Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2.6.6 Aesthetics
Any cost-beneit analysis related to the siting of a wind power project in
a community should attempt to estimate the inancial impact the devel-
opment will have on the economic fortunes of the community. Research
indicates that one source of opposition to wind power developments stems
from concerns over the potential adverse economic impact the develop-
ment might have on property values and in some cases, tourism revenue.
104
Financial impact assessments can be approximated by using hedonic pricing
which is an environmental impact estimation technique that uses experi-
ence in one community to estimate impact in another community.
105
he
scant research that does exist in regard to assessing the impact of wind
power projects on property prices and tourism indicate that any adverse
impact that does exist is likely short lived.
106
Property values have been
shown to bounce back after wind farms become operational,
107
and research
indicates that wind turbines can actually be a boon to tourism in some
cases.
108
However, the limited amount of research in this area suggests that
formal inancial impact studies might be warranted in communities where
this might be a concern.
If indirect costs associated with a wind energy project are to be esti-
mated, indirect savings associated with the same project should also be
estimated. In fossil fuel dominant societies, electricity generated by wind
energy projects would otherwise likely come from fossil fuel power sources,
which inlict both health and environmental damages on communities.
High concentrations of sulphur dioxide associated with coal combustion
have been linked to the degradation of buildings and monuments, as well as
to the acidiication of lakes and waterways.
109
CO
2
from fossil fuel combus-
tion is the main anthropic contributor to climate change.
110
Furthermore,
pollution from coal-ired power plants has been linked to respiratory dis-
eases. To put the damage into perspective, the Ontario Medical Association
estimated that health problems in the late 1990s stemming from pollution
attributed primarily to fossil fuel-ired power generation annually cost
Ontario over C$1 billion in health costs and contributed to over 1900 pre-
mature deaths.
111
2.7 CONCLUSION
It is perhaps no exaggeration to say that the realizable potential of wind
power depends on how well developers manage social and environmental
issues.
112
As more wind farms are developed, threats to both social and
