Rachael Ruffle of Renewable Energy Systems (WMN, September 20) really is
scraping the barrel if she has to put forward the pitiable bribe of a community
fund as a significant benefit of her company's desire to construct wind turbines
in the Den Brook Valley. Even this is a typical half-truth. Some of the people
who will find themselves living closest to Ms Ruffle's wind turbines live in the
parish of Zeal Monachorum, but she has consistently refused to include the
parish of Zeal in any of the dealings of her company. So no community fund for
Zeal.
Dartmoor has recently been voted the BBC's Best British Holiday
Destination because "it remains a wilderness and a favourite destination for
lovers of the outdoors". This accords with the CPRE view that this area remains
one of the three remaining "sinks of tranquillity" in England.
To build a
wind factory, and associated infrastructure, within the North Tawton, Bow/Zeal,
Spreyton triangle - adjacent to Dartmoor - could ruin our tourist trade and
therefore our livelihoods. Not only will there be negative effects on the
tourist trade but there will also be adverse effects on property values. Perhaps
all this would be worthwhile if wind turbines produced significant amounts of
green electricity. The truth is they don't.
Wind power can, at best, only
fulfil a marginal role in satisfying the country's energy needs. Also the
National Audit Office highlighted the poor value for money of the Renewables
Obligation in February of this year. Wind power depends on the Renewables
Obligation for financial solvency. The Public Accounts Committee of the House of
Commons has also joined in the questioning.
It would appear that every
time an authoritative and dispassionate person/group looks at public policy on
renewable energy in general, and wind power in particular, they are highly
critical.
This should act as a warning to the people of Devon to stop the
mad rush by developers to milk the windfarm subsidy cow at the expense of our
irreplaceable and glorious countryside.
Maureen Thomson
Chairman,
DBVAG North Tawton
Turbines a hideous intrusion
RACHEL Ruffle
of Renewable Energy Systems claims that the building of between ten and 19
turbines in the Den Brook Valley will somehow enhance Devon's environment. Well
she would, wouldn't she? Her company stands to make a great deal of money from
the proposal. She doesn't, of course, live anywhere near Den Brook.
Let
us get the facts straight. These turbines will be a hideous industrial intrusion
into our countryside. They will blight the view from the northern edge of the
Dartmoor National Park and won't make a scrap of difference to global warming.
It is time that there was a full and independent public inquiry into the
activities of these speculative companies, particularly with regard to the money
they receive from the taxpayers of this country.
John
Bainbridge
Teignmouth
Western Morning
News
FANTASY TO BELIEVE WIND POWER WILL SAVE PLANET
Date : 04.10.05
Until the day comes when windfarms will no longer be
applied for, and we can all go back to being proud of our British countryside
without fear of it being ruined by cash ridden hooligans, I suppose we shall
have to put up with contributors such as Tom Langdon-Davies and Linda Lever with
their somewhat bizarre views (WMN, August 30). It seems that while most people
have educated themselves about the nonsense of windfarms, there are those who
fail to take in any plain facts and still live in the fantasy world of believing
that windfarms will save the planet.
Mr Langdon-Davies of Devon Towns
Forum, is obviously besotted by money, the same as the companies who lap up the
enormous subsidies on offer through New Labour spin designed to spend taxpayers
money on something that does not really work, but has a disgraceful visual
effect.
Linda Lever of the Devon Green Party wants to know what people
campaigning against wind power would put in its place.
Firstly, her big
mistake is that campaigners do not object to wind power, for windfarms are only
a part of the technology, and not all wind converters need to be
obtrusive.
The fact that windfarms only perform at an average of 24.1 per
cent per annum seems to have escaped her. The Greens cannot see beyond idealism,
and live in a world of their own.
Windfarms are a massive con at our
expense and costing three times more than any other reliable source of
power.
Renewable energy has many other avenues to go down even though
they are all minute amounts of power which cannot keep pace with
demand.
Linda is right about energy saving, but getting the public to
participate is like asking a star professional footballer to play for
nothing.
In France, 80 per cent of power is supplied by nuclear, and they
do not complain about having all the electricity they need with no carbon
emissions.
We have created a demand that can only be equalled by nuclear
technology. We have to live with it.
In not too many years we are likely
to be buying nearly all of our power from abroad. The risk of being cut off by
any country who wishes to hold us to ransom will be the dominant
factor.
As climate change increases, our hemisphere will have less wind,
so the money grabbing companies should take their subsidies by building their
useless turbines, that is until the subsidies end and we return to
commonsense.
In the Netherlands all new homes have solar power and many
state owned buildings are being converted.
The power of sun and light are
for use every day. The big question is why not in Great Britain?
Oh of
course, silly me. Its not obtrusive enough like 400ft turbines.
Alan J
Nunn
St Austell