Wind Farm Realities
Simon Chapman, a public-health professor in Australia, has long maintained that the health and annoyance issues from wind turbines that people complain about are the result of nocebo.  Recently he published a study that purports to conclusively demonstrate that those health complaints are not caused by the wind turbines; rather they are caused by anti-wind activists (presumably like me) instilling these ideas into people by our writings.

In an effort to give his study the fairest shake I could, I haven’t read it yet.  Instead, I’m going to put myself in his position and think about what kind of study I’d have to do to and what it would have to show.  After that exercise I’ll be looking through his paper to see if it in fact shows the things it needs to show to confirm his assertions.

My Nocebo Thought Study
1) I’d start by examining projects and comparing those where there were complaints to those where there were not.  I’d see if there was a significant  correlation between negative, fear-producing publicity in the area around the complaining projects vs. others.  This publicity would have to precede the project.
2)  I’d check to see if there were any other significant differences between the complaining and non-complaining projects to make sure there’s no other explanation, i.e. different setbacks, bigger turbines etc. Read article