Industrial Wind Turbines Damage Environment

They have long been championed as a way to combat global warming by creating clean energy.

But wind farms can actually alter the climate according to a new study by a group of American scientists.

The team from the University of Illinois found that daytime temperatures around wind farms can fall by as much as 4C, while at night temperatures can increase.

The study found that currently the effect is restricted to areas near to the turbines, but the increase in larger farms could create weather changes on a regional scale.

The study was led by Somnath Roy, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at the university, with the San Gorgonio wind farm in California the focal point of his research.

He found that the day ground temperature behind turbines was up to 4C lower than in front.

He suggested that the turbines' blades scoop warm from the ground and push the cooler air downwards. This is then reversed at night.
Research: Somnath Roy of the University of Illinois conducted the study into climate around wind farms

Research: Somnath Roy of the University of Illinois conducted the study into climate around wind farms

Roy, whose findings were published in the Sunday Times, added that he believes the turbines causing turbulence and reducing winds speed are the cause.

He also added that the churning of air from low to high can create vortices that could extend the phenomenon for large distances downwind.

Roy's research is supported by a study undertaken by the Iowa State University, who looked at how a 100-turbine farm would affect conditions on farmland.

They found that temperatures on the ground were warmer at night, which in turn allowed plants to breathe more.

While scientists in the United States have conducted research into the effects of wind farms on climate, such research in the UK is at an early stage.

NOT clean, NOT green, NOT cheap!