Wind power generation is expected to be a clean and environmentally friendly natural energy source, but a new kind of environmental problem has surfaced as infrasonic waves caused by windmills are suspected of causing health problems for some people. ...Wind power generation also poses a danger to birds, which are often struck and killed by the spinning vanes of the windmills. The Japanese Environment Ministry confirmed 13 such bird strikes in which white-tailed eagles, a rare species, were killed since fiscal 2003.

Residents living near wind turbines are increasingly complaining of headaches, dizziness, insomnia and other ailments, sparking fears that the new energy source could pose a risk to public health. Although the cause of the problem remains unclear, the Environment Ministry is investigating the possibility that low frequency sounds produced by the turbines are to blame.

Villagers said the wind farms along Taiwan's coast have already destroyed vegetation and trees along the coast and create noise. Taiwan residents have held referendums on building nuclear power plants, but have not yet held a referendum on building wind turbines yet. ...Once the wind turbines start running, they will create noise and destroy the ecology by harming mangroves and crabs.

Stopping between the cornfields and the primary-school playground, the workers dumped buckets of bubbling white liquid onto the ground. Then they drove right back through the gates of their compound without a word. ...here in the central plains of Henan Province near the Yellow River, stands out for one reason: It's a green-energy company, producing polysilicon destined for solar-energy panels sold around the world. But the byproduct of polysilicon production - silicon tetrachloride - is a highly toxic substance that poses environmental hazards. "The land where you dump or bury it will be infertile. No grass or

IKATA, Ehime Prefecture - Though wind turbines offer the exciting promise of a clean source of energy, they also create another form of pollution - noise. Residents here have complained that noise from newly installed wind turbines perched atop a ridge of the Sadamisaki Peninsula has been rattling their homes and plaguing them with sleepless nights.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Armed police have sealed off a village in southern China after violent clashes with residents that rights group Amnesty International said marked the first time Chinese police had fired on protesters since 1989.

Police opened fire on villagers protesting the construction of a wind-power plant in Guangdong, leaving at least two people dead, a news report said Wednesday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police opened fire on villagers protesting against the lack of compensation for land lost to a new wind farm in the southern province of Guangdong, local officials and residents said on Wednesday.

In order to study the physiological and psychological effects of infrasound on person, we have measured the changes of blood pressure and heart rate and also investigated subjective feelings of subjects exposed to infrasound.

An article in the Nikkei recently may well spell trouble for the fledgling alternative energy industry-and particularly for the wind power generation sector, where most energy investment has taken place in Japan. Apparently residents in the town of Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, have petitioned a wind turbine farm operator (Nikkei doesn't mention who) to close down their plant in the evening hours-on the basis that low frequency noise emanating from the wind farm is causing residents in the area serious health problems.