“Down Wind” (new book protests Netherlands blight)

Thank you very much for your interest in the English translation of my new book ‘Down Wind’. It mainly describes the Dutch situation, but there are multiple examples reflecting situations in the United States and throughout Europe. Some description follows.

“Large numbers of (sea) birds, bats and insects are already being killed by the spinning rotor blades. Horizon pollution, infrasound and drop-shadow are driving more and more people to despair, and there seems to be no end in sight.”

Down Wind: The impact of large-scale energy production using wind turbines

In the summer of 2023, it became evident that the wind power industry was facing serious challenges. Sweden’s Vattenfall was denied permission by its own government for a wind farm on Sweden’s west coast. Why? “Negative impacts on the environment.” Vattenfall also cancelled the construction of a new offshore wind farm on England’s North Sea coast due to ‘cost’.

The “energy transition” looks to a ten-fold increase in industrial wind turbines. Currently, there are an estimated 200,000 wind turbines worldwide. To eliminate fossil fuels by 2050, approximately 2,000,000 more wind turbines would need to be constructed.

Has the wind industry finally come to its senses and recognised that building, installing and operating wind turbines is very expensive? That the huge amounts of materials – steel, concrete and plastic – cannot be extracted or produced in an environmentally friendly way? Not to mention the disposal after 20 years of operation. In fact, rotor blades still cannot be recycled and therefore have to be landfilled or incinerated.

Wind turbines significantly impact our environment–negatively. Large numbers of (sea) birds, bats and insects are already being killed by the spinning rotor blades. Horizon pollution, infrasound and drop-shadow are driving more and more people to despair, and there seems to be no end in sight. Honest calculations also show that wind power is not only very expensive, but also that power cannot be guaranteed due to the variability of the wind.

Isn’t it high time to recognise that wind power is nothing more than wind trading, so we should reconsider its role as the sought-after solution?

Unlike windmills of up to about 20-30 meters in height, the new wind turbines are of a very different caliber. Modern wind turbines reach tip heights as high as 260 meters, making them more than prominent in the landscape. Whereas tourists used to come to admire the beautiful Dutch, balanced landscape with its classic windmills, the same tourists are not too keen on looking at a horizon with dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of modern wind turbines.

This book begins with a bit of primal Dutch history of the windmill and then quickly moves on to the development of the first wind turbines, machines designed purely to generate energy. In addition to the development and use of this technology, the why of the energy transition is discussed. This has primarily become a prelude to the rise of all kinds of financial markets, particularly around CO2.

To understand the background of the entire energy transition – of which the excessive increase in the construction of wind farms is an important part – I first inform you extensively about the policy pursued and its motivation. In this book, I pay close attention to the harmful effects on humans and nature caused by the construction, installation and use, and removal of wind turbines.

All these harmful effects, in addition to the dangers that occur during operation, are explained with practical examples. I deliberately do not use the widely misused word “sustainable” in this book. The reason why will automatically become clear as you read. Finally, using practical examples, I also discuss exactly what climate policy means for your wallet.

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A book about the impact of large-scale energy generation with wind turbines comes not a moment too soon. Since government plans for the energy transition will entail far-reaching changes for the landscape and society, it was about time to inform the public about the background of the energy transition, a transition that is primarily focused on wind energy in the Netherlands, both on land and at sea. The coverage of this, through our public broadcasters and mainstream newspapers, has become increasingly one-sided and incomplete over the past decades. Therefore, it is quite possible that after reading this book, you may look differently at the energy transition in general, and wind turbines in particular.

My advice is to continue your own research after reading the book, to look for subjects that have aroused your interest, but especially those subjects where you have doubts whether the information I have presented is correct or not. To help you do this, I have included several references at the end of each chapter. That list, given the enormity of the subject, is obviously not complete. However, with the search terms in this book, you can do an excellent job.

Hopefully, after reading this book, you will agree with me that it is of utmost importance that the information in this book be widely disseminated. After all, as plans for wind energy continue to be realized toward 2050, the damage to the environment – flora and fauna – will begin to increase exponentially. Sharing information about the negative aspects of this wind trade is crucial. Only together can we turn back from the dead-end road we have taken.

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Bert Weteringe is an aeronautical engineer and nature lover. Website: www.metdewindmee.com; Boek windhandel: https://obeliskboeken.nl/boek/windhandel; Book Down Wind: https://www.obeliskbooks.com/product-page/down-wind