Dr Sarah Laurie and the Waubra Foundation have identified how the wind industry is causing sleep deprivation – a form of torture – to hundreds of rural citizens:

Environmental-Noise-Sleep-Deprivation-Torture such as gas fired power stations, coal mines and field compressors used in CSG extraction produce environmental noise at night 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

2. Excessive night time environmental noise disturbs sleep 15 16 17 18

3. Repetitive sleep disturbance leads to chronic sleep deprivation 19 20 21 22

4. Sleep deprivation predictably damages physical and mental health23 24 25 26

5. Because sleep is a “basic life necessity” and essential for health, sleep deprivation is explicitly acknowledged as a method of torture. 27 28

6. Torture from sleep deprivation is occurring regularly at industrial noise polluting facilities such as wind energy developments, coal mines, gas fired power stations and in CSG fields too close to human habitation, including those deemed to be “compliant” with current planning and noise pollution regulations by government planning and noise pollution authorities. 29 30 31 These regulations therefore operate as a “licence to damage” health, not protect it. Furthermore the regulation of noise pollution is inadequate, lacking
in transparency and accountability to those adversely impacted.

7. As a result, government sanctioned torture is occurring, of which noise polluters are well aware. The torture is widely known about, particularly with respect to wind turbine noise, but is ignored by almost all politicians, political parties, and responsible public servants.

8. This is a breach of the UN Convention against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment (of which Australia is a signatory) and the Victorian Charter of Rights and Responsibilities 32. There is no justification for torture, not even war, or “following orders”. 33 The UN convention states each State Party shall ensure that all acts of torture are criminal offences. 34 Public officials who knowingly, and therefore intentionally, allow torture to occur or to continue, could therefore be held liable. 35 Rural residents living in very quiet background noise environments, and individuals with underlying health conditions making them more susceptible to lower frequency environmental noise,36 37 38 39are particularly being discriminated against.40

Download the document and all the links here: Environmental-Noise-Sleep-Deprivation-Torture