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ago in General Factchecking by Novice (900 points)

This claim has been made in various interviews and social media posts, suggesting that the noise or vibrations from wind turbines can lead to serious health problems, including cancer. One viral post stated:
"The sound from windmills causes cancer. People don’t want to live near them for a reason."

12 Answers

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ago by (140 points)

Wind turbines do not cause cancer; the only problem they cause is due to the sound of them. People who live by wind turbines report trouble sleeping, and mood swings. But none of those concerns are related to cancer in any way. According to Cancer health "wind farms may reduce the national burden of cancer—particularly lung cancer—if they replace coal-fired electrical generating plants". 

plantshttps://www.cancerhealth.com/article/wind-turbine-noise-cancer-myth

False
ago by Novice (540 points)
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You make a strong point that wind turbines don’t cause cancer, and the Cancer Health article is a good source. But I noticed you didn’t explain much about where the idea that they cause cancer came from. Was there a specific person or news story that started that rumor? It would make your fact-check even better if you talked about how the myth spread and why people believed it in the first place. That way, you could show more clearly how the facts disprove the original claim. But I do I like how you pointed out that wind turbines don’t cause cancer and that they might even help reduce it by replacing coal power. That’s a great detail. I think it would be helpful to explain a little more about the health effects of coal plants, like how they release things like soot and chemicals that can damage lungs. That would make your argument stronger by showing exactly how wind power is better for health overall, not just that it doesn’t cause cancer, but that it helps prevent it in a bigger way.
ago by Newbie (260 points)
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I also heard that they could help cancer, I also heard that they could help diagnose cancer as well. If you went into more detail about how it helps cancer because I'm not sure exactly what coal fired electrical generating plants are.
ago by Newbie (380 points)
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I disagree wind turbines cant cause cancer because the article you shared said no proof to back up that accusation. At most they might be able to help figure out that you do but theres never been evidence that someones gotten cancer because of it.
ago by Novice (580 points)
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I like that you added a link explaining how wind turbines causing cancer is a myth, however I wish you would have went a little more in depth or added more information like a quote or statistic/fact that helps back your claim. I also enjoyed your claim that people who live near wind turbines mainly complain about the noise of them rather than anything having to do with cancer.
ago by Newbie (260 points)
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it's important to separate myth from fact when discussing wind energy. Your mention of wind replacing coal is especially strong, since reducing pollution directly lowers cancer risks.
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ago by Newbie (310 points)

This claim is false. 

In a study and article from the National Library of Medicine, wind turbines overall are not related to nor cause "adverse health effects". Although it does not mention cancer directly, it is safe to assume that cancer falls into the "adverse health effects" category. It is important to mention that wind turbines can cause other disturbances such as lack of sleep, and annoyance from the noise, which can lead to a stressed state, or less than ideal psychological state. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4063257/

In another study examining this exact issue, the abstract did find this: Exposure to higher burden of wind turbines was shown to increase cancer incidence, but this effect was marginal and only found in one test. However, it is ultimately concluded that "Greater exposure to wind turbines does not appear to increase cancer incidence." 

https://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/1927?ln=en

False
ago by Newbie (220 points)
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I really like how you used reputable sources, it really help your credibility. I also like that you provided how wind turbines cause harm rather than ignoring the harm they do. Additionally, its nice to understand that the original poster may have gotten their information from this study. It would help the legibility if all the text was the same size.
ago by Novice (580 points)
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You did a great job in finding credible scientific sources and mentioning the distinction between general health effects and specific claims like cancer. I liked how you acknowledged the second study, which found a marginal association in one test, but ultimately concluded no link between wind turbine exposure and cancer.
ago by Newbie (260 points)
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I agree that the answer is false and there's no way wind turbines cause cancer, they do cause other disturbances like sleep loss and headaches. Which in theory could lead to a more agitated person, but I don't see how it could increase cancer incidence in any way.
ago by Newbie (220 points)
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I agree with your statement. I also like how you used a scientific journal to back up your claims. Especially since this claim is in regards to human health. I also like how you mention the known effects of wind turbines on health.
ago by Newbie (300 points)
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I appreciate how you used reputable sources—it really adds to your credibility. I also value that you acknowledged the potential harm caused by wind turbines instead of ignoring it. It's helpful to understand that the original poster may have based their information on that particular study
ago by Newbie (260 points)
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You did a great job breaking down the studies and explaining the difference between minor disturbances and serious health effects. Citing the research directly adds credibility, especially when clarifying that wind turbines don’t increase cancer risk.
ago by Newbie (270 points)
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Nice points you raised, and thanks for introducing several pieces of evidence. I would just be careful with "safe to assume" cancer is one of negative health consequences. Not all health issues are created equal, and it's always best to look for hard facts. The piece of evidence you did cite did mention that one test had seen an increase in cancer but very explicitly said that there is no concrete link overall. I agree that fact-check is correct, just has to be a little more specific about what exactly each piece of evidence establishes.
ago by Newbie (260 points)
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The sources you used seem to be very high quality and reputable. Both the National Library of Medicine and UChicago are trustworthy. You can tell you went in depth into each source for this fact check. I like that you mentioned that there are potential negative health effects for living near wind turbines, but ultimately stated there is no link between cancer and wind turbines.
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ago by Newbie (260 points)
One source talks about how the wind turbines are in fact very loud, which can lead to sleep loss and other possible health issues. However cancer was not stated in this article. They mention "Wind Turbine Syndrome" which isn't a real medical term, but is used to describe the many symptoms that come from living by one. Unfortunately the original factcheck source link doesn't work, however I don't see any sources claiming that it is true. One source says that cancer is uncontrollable cell mutation, and sound waves aren't enough to cause this.

https://goingcoastal.org/against-wind-power/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22212524391&gbraid=0AAAAA-b0nSTBM499V_Ql3WzhT6-i1bA_L&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0erBBhDTARIsAKO8iqSno2_xR91XJU6nExfG8Pqqonfx7dOZglc38EtC3IeOAjZMZjxmBuEaAl2XEALw_wcB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine_syndrome#:~:text=for%20miles%20around.-,French%20legal%20case,Singladou%20Energie%20for%20%E2%82%AC110%2C000.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/10/donald-trump-wind-turnbines-energy-cancer/
False
ago by Novice (740 points)
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Wikipedia might not be a vild source for you to use. I also think that a better source than Going Costal could be used, as it doesn't seem to have a stated author.
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ago by Newbie (420 points)
This claim is false, wind turbines do not cause cancer. With your information being from social media posts and random interviews there is no reliable source or facts to support that wind turbines cause cancer. President Trump made a statement talking about the wind turbines, and like how all rumors start, others changed it up to have a new meaning. Also your main point in this claim is that the wind turbine sound is the "cause" of the cancer, sounds such as loud noises don't directly give you cancer although it could lead to cancer but its in rare cases that it does.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/10/donald-trump-wind-turnbines-energy-cancer/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7930229/#:~:text=Recently%2C%20a%20few%20clinical%20studies,breast%20cancer%20risk%20(27).
False
ago by Newbie (220 points)
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I agree with you that the claim is false. However, I think it might be difficult to track down the start of the claim that wind turbines cause cancer. Especially since the original poster claimed that it came from a BBC article that doesn't exist anymore. We can assume that it started because of Donald Trump, but we have no true way of knowing this. I do however like how you added a reliable scientific article to back up your claims.
ago by Newbie (300 points)
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I agree that the claim about wind turbines causing cancer is false. However, tracing the origin of this rumor is tricky, especially since the supposed BBC article no longer exists. While some suggest Donald Trump might have played a role in spreading it, there’s no solid evidence to confirm that. I do appreciate that you supported your argument with a credible scientific source—that really strengthens your position. Adding a bit more about why these myths spread could make your point even clearer.
ago by Newbie (270 points)
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You’re right that there’s no solid evidence linking wind turbines to cancer, and social media isn’t a reliable source. I’d just be careful with suggesting that loud noise could “rarely” lead to cancer. There’s no strong research supporting that. Your fact-check is clear overall, just could use a bit more precision on that point.
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ago by Newbie (220 points)
Wind turbines don't cause cancer. They do have some adverse health affects such as "decreased quality of life, annoyance, stress, sleep disturbance, headache, anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction" (Jeffery) for those who live near them. But there has been no research to suggest that they cause cancer. Also the article provided doesn't exist anymore/if at all. And the BBC, while a reputable news source, are not a scientific journal so all of their scientific claims should be taken with a grain of salt.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3653647/
False
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ago by Newbie (290 points)

The claim that wind turbines cause cancer is false. The article provided was from the BBC, which is a highly reliable news source, but it says the source isn't currently accessible, making it difficult to verify the claim, assess the legitimacy of the author, and decipher whether this is current or old news. It's possible this article was removed to stop the spread of misinformation, especially if the original claim was disproven. Additionally, your information is gathered from social media posts and interviews, which aren't reliable or trustworthy sources to prove that wind turbines cause cancer. According to the National Library of Medicine, "The available scientific evidence suggests that EMF, shadow flicker, low-frequency noise, and infrasound from wind turbines are not likely to affect human health." This quote is from a reliable government source, and it proves that wind turbines aren't associated with health conditions like cancer. Lastly, I didn't find any information on PolitiFact or FactCheck.org about wind turbines causing cancer, which further proves that this claim is false and isn't supported by reliable sources. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4063257/ 

False
ago by Novice (580 points)
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I really appreciate how you acknowledged that while the BBC is a reliable source the inability to verify the source nullifies the validity of the claim because that information is inaccessible to you. Also recognizing the possibility of misinformation being the cause of the article being taken down shows that you’re well aware of the reaching claims being made. Using a reliable government source validates your claim and proves credibility. Great Job!
ago by Newbie (270 points)
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You make a great point about the importance of reliable sources, and I agree that social media posts aren’t trustworthy evidence. It’s good you highlighted the National Library of Medicine study showing no link between wind turbines and health problems like cancer. I also like that you checked fact-checking sites for confirmation. Overall, your fact-check is clear and well-supported!
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ago by Newbie (260 points)
The claim that wind turbines cause cancer is not true. The source and link provided to help support the claim brings you to an error every time you click on it.  Although the company BBC News can be found as a reliable source, the article that is attached cannot be found. Their other sources included "various interviews" and "social media posts" which in this case anyone could say anything. There is no good evidence to support the claim that is being made.

According to a New York Times article fact checking Donald Trump's claim that wind turbines cause cancer, it says that Trump is wrong. It is quoted in the article that "The American Cancer Society is unaware of any credible evidence linking the noise from windmills to cancer." The New York Times is a very credible source and has trustworthy information.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/climate/fact-check-trump-windmills.html
False
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ago by Newbie (260 points)

Wind turbines do not cause cancer and there is no correlation to them causing cancer. Wind turbines happen to loud for the people that live next to them and those people report sleep loss because of that noise. This noise is only a disruption to the people that live next to them and therefore have no relation to causing cancer.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4063257/

False
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ago by Newbie (270 points)

The claim that wind turbines cause cancer is false. It originated from a 2019 statement by Donald Trump, but no scientific evidence supports it. According to the American Cancer Society, there is "no valid or peer-reviewed scientific research showing that the noise or electromagnetic fields from wind turbines cause cancer." Peer-reviewed studies also confirm there is no link between wind turbines and cancer, though some people may experience sleep disturbance or annoyance.

American Cancer Society — https://www.cancer.org

False
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ago by Newbie (260 points)
The claim that wind turbines cause cancer is false. This idea may have originated from Trump, when he stated “If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75 percent in value, and they say the noise causes cancer." at a Republican fundraiser in 2019. In an article published by the National Library of Medicine it is discussed that there is no relation found between proximity to windmills and cancer. At the time of Trump's statement, the American Cancer Society stated it was "...unaware of any credible evidence linking the noise from windmills to cancer.”

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4063257/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/climate/fact-check-trump-windmills.html
False

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