I’d like to attempt to describe the difference between a household fan and an industrial wind turbine for a previous letter writer. The first difference is clearly size – one is about six inches tall, the other, one quarter the size of the CN Tower. The next distinctions lie in the intensity and duration of the noise pollution produced. Household fans are used over short periods and their use does not require the owner to abandon their home. The industrial wind turbines, on the other hand, have laid waste to neighbourhood after neighbourhood with the sound approximating a 747 landing at Pearson. Another distinction can be seen in the control the homeowner has over the sound of the fan. A household fan can be turned off at the owner’s discretion while the unfortunate neighbour of an industrial wind turbine factory is constantly subjected to the incessant and damaging effects of the machines. To add insult to injury, this is totally out of their control. Quite frankly, I’d have no objection to my neighbour installing a new home fan. I hope I’ve helped clarify the writer’s understanding of the issue.
Robert Service