to have wind and not utilize it. Naysayers will change there mind when there bills go through the roof.
Maybe we should require the surface coal miners to install wind turbines after they blow off the tops of the mountains. eventually we will be wind powered.
While I am an incredibly strong advocate of environmental alternatives - I'm not a strong advocate of wind turbines. As looking at the entire costs involved with manufacturing, building and sustaining them brings about a whole new argument to the carbon footprint. Independent studies have shown that for EACH wind turbine built for national grid use (obviously much larger than the one discussed here, but still gives a comparitable example) the time taken to 'pay off' its carbon footprint is ten years BEFORE it starts to be positive for the environment. That's a phenomenally long time. I'm much more interested in the technology on offer of photovoltaic cells. Light power cells that convert light energy into electricity. Firms, such as UK's Screwfast Foundations Ltd (who utilise their screw pile foundation system to implement tension-compression piles in a more environmentally positive way) are now working with grid systems, including Spains, to introduce photovoltaic 'farms' that will add to the nation's grid, (http://www.screwfast.com/news_details.php?id=2&nid=16) but has nowhere near the carbon footprint of wind turbines, is not visually hindering on the landscape, and the sound is not an issue. We're not got this technology yet in NZ, but would be VERY keen to have these on our roof! Cheers, Nic.
This windmill story would be perfect for Court TV's new reality show Neighbors 911.
I read some of your own complaints about your noisy neighbors and invite you to share them with us for the show!
If you live in or around the NY area please let us know what your annoying neighbor has done to you lately.
Are you constantly complaining to them about their loud music? Do they park on your grass? No issue is too small and both parties will be compensated $1500 just for appearing on the show & $3000 to the winning party!
Not bad for sharing your problem! Plus the shows arbitrator may even find a good solution to easy your aggrivated mind.
Email your story and contact information to us at
Lizlewiscasting@gmail.com
Mike's wind turbine is alleged to produce "noise" at 50 db. That's slightly louder than an air conditioner, and well below the level of "normal" conversation, 60 db. For a decibel scale go to http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/Phys/Class/sound/u11l2b.html
A vacuum cleaner is 80. The front rows of a rock concert are 110.
If you want to run any electric appliances you need to generate power. So the question is "How?"
Coal? Oil? Nuclear? Wind? Solar?
Speaking for myself, I like wind, and solar.