I was very pleased to host a landmark conference in the European Parliament on Tuesday to examine whether wind farms pose a risk to human and animal life. As Europe increasingly shifts to wind energy, it is more important than ever to carefully examine what are the effects of infrasound from wind turbines.

The event, entitled: “Unheard but not Harmless – Public Health & Wind Energy Infrasound in the EU”, included a keynote address from Virgine Joron MEP.

Bringing together scientists, lawyers, citizens’ groups, industry representatives and officials from the European Commission, we examined emerging evidence that current EU noise standards may be failing communities living near wind turbines.

Recent research suggests that infrasound generated by wind turbines may be significantly underestimated, with potential biological effects including stress, sleep disturbance and cardiovascular impacts.

Guest speakers included:

* Professor Ken Mattsson (Uppsala University), a leading expert in scientific computing and numerical analysis

* Dr Ursula Bellut-Staeck, physician-scientist and internationally recognised expert in microcirculation

* Morvan Le Berre, lawyer on the Brussels Bar, and an expert in EU regulatory law

* Guy Willems, senior advisor – environment and community, Wind Europe