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Beware missionary Zeal over wind farms....

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April 17 2008 ~ Struan Stevenson, MEP, is calling for action to stop any further building on peatland.

Mr Stevenson is the president of the Intergroup on Sustainable Development: “We are getting the whole development of wind power catastrophically wrong if we allow wind farms to continue to be developed on peatland,” Mr Stevenson said. There are 980 wind-farm proposals in place across Europe, of which 187 would be built on peatland. Some are gigantic wind farms, such as that proposed for the Scottish island of Lewis. See warmwell's front page today.

April 7 2008 ~ Plans for a Perthshire wind farm rejected by the Scottish Executive "... they would still represent an intrusion on a sensitive skyline".

The proposal for five huge wind turbines at Tillyrie Hill, four kilometres north-west of Milnathort, was scrutinised by the Scottish Executive and then rejected. Michael Shiel, acting on behalf of the Executive, conducted a public inquiry in Kinross last year and after listening to details for and against the wind farm proposals he reported: “I find the proposal not to be environmentally acceptable.” Perthshire Advertiser

07 Apr 2008 ~ Fast track windfarms fear

Todmorden News "There is a serious danger that three wind power proposals above Todmorden will be “fast tracked” through the planning appeal process, and local concerns set aside in favour of the Government’s “green” energy targets, say local campaigners. ..Local campaigners against the wind turbines are very concerned that the three sites proposed, with a total of 20, 410ft high turbines, will be treated by the Inspectorate as one big wind farm. If the total installed capacity is 60MW or over, the Inspectorate refer to it as a site “of major importance having more than local significance”. If this happens, local concerns such as the risk to people’s spring water supplies, or the threat of flooding due to loss of peat on the tops, or loss of the open moorland that gives Todmorden its character, could be set aside, in favour of Government targets on renewable electricity, says a local spokesman...."

April 6 ~ "Chris and dozens of his neighbours wonder why they are necessary in such a sensitive area when Gordon Brown recently announced a series of enormous projects to build a series of such wind farms offshore..."

"One of the more tawdry innovations of modern politics has been the ever-increasing use of obfuscation, a deliberate attempt by politicians and their spin doctors to persuade the public that they are doing one thing when in fact they are doing exactly the opposite. A good example of this is the so-called " public consultation" over 2,500 post office closures, which - as former Labour minister Kate Hoey has admitted - is a " total sham" because the list of branches due for the chop was agreed behind closed doors months ago...Over recent years, many of us have leaned a wary ear towards most public announcements, trying to discern the background noise of real intent, but in my long career I have never heard a statement quite as startling as this:
" It was easier to penetrate a gang of international drug smugglers in Hong Kong than it is to find out exactly what is going on in the attempt to build a giant wind farm in Craven."
That would be as easy to dismiss as hyperbole if it did not come from the mouth of retired Hong Kong police chief Christopher Emmett, who did spend much of his career pursuing drug barons and seizing huge hauls of heroin. When Chris and his wife Stephanie left the former colony on its handover to China, they searched for a picture postcard retirement home in the peace and quiet of the English countryside. Now, their rural idyll is threatened by the prospect of five or six of the highest wind turbines ever to be built in Britain a couple of miles from their home at East Marton, in the triangle between two of England’s busiest tourist traffic routes, the A65 and the A59.
Make no mistake, these machines are giants: over 400 feet tall and - should they get planning permission - they will stand on top of a hill already 600 feet above sea level. They will be plainly visible from as far away as Penyghent to the north, Malham Tarn to the east, Pendle Hill to the south and across the Forest of Bowland to the west - four of the most beautiful landscapes in England.
Put simply, Chris and dozens of his neighbours wonder why they are necessary in such a sensitive area when Gordon Brown recently announced a series of enormous projects to build a series of such wind farms offshore. ."cravenherald.co.uk

April 5 2008 ~ Work on a controversial development of a major wind farm off the North Wales coast restarts next week as rows continue over the plans.

"....Although the project is moving forward there remains firm opposition to the plan with campaigners demanding a full public inquiry. They recently presented their case before the Welsh Assembly Petitions committee – alleging that the public was not given a proper chance to comment on the plans in 2002 because of the misleading name in the original proposal by Celtic Offshore Wind Limited (COWL) over the location of the site. They also say an independent inquiry is required to assess the environmental impact of the work ...." Daily Post

April 4 2008 ~ Windfarm benefits not proven

Lorne MacLeod praises windfarms (Press and Journal, April 2) saying " considerable benefits can be brought to communities from having their own income streams" . Readers should be wary of those who say the public will benefit from windfarms because that’s not proven. Mr MacLeod appears unaware that parliament has asked the UK Government’s chief scientific officer to research the possibility that mechanical vibrations from windfarms installed on peat are an environmental hazard likely to seriously harm taxpayer and business interests such as whisky, bottled waters and tourism.
I asked Mr Macleod’s associates, Highland Alternative Energy, the wind turbine manufacturers’ umbrella body, British Wind Energy Association, and local authorities in the north and north-east if they will indemnify taxpayer and business interests against such consequential loss.
No one is prepared to ...." Letter " Press and Journal

March 22 2008 ~ Last-ditch bid to halt wind turbines

South Norfolk councillor Michael Windridge, leading the campaign against a green energy company’s proposals to build seven 130m high wind turbines in a South Norfolk village has appealed to landowner Elizabeth Allen not to disregard the wishes of the majority of villagers who he says are opposed to the scheme being proposed by Enertrag UK. "....Mr Windridge said that South Norfolk Council’s own independently-commissioned wind turbine sensitivity study has concluded that the Tas Valley tributary farmland landscape " is especially sensitive to large-scale developments due to its strong rural and tranquil character" . He said it is his belief that everyone has a vital role to play in helping to reduce carbon emissions by supporting the development of renewable energy sources including wind, solar and tidal power. But he added: " The solution to global warming won’t be found by spoiling the scenic beauty, tranquillity and diversity of such a sensitive rural environment." ..." Eastern Daily Press

March 22 2008 ~ A "sham of democracy"

"......The government survey by Glasgow Caledonia University concluded 97% of tourists would not be deterred from revisiting Scotland. However, a poll of more than 1,600 people from 21 nations for Wilderness Scotland found that 91% of visitors would not return if major windfarms were built. A survey for tourism industry association Wild Scotland showed that 61% of operators in Scotland felt the impact of windfarms would be negative. Another, by holiday operator Activity Scotland, found 88% of businesses agreed with that conclusion. Wilderness Scotland director Neil Birnie said: " The government study clearly does not represent the situation accurately. " It appears not to have consulted the tourists who would be most affected, those who come to savour the unspoilt scenery and environment. This type of tourism is worth over £1billion to the Scottish economy each year." ...." Press and Journal

March 22 2008 ~ "plans for two 365ft-high wind turbines on the outskirts of Shotton Colliery are still in the pipeline.

Applicants from alternative energy firm A7 Energy placed an appeal with the District of Easington council on the basis that the original planning process was dealt with outside of the timescale for planning applications. The company is seeking planning permission for the turbines on appeal. But the news was met with dismay from airfield owner Ian Rosenvinge, who said he has plans for new hangars, disabled facilities, toilets and baby changing at the airfield, which have to be put on hold while the turbine issue remains unsolved. All of the airfield’s plans for expansion already have planning permission...." Peterlee Mail

March 15 2008 ~ Wind farm plans rejected at Thackson's Well, Grantham

Grantham Journal ... plans to build a huge wind farm north of Grantham were rejected by councillors on Tuesday. Members of South Kesteven District Council's development control committee voted 11 to 3 to throw out the plans to build ten 410ft turbines at Thackson's Well in the Vale of Belvoir, despite planning officers recommending they be approved....Members of campaign group BLOT - Belvoir Locals Opposing Turbines - cheered as the result was read out. The group spent five months campaigning against the proposals, which would have seen turbines built less than a mile-and-a-half from some residents' homes. Chairman Pandora Mawer said she was delighted with the committee's decision. She said: "I am relieved. The support we had here was completely overwhelming. "Having given up five months of our lives to do this, we are so relieved that the district councillors listened..." There will be an appeal.

March 15 ~ PLANNING inquiry into a windfarm planned for the Eden Valley ended yesterday.

The government planning inspector reserved his decision in the case but it is expected to be made public in about two months. Members of Eden Council’s planning committee went against the recommendations of their own officers last year when they turned down the scheme. The turbines, 95m high to the tip of the blades, could have supplied power to more than 2,000 households for the next 25 years. But councillors voted 13-0 against the plans after hearing from three local objectors – an outcome that prompted loud applause within the meeting at Penrith Town Hall. Bill Thwaytes, who lives at Maulds Meaburn, argued then that allowing the development would set a precedent and produce a domino effect in the Eden Valley. .." News and Star

March 15 ~ "the county has exceeded its wind targets and is becoming a dumping ground for developers"

In Durham Cornwall Light and Power is planning to submit a application to build four turbines on land at South Sharpley Farm near Seaham, a part of Durham which residents say is already overdeveloped. The Journal: ".... Spokeswoman for the group Anne Brough: " No one in the village wants these turbines going up, but we fear our views will not be listened to." ..... Now STOP have called for recognition that Durham has already played its part. ...."

Latest

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"It is essential that the wind energy industry is sensitive to landscape and does not propose developments in places where there will be a clear impact on landscape, biodiversity or any other environmental consideration. One of our arguments with the current support for renewables is that it has tended to put money into large onshore wind farms, which are naturally controversial in those areas where they are proposed. In the long run, that is not helpful to securing renewable energy in this country." Peter Ainsworth Climate Change debate Oct 10 2006

The need for a practical energy policy for Britain "Political correctness is warping energy policy."

Predicating policy, through the doomed Kyoto Protocol, on unpredictable environmental concerns is disastrous.....Graeme White of Garrad Hassan told us that 20,000 turbines would have no effect on reducing fossil fuels as "spinning reserve" was still required at all times for the largest generator that could go down..." Philip Stott in the Times

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"other measures deserve to be given closer consideration, but they involve much greater political sensitivity. ... it is time for the UK and other EU Governments to face up to these realities, and open up a wider debate." "CO2 Emissions Reduction: Time for a Reality Check?" Oxford Institute for Energy Studies February 2005

A pdf file of the Gazetteer of wind power in Scotland, produced January 2005 by The Scottish Wind Assessment Project "..an important document which maps and lists all the windfarms proposed, refused, approved in Scotland. "

(Useful links about windfarms in the UK)



photo from http://www.rspb.org.uk/policy/windfarms/turbulent.asp

 

James Lovelock (Gaia theory) has told the Western Morning News that he now regrets his endorsement of windfarms in the Westcountry and that he cannot emphasise enough how anxious he feels that time is running out to address the issue of climate change. "Windfarms won't cut it at all," he said..."

Windpower just a gesture Read James Lovelock's article in full THE WINDMILL MADNESS  Der Spiegel From the dream of environmentally friendly energy to the highly subsidized devastation of the landscape.

David Bellamy : "If I wanted to build in an area of outstanding natural beauty I wouldn't be allowed. Yet these turbines are 22 storeys high and put on hills where everyone can see them. They need 1,000 tonnes of concrete and a road infrastructure. It beggars belief that some environmental groups say they are 'green'."

"Wind power is one of the great self-deceiving fantasies of our age. Mr Blair, who writes the foreword to the White Paper, may have fallen for the make-believe but it threatens to become a central ingredient in our forthcoming energy disaster." Booker's Notebook, Sunday Telegraph, March 2 2003

What's wrong with windfarms? The Case Against Wind farms'

Jan 2004 Lord Sainsbury has told peers that the Government's target for a massive expansion of renewable energy will be driven mainly by new windfarms, despite calls for greater investment in tidal power.
March 2003......the most frightening part of the paper is the section that, with a startling absence of facts or figures, endorses our EU obligation to spend billions of pounds on wind power. To reach this target, Prof Fells points out, we would have to build 20 two-megawatt turbines every week until 2010. Most are much smaller than this, so we may need some 20,000 wind generators, up to 400 ft high (we have only 1,000), dominating thousands of square miles of countryside.
July 2004 "Some respected environmentalists believe here is only one realistic alternative available, and it is recognised by the man who opened Britain's first wind farm, Professor James Lovelock, the much-admired seer behind the Gaia concept of the planet as a living organism. He, too, has now turned against wind power. He believes nuclear power is the greenest energy option. It is a proven supply of significant capacity and does not consume fossil fuels. Fells also supports it. "Fells said: "There is no doubt that we need all the electricity we can get that doesn't create carbon dioxide, but predicating this almost entirely on wind when there are other, less obtrusive technologies seems simplistic, stubborn and perverse....." (Sunday Times)

( See also http://www.wind-farm.org for those who "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.")

 

 

 

See also 'Ye Compleat Windde Warrior'

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Latest SWAP Report (PDF new window)

National Wind Watch - an excellent site for information and current news

March 6 2008 ~ Developers have vowed to press ahead with a wind farm despite protests which drove a farmer to take his own life.

EDP "Marshland Wind Farm wants to build 19 turbines on low-lying farmland between Marshland St James and Outwell. .... Feelings have been running high in Marshland and its surrounding villages since plans for the wind farm were first revealed by a consortium of farmers early last year. In May, father-of-three Richard Herbert, 47, who was part of the consortium, drowned himself in the Middle Level Drain. An inquest recorded a verdict of suicide after hearing he had no history of mental illness but had become anxious and depressed as protests mounted.
.... Developers say surrounding villages could receive a windfall of up to £500,000 to improve community facilities if the plans get the go-ahead. West Norfolk Council's development control board will decide whether the wind farm gets the go-ahead. At a meeting yesterday, neighbouring Fenland District Coun-cil heard new government guidelines said councils should view renewable energy schemes "sympathetically". Deputy leader Fred Yeulett told councillors: "Failure to do so exposes the council to a planning appeal and all the costs of that appeal." Last night it emerged planning officials had recommended approval for seven turbines alongside the eight already at Coldham, near Wisbech. A report said the landscape could comfortably absorb more turbines without its character being affected."

03 Mar 2008 ~ Village dismayed by turbines decision

Morpeth Herald "Lynemouth residents have been dismayed by a Planning Inspector’s decision to allow an appeal and grant planning permission for three wind turbines. Two of the 110m to blade tip and 65m to hub structures will be constructed to the North of Lynemouth Power Station and close to the shore. The third wind turbine will be inland ..."

03 Mar 2008 ~ Windfarm 'obsession' criticised

BBC "Wales is in danger of being smothered " in a blanket of wind turbines," says the Conservatives assembly environment spokesman. Darren Millar AM told delegates at the Welsh party’s conference in Llandudno that the assembly government had a " blind obsession" with wind power. Mr Millar said the Conservatives were not against wind energy, only large scale windfarms..He said the current policy was leading to a " massive democratic deficit" . Mr Millar said the decisions of local councillors were being ignored and the views of local communities disregarded. He said Wales’ landscape and tourism industry must not be " sacrificed on the altar of a minister’s obsession" ..."

Feb 23 2008 ~ 'We are just dumping ground for anything'

The Journal "People in a cluster of former mining villages fear they are about to be invaded by huge wind turbines after plans for a mini-windfarm on the Northumberland coast were approved by the Government. Harworth Power – an offshoot of UK Coal, which owned nearby Ellington Colliery – will be allowed to put up three 110m turbines ... disappointed villagers in Lynemouth, Ellington, Linton and Cresswell fear the decision makes it more likely that a bigger windfarm – of 13 turbines surrounding the nearby Alcan aluminium smelter – will also be approved by the Government.
The Scottish Power project for 121m turbines was also rejected by Castle Morpeth councillors last year, but the company has appealed and a public inquiry will be held in April..." Many local people have opposed the windfarms, saying they will bring no jobs and stifle efforts to regenerate an area still suffering from the demise of deep mining...."

February 22 2008 ~Planners turn down towering turbines

Controversial plans to put five huge wind turbines on Todmorden Moor have been dealt a blow. Calderdale Council Planning Committee voted to agree to a report recommending refusal of the 410-ft turbines, due to their impact on the surrounding area. Objectors at the packed meeting applauded the decision but said there was still a long road ahead. Chris Edwards, of Friends of the South Pennines, said: "This is a victory for us and we are very pleased at the criticism of the plans. "The turbines are huge and a real threat to the area." Objector Denise Mcgowan, of Todmorden, said: "From the outset there have been serious flaws in these plans. All in all there is substantial agreement to object to them." The final decision will now be taken at a public inquiry expected to last several days..." Halifax Courier

February 20 2008 ~ Major wind farm scheme approved for Lewis

A large-scale wind farm proposed for Lewis has been given the go-ahead by Western Isles councillors, says the BBC "Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's environment committee approved 13 of the 16 planned turbines for Eishken Estate. Although not big enough to be called in automatically by the Scottish Government, it could be for environmental reasons. A decision on 181 turbines proposed for Barvas Moor on Lewis remains outstanding."
It may be remembered that battle for Lewis began in 2004 (source) "....the plan is a disaster because it would wreck the habitat of thousands of endangered birds. For the developers, it is a money-spinner that will rejuvenate the local economy and help combat climate change. It could be a long, fierce and expensive conflict...."

February 10 2008 ~ "absurd and absurdly expensive hook"

Lord Lawson of Blaby (Lords Hansard): "My Lords, is the Minister aware of the report by officials in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which was fortunately leaked to the Guardian. It pointed out that the Government’s 2020 renewable energy target was unattainable, and that even if it could almost be attained, it would cost between £18 billion and £22 billion. Should not the noble Baroness instead be thanking the Ministry of Defence for getting the Government off this absurd and absurdly expensive hook?..."

February 9 2008 ~"... the environmental agenda has now been hijacked by marketing and large companies.."

A letter in the Hexham Courant yesterday sums up the realisation that greed often masquerades as green.
"....Tynedale Council had the intelligence not to be taken in by the " all windfarms are good" mantra so glibly abused by the companies who wish to make millions by erecting giant industrial turbines in the most environmentally ludicrous areas. Anyone without a vested interest, who has taken the trouble to actually investigate remote onshore wind power stations, will not be asking why Tynedale is fighting them. They will want to know how such developments ever got this far in the first place."
We recommend National Wind Watch a website that provides the resources that promoters of industrial wind do not.

February 4 2008 ~Energy companies profit from wind farms without building many more windmills

Ecologist "Subsidies paid to electricity generators through users bills are generating profits for the companies without translating into many new turbines. A massive expansion in wind energy is needed to meet the government’s target or producing 15 per cent of the UK’s energy renewably by 2015. .... The government’s method of promoting growth is subsidies. These are paid through consumers electricity bills and are set to rise from over £600m a year to £3bn a year by 2020. ...... The cost of these is passed on to the consumer. ... Quoted in the FT Peter Atherton, head utilities analyst at Citi Investment Research, said: "It's a bonanza. Anyone who can get their nose in the trough is trying to." ...."

February 4 2008 ~ overambitious claims for the potential of wind power

Times Leading article ".....Supporters of wind energy may be underestimating the seriousness of the damage done to radar signals, and the ease with which problems can be corrected. Not for the first time, they may be guilty of making overambitious claims for the potential of wind power, while countryside champions increasingly rue the way wind farms spoil sweeping vistas. For its part, the Ministry of Defence may be too Quixotic. But this is a genuine conundrum, not a laughing matter. A cost-effective solution must be found quickly. It may be a simple question of coordination and communication. If so, it is high time that different branches of government came together to avoid an unnecessary and potentially damaging conflict."

From Scared to Death by Christopher Booker and Richard North:

"In tirelessly promoting windpower it was noticeable how the BBC never explained the most basic technical facts about wind turbines: their inefficiency and unreliability: the hidden subsidy system which disguised their true cost; how little electricity they generated relative to other power sources. The BBC invariably echoed the propaganda put out by the wind industry, wildly exaggerating the benefits of turbines and caricaturing opposition to them as coming only from "nimbys" who did not want them spoiling the view. Only in 2007 did Radio Four finally respond to criticism of its one-sided stance with a brief documentary admitting some of the drawbacks of wind power (Costing the Earth August 30 2007)"

Nearly 10,000 wind turbines will be spinning on land and sea by 2020

The estimated fivefold increase in the number of turbines would be required to meet a new renewable-energy target for the UK under a plan detailed by the European Commission. (See Scotsman Jan 24)

August 2007 ~ "mounting evidence of the inefficiency and unreliability of wind turbines in the U.K..."

From Energy Tribune "....A 2006 report from the British Renewable Energy Foundation showed that, despite the millions of pounds expended on wind across England, Scotland, and Wales, turbines operated at an average capacity of well below 30 percent. The report went so far as to designate some lowland England sites as "real turkeys." In 2007, a study of turbine production figures published in the National Grid's "Winter Consultation Report 2007/8" showed that, even in the world's windiest nation, wind turbines were highly erratic and unreliable. Between October 2006 and February 2007, National Grid figures, including offshore as well as onshore developments, revealed that there were 17 days when output from the 1,632 windmills studied was less than 10 percent, 5 days when it was less than 5 percent, and 1 day when it was 2 percent. During the entire time studied, at best the wind turbines performed at 35 percent efficiency. .."

August 2007 ~ YouTube and "WIND MADNESS"

Angela Kelly writes, "Please spread this message to as many people as possible so that they may register their objection to the Planning White Paper" It will only take a minute but will make a huge difference so thank you.
A coalition of civic and environmental organisations with over 5 million members is calling on the Government to rethink their plans and introduce a planning system which allows people a say on the decisions that affect them.
See www.planningdisaster.co.uk and the YouTube presentation:
Defend your rights in the planning system
The Government wants to change the law to stop you having a meaningful say in what happens in your local area.
This will make it easier for nuclear power stations, major roads, wind farms, airport runways, and waste incinerators to be built where you live without your say.
There is a public consultation on these proposals -- until 17 August 2007.
This is your last chance to make your voice heard.

Feb 5 2007 ~ ".... I reckon the wind farm lobby has some serious explaining to do.

www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/ Unfortunately, development is being driven by a government desperate to be seen to be green, and slick salesmen working for an industry hell-bent on making a fast buck, regardless of its colour.
It has to make sense to explore further the potential of less intrusive and potentially more efficient alternatives, such as biofuels, tidal power and the nuclear option, as well as clean-burn technology for fossil fuels, before blighting vast tracts of our countryside with potential white elephants. ..."

February 2007 - From Farmers Weekly 01/02/2007 Poll ends on: 08 February 2007

The Big Debate: Are wind turbines a good thing for farming? - Vote

Angela Kelly writes, "The wind industry have mustered their powerful and numerous forces (which includes huge numbers of *ill-informed greens') to vote on this issue so your vote is of vital importance. Please vote and spread the message - thank you."

Archive selection

December 2006 ~Oswald Consulting Reports commissioned by REF (Renewable Energy Foundation).

25GW of distributed wind on the UK electricity system 7th Dec 2006 An engineering assessment carried out for the Renewable Energy Foundation, London pdf file. The research shows that, for most of the UK, windpower fails to generate its claimed return, and that when it does, the sites are remote. The assumption that the wind is always blowing somewhere and thus makes a worthwhile and useful contribution is also found wanting. Power generation is subject to wide fluctuation countrywide and does little to help either the grid or to replace conventional generation. See also Telegraph report

July 17 2006 ~WINDFARM DISASTER THAT COULD STRIKE SCOTLAND TOO

http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk "...Experts are warning that an environmental disaster in Ireland which was linked to the construction of a windfarm could happen in Scotland. The peat landslip in 2003 at Derrybrien saw a bog slide almost two miles down a hillside in County Galway - polluting waterways, killing 50,000 fish and engulfing a farmhouse. The windfarm operators were fined but construction of the 71-turbine project - Ireland's largest - was completed. Now a report from the Scottish Wind Assessment Project (Swap), which investigates claims for and against the wind industry, concludes that lessons from Derrybrien have not been heeded - despite legal action by the European Union against the Irish Government. Moorland specialist John Phillips, a contributor to the report, said: "Windfarms tend to be located on ridges because that's where the wind blows. "Anything that's got more than half a metre of peat on top of the bedrock is, potentially, something running in parallel with Derrybrien - which is the case for the majority of Scottish windfarms."...."

June 29 2006 ~wind turbines WMN "Campaigners against onshore windfarms say they are horrified to learn of moves to build four of the tallest turbines in the Westcountry .... at Bickham Moor, between Rackenford and Tiverton. Opponents of the scheme warned it would devastate the landscape and hit the rural economy...Two Moors campaign secretary, Caroline Harvey, said the turbines proposed for Bickham Moor could be taller than any previous proposal.

"They would soar to a height nearly 100ft taller than Big Ben," she said. "The possible development at Bickham Moor combined with the plans for Batsworthy Cross will rip apart our stunning natural environment and wage war on our rural economy and the communities in Devon."
Veteran onshore wind turbine opponent Alan Nunn, of St Austell, said: "The windfarm companies are trying to get bigger and bigger turbines so that they can have more installed capacity. In theory that should mean the need for fewer turbines, but it won't as the companies want to keep putting more turbines in everywhere. These turbine proposals are getting out of hand. You can't stop people putting in applications, if that is Government policy."
Mr Nunn warned that putting massive wind turbines close to the A361 North Devon Link Road could be a distraction hazard for motorists.
Earlier this year, Coronation Power revealed it had already begun investigating the possibility of four 410ft turbines at Wheelers Cross, close to the three turbines already in operation at Forest Moor, Bradworthy, which are 246ft high. But now, the firm is in the process of seeking planning permission to put up a 200ft-high wind-measuring mast as a precursor of its proposed turbines at Bickham Moor.
A special meeting of Oakford Parish Council was held earlier this week to consider the proposals at Bickham Moor. People at the meeting were horrified to learn of the turbine plan.
Among those at the meeting was Ashley Gray, the chairman of the Two Moors Campaign, who said rural communities were bearing the brunt of the Government's failed energy policy. .......... A spokesman for the firm promised extensive public consultation and said: "The precise number, height and location of the turbines will be finalised once our consultations and technical assessments have been completed and we have decided that this site is viable."

June 18 2006 ~ Booker's Notebook "....somehow, in environmental terms, the loss of Scotland's unique landscape to these vast steel structures is never taken into account. Forty years ago we pointlessly sacrificed the skylines of our cities to building tower blocks of council flats, many of which have since had to be demolished. When this mad obsession with turbines comes to be seen as a similar fantasy, who will then restore the wild beauty of those Scottish hills?"

May 28 2006 ~ The implications of this decision for those who are fighting turbine proposals on the basis of planning law and scientific argument are highly disturbing.

Booker's Notebook " If inspectors are now to ensure that central Government diktats override everything else, there is no expert counter-argument that cannot be swept aside. The inspector could have reached his decision without leaving London, and would have saved everyone much time if he had made this clear from the start. For our democracy and the rule of law, the implications are alarming." Read in full

March 19 2006 ~ Lottery throws #10m to the wind

Sunday Times "... THE government has been accused of raiding #10m of lottery money intended for good causes to subsidise the construction of a wind farm by a foreign energy company. The grant to a subsidiary of Elsam, a Danish energy giant that is being taken over by the Danish state, will help to pay for a wind farm four miles offshore in Liverpool Bay. This weekend the manager of the project admitted it would have gone ahead with or without the lottery cash. "The project in itself is viable without the grant," said Adrian Maddocks. "I think it was just pot luck."....."
See also windfarm news roundup for today

March 19 2006 ~ "A logjam in the planning process for developers means that many wind farms will not be operational for a decade.

Independent on Sunday "... Unless financing rules are changed, Wind Energy is warning that many will never even get built, which could force the Government to miss its targets on renewable energy.
The timing of the protest is embarrassing for the Government, which next month will close consultation on its energy review on nuclear power. Its previous review - only three years ago - was supposed to back renewable energy such as wind power..."

March 13 2006 ~ "I want to establish to what extent the DTI is working with local councils when larger wind farm proposals pass over to them.

"I also want to hear what ministers have to say about listening to the local people who will have to live with the DTI's decisions.".... a roundup of three recent stories in the press about Ministers' Concerns, the Scottish National Trust's stance (anti) on an application to erect 17 turbines on Knoweside Hilland; and opposition to giant turbines in Castle Morpeth.

March 12 2006 ~ "Germany has devastated its countryside with a surfeit of wind farms yet they produce only 16 per cent of their rated electricity output,

and Germany now emits more CO2 than it did before they were installed. As a good city needs its parks, so we on this crowded island need the countryside. Incredible that Greens, of all people, should wish to make it an industrial site filled with giant wind turbines. The history of world power production shows nuclear to be the safest - 10 times safer than hydroelectricity and hundreds of times safer than carbon fuels..." James Lovelock in the Sunday Telegraph

March 3 2006 ~ Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean said that only as a last resort should windfarms be looked at on land.

In ther article about Whinash, Cumberland News Windfarm rejection hailed as victory for democracy quotes David Maclean: "We have got to restart the nuclear industry, we need bio-fuels, wave power and large windfarms out at sea." Cumbria Tourist Board chairman Eric Robson said the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks were cherished landscapes and if Whinash had gone ahead it would have been "open season" in other upland areas. Cumbria County Council, Eden District Council, the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks and South Lakeland Council opposed the scheme at the inquiry. Prior to the inquiry talks were taking place about extending the Lake District National Park to take in land in the vicinity of the proposed wind turbines. Those discussions can now continue following the ministers' decision yesterday...."

March 3 2006 ~ Wind farms 'stupid' says famous botanist

New Zealand's The Age quotes David Bellamy " he thought wind farms were are bad way of helping the environment because they did more harm than good and they were not a reliable source of energy. "I think they are a stupid idea. If you want to put them in, put them far away from where people live." He said back in the UK with a higher population density, wind farms were a blight on the landscape and were only generating power a quarter of the time. "One minute it's blowing too hard and the next minute there is not enough wind. All this time the power has to be backed up by other sources," he said. "They have industrialised the landscape. Why can you suddenly stick up these large road systems, all in huge concrete blocks, and huge towers? They're noisy, they're ugly, and they kill birds and bats," he said. He suggested solar power as a much more environmentally friendly option for an alternative fuel source. "If I was your prime minister I would have subsidised solar power a long time ago."
And on Scoop.co.nz ".... Professor Bellamy ... said, " hills covered with massive wind turbines would never attract tourists or enhance recreation areas in the long term. In Britain a few tourist centres opened initially but they had closed down or gone into receivership; industrial wind turbines are monsters and have no place in treasured landscapes. This outstanding scenery would be industrialised, and the Makara community driven out of their homes, how can this be good for the environment? .... if New Zealand wants to harness wind power then it must think very carefully about suitable placement. In his opinion the Makara site is not the right place. He said, "New Zealand is a windy country, you have plenty of choices".

March 2 2006 ~ 'Bravo the government: beauty wins over the beast.....'

From Professor Stott's blog
"It is not too often that one can laud government with unqualified praise, but today's rejection of the monstrous proposal for a wind farm on the edge of the iconic Lake District National Park is a triumph for the real environment over environmentalist hysteria and hype: 'Giant wind farm plan thrown out'

February 26 2006 ~ "...Bob Mills, a Powys county councillor, was told by officials that, because he had criticised wind turbines in a letter to the local paper, he would not be permitted to attend any debates on this issue.

His letter showed that he had a "pre-determined" view. It was fine for the council and the Welsh Assembly to have a "pre-determined view" in support of turbines, but because he opposes them he must leave the chamber whenever they are discussed.
Similar instances are sprouting up all over the country, thanks to zealous interpretation by council "monitoring officers" of Mr Prescott's Local Authorities (Code of Conduct) Order 2001. By excluding from council business any councillor who can be considered to have a "prejudicial interest", the code is now being widely used to silence councillors who wish to speak on behalf of the communities they represent.
And, like the bulk of the laws which now rule our lives, this astonishing revolution in local government was imposed by means of a statutory instrument - a ministerial edict which Parliament had no chance to discuss." Booker's Notebook

February 9 2006 ~ Windfarm developer seeks compulsory purchase powers

Western Mail " A FIRM behind a huge windfarm development in mid Wales is seeking the power to take over more land, sparking protests from campaigners and politicians. CRE Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of Scottish Power, aims to extend its network of windfarms across the UK. It says it would be "helpful to have the power to acquire land compulsorily"...."

February 8 2006 ~ Protests over 415ft high turbines at Middlemoor near Alnwick

BBC Protesters who are against a proposed new windfarm in Northumberland have called for a public inquiry. The plans, for 18 wind turbines to be built five miles north of Middlemoor near Alnwick, are being considered by the Department of Trade and Industry. ... Campaigner and farmer Dominic Coupe organised a public meeting at Northumberland Hall, Alnwick, on Tuesday to discuss the plans, which was attended by more than 200 people. He said: "This is an important issue that people feel strongly about. Our objection isn't to wind energy, but to very poorly sited wind turbines which would be visible for miles around in a beautiful, lowland area right up against a coastal area of outstanding beauty. The turbines would be the equivalent of a 36-storey building which is four times the height of the High Level Bridge in Newcastle - you would certainly be able to see them 25 to 30 miles away. The plans are being considered by the DTI because of the scale of the project which is classed as a "power station"..." BBC

February 8 2006 ~ "Save our Scenery" say the opponents of Gwynt Y Mor's 200 turbines

The BBC reports today on a new report by officers of Conwy Councilays saying that plans for a wind farm off the coast of north Wales could damage tourism nd that not enough had been done to assess the risks of siting 200 turbines 15km off Llandudno.
"The council is now due to discuss whether to call for a public inquiry before the scheme goes ahead. Developers NPower Renewables have said wind farms elsewhere on the coast have done little to damage tourism. The wind farm - called Gwynt Y Mor - would involve wind turbines, offshore sub-stations, inter-turbine cables and an onshore sub-station. ...Protesters claim that as well as being detrimental to tourism, the wind farm would have an effect on noise levels, ecology and coastal defences. ..."

February 7 2006 ~ " There are over 400 turbines being considered on numerous sites around this wonderful county."

An email from Jean Bennett in Northumberland:
"I have attended a crowded meeting at Alnwick this evening to protest against windfarms in Northumberland, particularly the Middlemoor application which has been put before Alnwick District Council. The organisers of the meeting are trying to get enough objectors to call a public enquiry. I notice on your windfarms link, you have no mention of any of the sites in Northumberland listed at all. There are over 400 turbines being considered on numerous sites around this wonderful county. The person who is dealing with Middlemoor is a Robert Thorp his email address is robertthorpe@charltonhall.co.uk Their website address is www.stopturbines.com. Hope you can publish this fight somehow. "
Northumberland is indeed threatened and the website is serious and informative. It has a link to Moorsyde Action Group's site, one page of which is entitled "Ye Myths" debunking several of the "Your Energy" assertions. The website also reminds us that there are fewer planning controls for huge wind turbine arrays that will scar whole landscapes than there are for Lleylandii hedges or local supermarkets.

February 5 2006 ~ "Why wreck the countryside with wind turbines when they are not going to do any good?"

James Lovelock interview in the Sunday Times " If we will be drowned in rising waters, does the desecration of his view really matter? But his argument about the uselessness of wind turbines is compelling: they only work 25% of the time  when it is blowy  and cannot store energy. ..."

February 1 2006 ~ NINE-TURBINE WINDFARM REJECTED BY PLANNERS

Western Morning News today: The battle over a proposed nine-turbine windfarm to the north of Dartmoor could go to appeal after it was rejected by planners yesterday. West Devon Borough Council's planning and licensing committee supported the recommendation from their officers to reject the scheme for the turbines, in the Den Brook valley between North Tawton and Bow. Each turbine would have been 394ft high to the tip of the blade. Their size meant that they would have been double the height of St Paul's Cathedral in London and three times the height of Exeter Cathedral. .... Maureen Thomson, chairman of the Den Brook Valley Action Group, said: "We were very pleased with the debate. If they do go to appeal we shall be ready to fight them." Read in full

30th January 2006 ~ windfarms worse than useless...you still have to have three quarters as much fossil fuels to back them up...

James Lovelock on "Start the Week" A delight to Listen Again "remember we won't have a constant supply of food coming in from abroad"
"...mankind a plague reprieved by civilisation... windfarms worse than useless...you still have to have three quarters as much fossil fuels to back them up... I am not a wild enthusiast for things nuclear but they can at least provide a safe way to provide electricity in the next difficult years.... You can't have civilisation now without electricity...The most important job for us in Britain is to preserve our civilisation and remember we won't have a constant supply of food coming in from abroad..." Lovelock sees the whole picture.

29th January 2006 ~ "The new pylons for this vastly expanded grid threaten to scar some of the wildest and most beautiful landscapes in Britain"

However, the building of them promises to be so expensive that several wind-power companies, asked to put millions of pounds on the table before their turbines are even built, are having second thoughts as to whether to proceed at all." Sunday Telegraph
"Do our ministers, one wonders, actually know anything about the monstrous ranks of wind turbines that they wish to see festooning our countryside and our coastal waters? Lord Sainsbury, junior energy minister, seemed taken aback when he learned in the Lords last week that the 236 turbines planned for an immense installation off the coast of North Wales will be 546ft high - taller than the Blackpool Tower. A similar forest of 270 giant towers is proposed to dominate the approaches to the Thames estuary (bringing to their developers a hidden subsidy, at current prices, of #180 million a year)...." Read in full

28th January 2006 ~ the claim that 'there is documentary evidence of funds from the nuclear power lobby finding their way through Country Guardian to anti-wind farm groups' is a rather serious one.

It is intended to suggest that those opposed to wind farms are a mere front for the nuclear power industry..."Bernard Ingham writes in the North Devon Journal.
The facts are somewhat different. I became vice-president of Country Guardian some 14 years ago. I object to the industrialisation of our countryside with wind turbines and consider it unacceptable that our wild places should be wrecked by a renewable source of energy that is no answer to global warming. Later I became a consultant to British Nuclear Fuels and now I am secretary of Supporters of Nuclear Energy, SONE. I saw, and see, no incompatibility in opposing wind farms and promoting nuclear power. The two are not competitors....... So far as I know not a single penny of nuclear money has passed through the hands of Country Guardian for any purpose. Indeed, nuclear companies have, over the years, thought of going into wind power, no doubt because of the subsidies they would be able to farm.
Read in full

28th January 2006 ~The Times : Wind farms condemned as eagles fall prey to turbines

Valerie Elliott writes, "The drive for clean energy is bad news for one of Britain's rarest birds WIND turbines have caused the deaths of four white-tailed eagles on isolated islands off the Norwegian coast. Thirty other eagles have failed to return to their nesting sites within the wind farm area on Smola, 9.6km (six miles) northwest of Norway, according to wildlife campaigners. ..." read in full

25th January 2006 ~ The Beatrice 'Demonstrator'(Talisman) project has received #10 million of public money

and will not supply any electricity to the grid, and will not have the slightest effect on climate change. In fact it will be carbon positive and will cause considerable environmental problems. The 2 turbines will be 151 metres (490 feet)above sea level, this is 170 feet taller than Big Ben.
A Scottish campaigner asks us to write an objection to this project. Closing date is 19th February. Not content with destroying all of the landscapes around the Moray Firth they are now hell bent on destroying the seascapes as well.

See http://www.beatricewind.co.uk/home/default.asp The environmental statement, a very large pdf file - 4.5 megabytes - prepared by Talisman itself, admits to Key potential environmental effects associated with the Demonstrator Project" Underwater noise from piling operations Noise disturbance to marine mammals
Physical presence of operating WTGs
Collision risk to birds

Visual impact on landscape and seascape
Damage to seabed communities
Interference with aviation and telecommunications
Collision risk to commercial and fishing vessels
Presence of subsea electrical cables Effects of electromagnetic fields on fish" (see pdf file)
Members of the public have just 28 days to make any objection.

23rd January 2006 ~ "We are still giving wallets of cash away to encourage an energy source that makes insignificant energy and no sense."

Ian Liddell Grainger MP writes in today's Western Daily Post
" A couple of days before Christmas, when everyone else was far too busy being festive to take notice, a Scottish electricity firm submitted a sneaky little application to the body that is supposed to regulate the energy industry - Ofgem. Ofgem's slogan is protecting customers is our first priority - but believe that and you'll believe anything. ....... The timing of this application must have been deliberate. Perhaps the company was hoping that nobody would notice, because wind farms are controversial in Scotland and Somerset....
The day after tomorrow your friendly neighbourhood postmen could be delivering a compulsory purchase order to you, and you, and YOU. No argument and no appeal. .......
Never mind the fact that every energy expert on the planet regards them as more of a plaything than a power source. Once one firm gets compulsory purchase powers it opens the door to all of the others. ...
Even Prime Minister Tony Blair is now beginning to admit that nuclear power is a far more realistic solution to a national energy crisis that is pushing up prices faster than my hard-pressed constituents can afford. Wind power simply can't come anywhere near plugging the gap when North Sea oil and gas runs out. The gurus of the turning turbines are just well-meaning windbags. ...."
Read in full.

22nd January 2006 ~ ".....last week's speech by Elliott Morley, the environment minister, attacking the "blanket opposition" to wind turbines

and curiously arguing that one of their virtues is that, unlike nuclear power stations, they are "quick and easy to remove". Does our environment minister not realise that the concrete foundations for a turbine may weigh 1,000 tonnes, buried more than 100 feet in the earth? Anyone who thinks that wind factories are environmentally friendly should Google "Cefn Croes Photo Gallery", to see 100 chilling pictures showing how many miles of unspoiled Welsh countryside were disfigured to create the largest industrial site in Britain: all to "save" annually less than a quarter of the CO2 emissions from a single jumbo jet...." Booker's Notebook. Read in full

22nd January 2006 ~ pressure on the Government over the levels of subsidies it grants windfarm companies.

WMN " An Opposition MP is putting pressure on the Government over the levels of subsidies it grants windfarm companies. Geoffrey Cox, the Conservative Member for Torridge and West Devon, has launched a probe into the amount of public money the government is spending subsidising companies that develop windfarms. Mr Cox has tabled a series of parliamentary questions demanding that the Government should reveal how much it is paying windfarm development companies such as Renewable Energy Systems (RES). RES has submitted a planning application to build nine 394-foot-high turbines in the Den Brook Valley near North Tawton. The giant turbines would each be twice the height of Nelson's Column. The site at Den Brook valley is just five kilometres from the edge of Dartmoor National Park.
In a separate application, West Coast Energy last year applied for planning permission to build three turbines near the village of Yelland, less than a mile from the boundaries of the national park. The application was rejected by West Devon Borough Council, but the developers have since prepared an appeal, which has been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate.
Mr Cox said:
"These turbines would dominate the countryside for miles around, permanently altering and industrialising its appearance. "Wind turbines on this scale are not the green solution that their manufacturers claim. Yet the Government continues to subsidise their construction to the tune of many millions of pounds, to the detriment of other emergent technologies which could more effectively fulfil our energy needs."
Mr Cox has asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to reveal how much public money has been granted to companies to build windfarms every year for the past five years. He is also requesting a breakdown of the figures to reveal how much individual companies have received...." Read in full

16th January 2006 ~ "the notion that there is land to spare to grow biofuels, or be the site of wind farms, is ludicrous."

James Lovelock in the Independent
"By failing to see that the Earth regulates its climate and composition, we have blundered into trying to do it ourselves, acting as if we were in charge. By doing this, we condemn ourselves to the worst form of slavery. If we chose to be the stewards of the Earth, then we are responsible for keeping the atmosphere, the ocean and the land surface right for life. ...... we cannot pollute the air or use the Earth's skin - its forest and ocean ecosystems - as a mere source of products to feed ourselves and furnish our homes. We would have felt instinctively that those ecosystems must be left untouched because they were part of the living Earth.
.......
Unfortunately our nation is now so urbanised as to be like a large city and we have only a small acreage of agriculture and forestry. We are dependent on the trading world for sustenance; climate change will deny us regular supplies of food and fuel from overseas.
We could grow enough to feed ourselves on the diet of the Second World War, but the notion that there is land to spare to grow biofuels, or be the site of wind farms, is ludicrous. We will do our best to survive, but sadly I cannot see the United States or the emerging economies of China and India cutting back in time, and they are the main source of emissions. The worst will happen and survivors will have to adapt to a hell of a climate. .... We should be the heart and mind of the Earth, not its malady. So let us be brave and cease thinking of human needs and rights alone, and see that we have harmed the living Earth ...." Read in full

15th January 2006 ~ Western Morning News BIG CHUNK OF TURBINE BLADE SHEARS OFF

"Part of a wind turbine blade weighing more than half a ton snapped off and crashed into a field during high winds. A chunk of the 18 metre (59 feet) long blade sheared off at the Cold Northcott windfarm on Bodmin Moor at about 9am yesterday. ....... The Cold Northcott site has 21 turbines which straddle the A395 Launceston to Hallworthy road, just past the village of Piper's Pool. Operators Cumbria Windfarms said the site has been running since April 1993 and nothing like this had happened there before." An email from Angela Kelly shows that this claim is not the case.

11th January 2006 ~ Another wind turbine threat in Devon

As is Knowstone hadn't suffered enough...The Welsh firm Dulas is looking to build turbines more than twice the height of Nelson's Column on the southern fringe of Exmoor near Knowstone. See WMN

6th January 2006 ~Wind-farm company in land purchase row

Scotsman "....In its application, CRE explained that it intends to develop a series of wind farms at various locations in the UK, in respect of which it considered it would be helpful to have the power to acquire land compulsorily. CRE also considered that it would be helpful to have the power of compulsory wayleaves [permission to pass] available to it for activities such as the installation and connection of associated cables, the export of power off site, construction and lay-down areas and access. In its application, CRE confirmed that, in the first instance, it is its intention to attempt to acquire land and/or wayleaves by negotiation with the relevant landowners and not by seeking authorisation for compulsory acquisition and/or compulsory wayleaves from the Secretary of State."

3rd January 2006 ~ "... the French state electricity generator, Elictriciti de France (EDF), withdrew a planning application to place four 459ft (140m) wind turbines

half a mile from the battlefield. (of Agincourt) The plan had been fought by campaigners on both sides of the Channel, including the actor, Robert Hardy, who said that it would desecrate the battlefield..." Times

3rd January 2006 ~ "Who wants to go for walks in the Cotswolds when all they're going to see is turbines?"

The Gloucester Echo reports that Green Amps' chief executive, Nick Brown wants to see 100 more turbines going up in Gloucestershire
".....A member of the Gloucestershire branch of the Ramblers' Association, Mr Taylor said tourism would be affected.
"It's going to ruin the landscape and will have a detrimental effect," he said. "Who wants to go for walks in the Cotswolds when all they're going to see is turbines? I'm strongly against the idea of wind turbines in Gloucestershire. They're ineffective because they make little impression on the issue of sustainability."
Mr Brown said the second round of turbines would come next summer. He said the potential sites would be known by July.
Green Amps proposes to have 34 turbines operating in the county by April.
Farmers at three of the sites have pulled out because of the strength of public opposition from neighbours.
The initial programme of turbines will be put forward for sites including Brockhampton, Twyning, Somerford Keynes, Fairford, Hardwicke, Moreton-in-Marsh, Bourton-on-the-Water, Longborough, Upper Rissington, Coln St-Aldwyns and Stinchcombe.
Mr Brown says 32 farmers have come forward at public meetings to host extra turbines. "Even with these turbines going up there's plenty more we can do in Gloucestershire."

1st January 2006 ~ Sunderland's spectacular display of 'safe' energy

Booker's Notebook 'It was like a great flaming Catherine wheel," said a Sunderland resident just before Christmas, when flames engulfed one of the six 180-foot wind turbines recently installed at a cost of #2.3 million to provide just 5 per cent of the energy needs of the Nissan car plant. After a blaze visible for miles, the fibreglass blades crashed down into a field.
It appears that the colossal confidence trick of "safe", "cheap", "environmentally friendly" wind power is finally being exposed. Plans to erect thousands more of these inefficient and expensive contraptions are arousing informed opposition throughout Britain.
Meanwhile, new figures show that Denmark, which derives 20 per cent of its power from wind - the highest percentage in Europe - not only has Europe's highest electricity bills but has also fallen short of its Kyoto and EU targets for savings on carbon emissions by a staggering 25 per cent.
The Advertising Standards Authority has just upheld a complaint against Renewable Energy Systems for exaggerating - by no less than 100 per cent - the emissions savings made by its turbines. Yet the formula used by the firm to arrive at these figures is the same used by the British Wind Energy Association and almost every other company seeking to build wind farms in Britain.
And just as the falsehoods behind the "Great Wind Scam" are being exposed, David Cameron proudly announces that he plans to erect a turbine on his roof, and recruits the charming but hopelessly naive Zac Goldsmith as a key adviser on energy. Goldsmith is as ardently a booster of wind as he is an opponent of nuclear power - without which, in a few years, we face a complete breakdown of our energy supplies."

27 December 2005 ~ "The landscape is being raped with governmental collusion and fraudulent claims."

A letter from Dr John Etherington in the Scotsman, about what he calls "the outrageous approval of Glenmoriston at Loch Ness", says that an adjudication by the Advertising Standards Authority, released on 21 December, during the life of the turbines they will save only half of the emissions claimed. In many cases it was the promised saving of that swayed the votes of councillors and planners. Thus, says Dr Etherington, the Glenmoriston permission is founded on a lie. Read letter.

23 December 2005 ~ " A key component of this code should be an agreement that wind farms not be constructed against the wishes of the local community that will be most affected."

Autralian Environment and Heritage Minister Senator Ian Campbell has sent to all State Environment Ministers on the issue of wind farms a letter that, it is to be hoped, the UK government will notice.
Alana Lacy
Office Manager
HON WILSON TUCKEY
0898 426228

Dear Minister
I am writing to you and to other State and Territory governments to propose an agreement to development of a national code for the location of wind farms. A key component of this code should be an agreement that wind farms not be constructed against the wishes of the local community that will be most affected.
I am most concerned that members of local communities are often being given only limited involvement in determining if a wind farm is to be established in their area. While wind technology is a part of the portfolio of power sources that the world needs to combat greenhouse gas emissions, it is vital that local communities, including those in often sensitive and scenic coastal areas, do not have wind farms thrust upon them. If such action continues to be taken it will make wind farms increasingly unpopular and this will create an animosity towards wind energy and be counterproductive to all our interests. I believe that we need a truly inclusive and consultative local planning process.
As you would be aware, the EPBC Act currently allows me to regulate to define specified actions as requiring referral under the Act. Because I am so concerned about the growth in negative sentiment toward wind energy which is occurring as wind farms are established against the expressed views of the democratically elected councils, I am considering making a new regulation under the EPBC Act in relation to wind farms. This regulation would require all proposed wind farms to be referred under the EPBC Act.
As you know, economic and social factors such as the views of local councils and their communities would be relevant considerations in any decision I make to approve a wind farm following assessment. I would certainly be reluctant to approve a wind farm in the face of clear local opposition expressed through votes of shires of councils.
I also intend to examine my programmes to consider future funding arrangements for those wind projects that are clearly against the expressed wishes of the local community.

Yours sincerely
IAN CAMPBELL

23 December 2005 ~ Angela Kelly writes..."'What drives our politicians and decision-makers to this 'Windmill Madness'?"

"I received this 'Christmas card' from Bob Graham who campaigns ceaselessly to stop wind 'farms' in his beloved Scotland, the land of his birth. But his concern for the countryside knows no borders  he cares about it all.
In spite of the fact that his own county and country are being plastered with wind turbines, he has given practical help to others all over the UK, and travelled hundreds of miles to that effect.
His well-informed presentation, born of years of experience, has benefited many campaigners. But he is a realist and delivers no false hopes, knowing how the planning laws and structure plans are regularly and ruthlessly swept aside to further the interests of the wind industry.
It is almost impossible to believe, that as the year 2006 dawns, we can be looking at a travesty such as indicated by this map of Morayshire. (pdf)
Again and again one asks 'What drives our politicians and decision-makers to this 'Windmill Madness' (Der Spiegel, 29.3.2004)?"

23 December 2005 ~Blazing turbine falls into field

BBC "Firefighters were forced to cordon off a Sunderland motorway when a 55m-high wind turbine caught fire. At the height of the blaze at the Nissan car plant eight crews from the Tyne and Wear brigade attended after receiving 190 calls from the public.
At first the crews feared that the structure would fall on to the nearby A19 and they set up a cordon. The three-bladed turbine eventually fell into a nearby field and burned itself out. Investigations are now under way to find out the cause of the fire. Building work started on the #2m wind farm at the 750-acre site in September. The six turbines generate 7.5% of the factory's electricity."

23 December 2005 ~ "Disfiguration of the landscape by wind turbines is undoubted"

Scotsman Opinion "....The Cairngorms National Park Authority is objecting to a proposed 34-turbine wind farm development at Tomatin, following its opposition to similar plans at Strathnairn and Kildrummy which were deemed inappropriate. Meanwhile, more than 4500 local people have lodged their opposition to a huge wind farm in Lewis and there has been a high-profile campaign against the powerline set to scar the countryside from Beauly to Denny to bring power from renewable sources in the Highlands to the Central Belt.
Joining these protests is celebrity botanist David Bellamy, who has been enlisted for the battle against the 18 turbines set to be erected on Auchencorth Moss near Penicuik, a bog with some of the rarest forms of plant life in Europe. .....
The environmental lobby is caught on the horns of a dilemma: the desire to avoid nuclear power is understandable, but so too should it be counterbalanced by the potential for alternatives to wreck our natural heritage. ...."

20 December 2005 ~ fighting a proposed wind farm near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.

Dunion Hill Conservation Group (see below) writes
"Application went in on Friday 16th December - slight hickup for the developers who sent the wrong fee with the application. Probably will be deferred until after the holiday, but pretty typical of these greedy **~>?!!!88+s."

18 December 2005 ~ Moorsyde Action Group website

http://www.moorsydeactiongroup.org.uk/ They write: "We are a community-based group opposing 3 massive turbine arrays (14, 12 & 10 360-410 ft. turbines) within a few miles of each other on a small plateau of rolling farmland in North Northumberland. As you will know, many farms in Northumberland and the Borders were hit hard by the FMD cull; WF developers are now threatening our tourist industry, which, with agriculture, is the economic mainstay of the area."

14 December 2005 ~WIND TURBINES? NOT HERE PLEASE Gloucestershire Echo

" We don't want wind turbines here - that was the message from Cotswolds residents at a packed public meeting. More than a 100 furious locals packed into Miserden village hall to get a picture of the effect turbines would have on their lives. They heard from Nick Brown, chief executive of Green Amps, the firm behind the scheme.
He told them a phone survey showed local people would like a turbine to help reduce carbon emissions.
The audience were in uproar. They said none of them had received a call...."

14 December 2005 ~ People across Mid Wales are fighting against plans for massive wind farms

which would see 300ft masts towering into the air, countryside bosses have warned. A meeting was called by the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales' (CPRW) Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire branches, who said their shires would be the most strongly affected by current proposals. CPRW campaigner Ann West said new wind farms proposed for the region by the Welsh Assembly's technical advice note 8 would impose too much on the existing landscape...." Shropshire Star

12 December 2005 ~

Professor Emeritus Philip Stott's EnviroSpinWatch Weblog focuses on "science, but not just on poor science. It will also bring to public notice good science that is being ignored because it may be politically inconvenient."
"... the myths of carbon trading are likely to increase overall emissions, while binding targets are now off the agenda."

12 December 2005 ~ "....It would be nice, too, if this group of Tory thinkers could move some institutional goalposts. First, they need to smash up the crass Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, a planning department which, shorn of any environmental responsibilities, has become a delivery mechanism for whatever development Labour's corporate cronies want next, whether it is football stadiums or wind-farms..." Charles Clover in Saturday's Telegraph

11 December 2005 ~ " Wind power now appears to be pie in the sky

while the penny drops that nuclear is the only answer. "Kyoto-ism" is seen as a mad self-deception, which can only result in crippling the world's economies to no purpose. .." Says Bookers Notebook
"Cue for Mr Cameron to pledge his support to it, and to enlist as his champion John Gummer - whose major contribution to the "environment" is his energetic chairmanship, for some undisclosed sum, of Valpak, a company set up to steer businesses through the crazy EU recycling rules which Gummer himself introduced when he was environment minister. .."

10 December 2005 ~ the game is up?

South Wales Evening Post, Dec. 10:
"Carmarthenshire Council, which is publicly prowind energy, turned down an application for a wind farm at Pencader because of the adverse impact on the landscape of the Brechfa Forest, "despite the green energy it would produce."Members of West Glamorgan Commoners' Association voted to reject plans for 34 wind turbines on Mynydd-y-Gwair, north of Swansea, even though they stand to pocket #700,000 compensation between them if the plan goes ahead.
Suddenly the twin strategy of hefty public hand-outs and tempting individual sweeteners appear to be faltering. What can the pro-windies do? Provide clear evidence that wind turbines will make a significant and consistent conrtibution to reducing the CO2 emissions that are driving global warming.
If they can't, then the game is up."

30 November 2005 ~ Plans for five wind farms are thrown out

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2005/11/30/newsstory7790381t0.aspTHE ENCROACHMENT of wind farms into Perthshire was again halted by councillors as another five proposed schemes were knocked back....A raft of objectors from among the 100-strong crowd complained about the visual impact, environmental effect, disruption to water courses and wildlife, noise and the effect on users of the hills. They included representatives from the Friends of the Ochils group, the Ramblers' Association, residents and regular visitors. The developers argued not only would their projects save the planet, they would create jobs, wealth and community schemes. .........Councillor John Hulbert was defeated in his attempt to have the plan approved but had already warned the committee not to give into "highly vocal NIMBY protest" and warned the Scottish Executive will soon get fed up of the authority refusing wind farm applications...

30 November 2005 ~ Giant wind farm will be a 'catastrophe', warns charity

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=2326132005 "CONTROVERSIAL plans to build the world's largest wind farm on Lewis will have an "unprecedented impact" on endangered birds and wildlife and the island habitat that supports them, a major charity said yesterday. In a damning report, published to coincide with a meeting in Edinburgh today between the developers and MSPs, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland claims that the #411 million development, involving the erection of 234 wind turbines across 43km, will have a "catastrophic" effect on more than 6,000 hectares of protected peatland other vital habitats..."

29 November 2005 ~ Residents reject windfarm plan

"People living in North Northumberland have rejected the idea of another windfarm close to their homes. Residents from Lowick, Bowsden, Ford and Etal packed into Lowick Village Hall ....at a final vote by residents, the overwhelming result was to object to the scheme. Barmoor is one of four sites picked out for possible wind farms in North Northumberland.Tynetees tv

November 14, 2005 Wind damage

Letter in the Times
Sir, The figure quoted for the payback time of wind turbines (letter, November 7) is strictly for the manufacture of the turbine itself and takes no account of the huge energy costs involved in making the massive foundations, the access roads, transmission lines, the re-engineering of other generating plant to enable switching in and out of intermittent supply, nor a share of the costs of back-up conventional plant on spinning stand-by. It is these costs that make wind energy not so attractive and make financial pay-back time more like seven years. For a lifetime of some 25 years per structure this is far less attractive and were it not for massive subsidy the current scramble to despoil our upland areas would not be taking place.
PHILIP BROWN Brampton, Cumbria

October 28 2005 ~ 'Better to have nuclear power than a blot on the landscape'

Simon Jenkins in the Guardian (The Guardian, October 28): "... Even by government standards the Romney turbine decision is a corker. The towers are to be massive, 30 storeys high, despite being surrounded by bird sanctuaries. Their footings must be buried 100 feet in the soft subsoil and require six-and-half miles of new road across the marsh, stabilised by 50,000 tonnes of excavated roadstone. Nobody can say how much energy all this will consume. Of the #50m cost, roughly 70% will come in various forms of subsidy. On any basis, this is a wildly extravagant government project...
...The turbines have been opposed by every parish, district and county council in the area and by every known conservancy body...
... Given the energy that goes into building and backing up turbines there are moves, I am told, to declare turbine power no longer 'green' for global warming purposes...
...The greatest irony is that the Romney tragedy is unfolding down the coast from one of the world's oldest nuclear plants, still pumping out far more megawatts, at Dungeness. Like other early stations - Bradwell in Essex, Hinckley Point on the Severn, and Wylfa on Anglesey - Dungeness was located far from human habitation. There were complaints from naturalists at the time, not least at the pylons stretching across the marsh... ...But nuclear power is at least real power... ...If Wicks [the Industry Minister] can put turbines on Romney Marsh, nowhere is safe. .."

October 23 2005 ~ "..one of the most shameless confidence tricks of our time"

Booker's Notebook today:
" The announcement last week by Malcom Wicks, the energy minister, that a giant wind farm on Romney Marsh in Kent could go ahead, has sent shock waves across the land. The 26 2.5-megawatt turbines proposed by the German-owned nPower for one of the most romantic and unspoiled landscapes in southern England were opposed by every elected authority in the area, including two county councils, two district councils and 12 parish councils; not to mention English Nature, the RSPB and a host of environmentalists.
The 370ft turbines, visible from 20 miles, will cover 1,000 acres of marshland, next to a famous bird reserve, requiring concrete foundations sunk 110 feet into the earth and six and a half miles of new roads, using 50,000 tons of roadstone. But so determined is Malcom Wicks's Department for Trade and Industry to meet its EU target of 10 per cent of energy from "renewable" sources by 2010 that the DTI used an obscure provision of the 1989 Electricity Act to call in the Romney Marsh scheme for decision by a DTI inspector.
The inspector was apparently not troubled by charges that the developers had made wildly misleading claims for their project (both the leader of East Sussex county council and Richard Hartley QC called these "lies").
More significantly, however, he made no attempt to address the argument that the 26 turbines will achieve no net savings in carbon dioxide emissions (because conventional power stations will have to be kept running to cover the three-quarters of the time when the turbines, through inappropriate wind speeds, are not generating)..." Read in full

October 21 2005 ~ We can't replace the Cotswolds. We can only destroy them.

The Gloucester Echo reports on the aplication of Energy company Green Amps which wants to build two 56m turbines on Elsdon Hill. The article quotes distraught campaigners:
"This development is verging on vandalism. The proposed site is in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It will destroy the very landscape we have spent years trying to protect. We care about the environment and we're not against wind energy. We're against the wanton vandalism proposed by this scheme. We can't replace the Cotswolds. We can only destroy them."

October 20 2005 ~GIANT TURBINES THREATEN MOOR

Western Morning News "Plans for a chain of wind "superturbines", each twice the height of Nelson's Column, have been put forward for a site on the southern fringes of Exmoor. Last night the scheme met a storm of protest from families living in the area, who said the 110 metre high (360ft) turbines would be visible across the moor and a huge swathe of Devon. ............. The site of the proposed nine turbines is close to the North Devon Link Road between South Molton and Tiverton. If built, they would dwarf Devon's largest existing turbines, which are 246ft high and stand at Bradworthy.
The new proposal, for a site at Batsworthy Cross, not far from the village of Knowstone, was announced by npower renewables. The company said the proposed 18 megawatt (MW) windfarm would generate enough power for around 8,000 homes. .................
...................... Sarah Child, chairman of Rackenford and Creacombe Parish Council, said: "Personally I am horrified. "We are all in favour of renewable energy, but we have learnt from the arguments raging around other windfarm proposals that this is not the way to get it. "Farming is in a bad way round here. If this proposal went ahead three farmers would make money, but the surrounding 30 would lose all hope of diversification into tourism or anything else. "You can't do bed and breakfast in a devastated countryside." .......................... The proposal comes only a week after Devon County Council's development control committee decided to oppose a longstanding application for 22 turbines, also 110 metres tall, at Fullabrook Down between Braunton and Ilfracombe. ...."

October 12 2005 ~ "The news has stunned campaigners, who have been fighting the proposals for more than 10 years."

From the Times and Star (West Cumberland)
" villagers in West Cumbria who have fought off windfarm plans four times now face a new battle. Energy firm Wind Prospect has resubmitted a scheme to put six, 50 metre-high turbines on the outskirts of Pica  first proposed in the 1990s. The news has stunned campaigners, who have been fighting the proposals for more than 10 years. The company was turned down twice by Copeland council, then again at appeal, on the grounds of the visual impact such a development would have. A final attempt to have the decision overruled at the High Court also failed and villagers thought they may finally have won the war. Their hopes were dashed when the fresh application was made...."
Read in full

October 9 2005 ~ The little people versus the giants

Booker's Notebook "The Government's policy on wind power is rapidly becoming such a fiasco that it is hard to know where to begin. While rows are raging all across the land, from Suffolk to the Cotswolds, from Romney Marsh to Antrim, and from Cornwall to Caithness, over plans for giant wind turbines, it is obvious that the Government's hope of reaching its EU target and generating 10 per cent of our power from "renewables" by 2010 is doomed to failure.
This would require building more than 10,000 additional turbines, at a rate of more than 2,400 a year. The present total, which is the work of more than a decade, is only 1,367 - most of those much smaller than the giant turbines now proposed. There is no way the Government can hope to meet even a quarter of its EU/Kyoto commitment, with local protesters up in arms the length and breadth of Britain.
In Gorsley, Gloucestershire, 10 days ago, Sir Peter de la Billiere, the Gulf War commander, had to calm a stormy meeting of villagers outraged by just one of 22 proposed windfarms in the county, involving such Cotswold tourist sites as Bourton-in-the-Water, Moreton-in-the Marsh and Fairford. In Northumberland they are fighting proposals for more than 80 turbines; in Suffolk, six 328ft turbines planned for Framlingham; in Antrim, 36 similar giants on the hills around Broughshane.
The Dartmoor Preservation Society warns that the moor may soon be ringed by a "forest" of such "monsters", such as the ten 300-footers proposed for North Tawton, which have already drawn 1,500 letters of objection, the record for any planning proposal in the county's history.
The beauty of Scotland's landscapes is threatened by no fewer than 6,472 turbine proposals, including 502 in the Western Isles and 403 in Argyll. Prince Charles is unlikely to relish the prospect of looking at 45 giant turbines next to the Castle of Mey. The 600 giant pylons needed to carry wind-generated electricity from Inverness to Falkirk via the Cairngorms National Park have been decried by the Ramblers Association of Scotland as "disastrous"......." Read in full

October 5 2005 ~ "...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..."

Letters in the Western Morning News "....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........... 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..." Read in full

October 1 2005 ~ From Gloucestershire Echo

"The boss of energy company Green Amps faced a crowd of 120 angry residents who packed into Shipton Oliffe Village Hall to object to plans to site turbines in Withington and Sevenhampton.
Protesters heckled chief executive Nick Brown for nearly two hours.
They said the company had no siting strategy and was taking advantage of farmers who wanted to get money for hosting the turbines. Two turbines are planned behind the plantation at Upcote Farm in Withington. Another two are proposed for a track east of Sevenhampton. They are part of plans to site turbines at 22 sites across the county..
....Henry Coelho, who overlooks the Sevenhampton site, said: "You're an opportunist who is taking advantage of farmers and then passing the problems on to the community. "You're putting turbines anywhere you can with no strategy. We all support the principles behind renewable energy but you're circumnavigating every rule put down to protect our environment."
Ken Robertson, from Withington, said wind turbines would only scratch the surface of the problem and would ruin the countryside. He said half of the 2010 target would be met by offshore turbines and the siting of a handful of turbines across the Cotswolds would have no impact.
"You're riding a wave," he said. "Give it five years and other technologies will catch up so we won't need these things. It's a short-term solution." ."
"......Sites proposed include Bourton-on- the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, SomerfordKeynes, Fairford, Twyning, Sheepscombe and Hardwicke."

September 30 2005 ~ New website for Scottish Borders, Dunion Hill

The Dunion Hill conservation Group " is not against energy generation from renewable resources, but believe that windfarm sites must be carefully selected to avoid lasting damage to landscape, environment and the local economy.
The Dunion Hill site, in our opinion, will permanently damage an important area of magnificent Border scenery and your help in defeating this proposal, if a planning application is made, is vital. Comments or enquiries to secretary@dunionhill-conservation.org.uk"

September 22 2005 ~ Assembly planning guidance was only a "steer" for councils when they come to decide whether to approve a windfarm planning application says Carwyn Jones

The Daily Post "LOCAL councils must decide if windfarms can be built in North Wales, Carwyn Jones insisted yesterday. The Assembly environment minister's comments came during a debate on the sustainable development annual report. He said Assembly planning guidance was only a "steer" for councils when they come to decide whether to approve a windfarm planning application.
His comments were made in response to Neath AM Gwenda Thomas' concerns 38% of the total area recommended for providing windfarms under National Assembly plans to increase sustainable energy sources, falls within her area. She said the proliferation of windfarms could damage the local economy and affect levels of tourism in her constituency.
Mr Jones said: "The council's shouldn't take these decisions in a vacuum. Ultimately, it is the local authorities that must take the decision, but they must consider the impact of what they decide because there is an appeal process."

September 18 2005 ~ Michael Portillo, who says he "loathes wind turbines"

writes in the Sunday Times, If we don't want to depend on oil, we must go nuclear
"...turbines scythe down migrating birds. On a recent visit to Spain, where turbines have spread like a vicious pox, I learnt that this month 47 vultures headed for the Strait of Gibraltar had been felled by turbine blades. Wind turbines are not efficient. In Germany during 2003 they were used to only a sixth of their capacity, largely because the wind is unpredictable. Fossil stations are kept turning over and emitting greenhouse gases in case they are needed to make up the shortfall, yet if the turbines produce too much electricity the excess cannot be stored. The turbines are to the countryside in our times what the tower blocks were to the cities in the 1960s. I look forward to the parties when, 40 years from now, we dynamite them. .."

September 16 2005 ~ "unacceptable" that the subsidy was not subject to scrutiny by Parliament as it would be if it were paid directly by the state.

LABOUR'S #1BN WIND TURBINE RIP OFF was yesterday's WMN headline: "MPs say treasury is milking cash for renewable energy
Chancellor Gordon Brown was last night accused of profiteering from high energy prices by exploiting the Government's support for windfarm development.
A study by the Commons public accounts committee concluded that up to #1 billion paid by electricity consumers to encourage the development of renewable energy was being recouped by the Treasury. The committee concluded that lavish subsidies paid to windfarm operators are too high and should be diverted to encourage other forms of renewable energy...................
Edward Leigh...........said it was "unacceptable" that the subsidy was not subject to scrutiny by Parliament as it would be if it were paid directly by the state.
The report will increase pressure on ministers to change the system of support. At present the level of subsidy paid to cheaper types of renewable energy like wind is the same as that paid for forms like wave power, which are still in development. Critics claim this has sparked a "dash for wind", as developers eyeing massive profits put in speculative applications for new windfarms.
......... A report by the National Audit Office earlier this year found that the scale of the renewable subsidy will force up average electricity bills by at least 5.7 per cent, although this figure is likely to be higher once the costs of connecting up hundreds of new windfarms to the national grid has been factored in. ......" Read in full

September 16 2005 ~ "The planned explosion in the number of giant wind turbines in North Wales could prompt a public backlash

against efforts to save the environment.. the Public Accounts Committee today claim growing numbers of turbines could enrage members of the public and turn them off the idea of renewable energy. In contrast, they say offshore windpower was less "en-vironmentally intrusive". ...."http://icnorthwales

September 9 2005 ~ Harrogate Council, which had refused permission for eight turbines on Knabs Ridge, close to the busy A59 and barely three miles from Harrogate, has been overruled.

The decision has been overturned by a government inspector who claimed the need to produce more clean energy outweighed the "adverse impact" on the landscape. Councillor Richard Cooper, Cabinet Member for Planning, said "For a Government Inspector to come to our district and ignore all the good planning reasons why these towering metal structures should not be allowed is a smack in the face to local people and the local council." See www.harrogatetoday

September 6 2005 ~ Inquiry allows wind farm in Dales

BBC "The turbines are planned for Knabs Ridge near Kettlesing in the Dales Countryside campaigners have reacted with anger over a decision by the government to allow a wind farm to be built in the Yorkshire Dales. Harrogate Borough Council had vetoed the plan for eight 300ft high turbines at Kettlesing in Nidderdale. But a government planning inquiry has overruled the council and decided that NPower Renewables can go ahead. ..."

September 3 2005 ~ "May I implore all Welshmen to wake up and defend their beautiful country from this blight?"

Three letters in the Western Mail of great interest:
As the Council for Science and Technology has recently advised Government that wind power cannot in any case solve the carbon dioxide problem without resort to large-scale technology such as nuclear power, why are we persisting in this harmful "wind rush", when a moratorium and independent cost-benefit study is needed? ................ "....... this is an industry that needs to be watched as proponents seem to think they are, or ought to be, exempt from environmental laws. Wind farmers are, unfortunately, all too often supported by public servants in departments with an obligation to protect wildlife and wildlife conservation groups who fail to live up to their charter. Of course you need to be aware of the brat environmentalists - the ones who influence public servants and generate green votes for selected politicians but are otherwise nothing more or less than fanatics. Get one on the other end of the phone and you will know what I mean.
It is now becoming politically expedient to shift wind farm proposals from onshore to offshore - that is from someone's electorate to no-man's land. Although this may reduce the concerns by people who do not want turbines nearby, and let weak politicians of the hook, it poses a devastating future for seabirds...."................".......If wind farms offered any significant contribution to mankind's response to global warming I would hesitate to oppose them but the fact is that they don't. The wind industry makes claims about its developments which should be exposed...."

August 29 2005 ~ Turbine maker's losses blow up to #72 million

Scotsman "The world's largest wind turbine maker, Vestas, reported larger-than-expected first-half losses and warned that hard-pressed suppliers may prevent it from filling the surge in orders caused by record oil prices. Vestas, with a global market share of around 30 per cent, posted a pretax loss of about #72 million against a pro-forma loss of #51m a year earlier..."

August 26 2005 ~ " The focus on costs is likely to prove embarrassing for the onshore wind industry"

WMN "Controversial subsidies for windfarm operators are to be examined by a committee of MPs in a new inquiry that is likely to raise fresh questions about the Government's strategy for meeting global warming targets. The Commons environmental audit committee has announced plans for a detailed inquiry into the costs and benefits of a range of energy sources, including wind power, "clean" coal generation, nuclear power and wave and tidal technology.The focus on costs is likely to prove embarrassing for the onshore wind industry, which enjoys lavish subsidies, although it could also raise difficult questions for those who favour a new generation of nuclear power stations..."

August 25 2005 ~ 110m high wind turbines in Carmarthenshire

BBC Decision due on tallest wind farm. Controversial plans could be given the go-ahead later. More than 100 people have written to the council backing the scheme to build 10 turbines on Mynydd Llanllwni above the Brechfa Forest. But more than 200 people have objected to the proposals. ... Planning officers have recommended the project is approved at a meeting on Thursday, despite claims it will have a major adverse effect on the landscape. .."

17 August 2005 ~ ".. imperative that energy conservation schemes and alternative sources of renewable energy are more thoroughly explored before large swathes of unique UK countryside and coastal scenery are lost..

An important paper (August 2005) appears on the Country Guardian website: Wind power in West Denmark. Lessons for the UK. by Dr V.C. Mason
"....there are few areas in the region's rather flat or gently rolling countryside where turbines are not visible, and in particularly windy locations concentrations are high. For many residents this has seriously detracted from the former charm and beauty of their traditional, largely agricultural surroundings and coastlines, and it has also had a detrimental impact on associated wildlife habitats.....
Despite relatively favourable wind conditions in the region, only 20-24% of the potential annual output of West Danish wind turbines was actually achieved over the last five years. This compares with the 24.1% load or capacity factor recorded in 2003 for the much smaller number of UK onshore turbines (DTI, 2004), but is higher than the 15% calculated for Germany over the same period (see Reuters, 2004).
......The West Danish model clearly shows that the installation of large numbers of wind turbines can lead to severe and expensive problems with power transmission, and seriously degrade wildlife habitats and the aesthetic value of land- and seascapes for little or no reduction in carbon emissions.
It is therefore imperative that energy conservation schemes and alternative sources of renewable energy are more thoroughly explored before large swathes of unique UK countryside and coastal scenery are lost to industrial wind stations. Conservation measures alone could reduce UK carbon emissions by 30%..."
Read in full

14 August 2005 ~ Tegni Cymru, a German backed company, plan to erect four massive wind turbines on the Riverside at the Northern end of the Weaver Valley at Aston in the Green Belt area designated as 'An Area of Special County Value for Landscape'

See www.wind-farm.org "....The massive 438ft (135m) high turbines whose tips will be the same height as Frodsham Hill will dominate the landscape and will be highly visible from Frodsham, Aston, Dutton, Kingsley, Crowton, Acton Bridge and other areas up to 20 kilometres away such as parts of Northwich, Warrington, Ellesmere Port and even Liverpool. To put this into context the Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope which can be seen from much of Cheshire is a mere 290ft (89m) high and is dwarfed by these enormous structures.....
....Anyone wishing to object to the proposed development should register their opposition by writing to Vale Royal Borough Council Planning Department Wyvern House The Drumber Winsford CW7 1AH and can get further information on the campaign by logging onto the SAW(Stop Aston Windfarm) website at www.stopastonwindfarm.net "

14 August 2005 ~ The BWEA are planning an all out PR exercise for the Bank Holiday weekend (27/28 August).

Details can be found on : http://www.embracewind.com/weekend Family-friendly 'open days' will be held at various windfarms in the UK including Cefn Croes.
One turbine sceptic writes, "Doubtless there will be organised petitions for the gullible, including the children, to sign and also encouragement to write letters to one's MPs. etc. etc...." Angela Kelly writes, "Doubtless the BWEA and supporters will be out in force and will have organised media, TV, Press (plus their own photographers) etc to witness and report the occasion. Do not miss this unprecedented opportunity to show the UK-wide opposition to wind turbines..."

10 August 2005 ~ Wales petition

"This is the point behind the petition campaign. We demand our democratic right to consultation," he said yesterday.. "I'm a moderate man and I believe in renewable energy but when I read more about this I realised it was all about politics not climate change." Dan Munford. See also, front page article was on the Shropshire Star.

8 August 2005 ~ Welsh Petition update - the whole of Wales to be covered

Angela Kelly writes, "Since circulating the message below we have received requests to expand the petition for a Referendum to include North and South Wales. So now Dan Munford will be preparing separate petitions appropriate to those areas as well. This means that the whole of Wales will be covered.
Therefore it would be better to wait till we circulate all three petition sheets (i.e. North, Central and South) so that residents of Wales can respond to the area most appropriate to them. However, it does not matter if there is a certain amount of duplication owing to the first."

6 August 2005 ~ Protesters continue with Windfarm Fight

WMN "Campaigners yesterday vowed to challenge the findings of the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) after it rejected complaints ...... made following a leaflet sent to residents in North Tawton in November 2004 by development company Renewable Energy Systems, describing the benefits of a proposed windfarm in the area.
Renewable Energy Systems have yet to finalise the size and scale of the development, but have confirmed they are looking at a range of options, including the construction of 19 80m-high turbines or ten 100m-high turbines.
The ASA considered five complaints, which centred on the amount of electricity the windfarm would produce, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions it would save and the impact windfarms have on house prices.
The ASA failed to uphold any of the complaints, but said findings published by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors after the leaflets were distributed, which suggested windfarm developments reduced property values, meant Renewable Energy Systems could no longer claim there was no evidence in the UK showing windfarms impacted on house prices. .............. John Constable, from the Renewable Energy Foundation, which published an independent report by leading energy consultant Hugh Sharman criticising claims made by Renewable Energy Systems in their leaflet, said he was very surprised the ASA had upheld some of the claims the report made. He said: "The ASA's technical adviser has obviously bent over backwards to excuse Renewable Energy System's advertising. For example, it is surprising to see the ASA upholding Renewable Energy System's CO2-saving claim since these claims do not appear to be in line with DTI methodology and statements. In the light of this and other points in the ruling, it would probably be sensible for the ASA to refer this case to better-informed experts for review." ..."

August 4 2005 ~ Do you live in Wales?

Country Guardian says that a "referendum petition" on the spread of windfarms in Wales is being organised by Dan Munford. "... It will aim to convince the National Assembly that large numbers of people living here are bitterly opposed to it both in terms of the destruction of the landscape and the financial impact on electricity generation. There has been very little public consultation, if any, at local level and this will be an opportunity for people to show the strength of opinion that exists against the loss of our wild and beautiful countryside..." Details

Aug 3 2005 ~ The technical advice note (Tan 8) issued by .... Carwyn Jones would tie the hands of local planning authorities. They would be left with "little option other than to agree proposals for new wind farm developments"

See Daily Post's Owain fought for this land - it's not a Tellytubbyland "............."No proper research has been conducted into how Welsh Labour's windfarm plans will affect the local tourism economy in areas such as Ceredigion. Turning large tracts of the most beautiful parts of mid and west Wales into a replica of Tellytubby land is hardly going to act as a beacon to draw tourists to the area." She (Lisa Francis) said one casualty of "Welsh Labour's completely 'la-la' plans" could be the site of the historic 1401 battle of Hyddgen in Pumlumon, where Glyndfr led the Welsh to victory. .... lobbied culture minister Alun Pugh to publish a map of ancient Welsh battlefield sites, never properly recognised. "I felt this would be of huge benefit to our cultural and walking tourism economy. I'm absolutely delighted that he agreed to do this, however, I can't see visitors to Hyddgen being impressed by the sight of more than 90 of Europe's tallest generators, as well as a conglomeration of substations, overhead power-lines and new roads blasted through a landscape which has lain undisturbed for centuries."
"It is abundantly clear this Welsh Labour government lacks the political will and imagination to concentrate on projects which generate clean energy and which are tourism friendly. It is not in the long term interest of Wales to place all our bets on a single technology such as wind, particularly one that imposes such a big cost on our landscape".

Aug 3 2005 ~ 'Beauty spot development should not be opposed'

Yorkshire Today "PLANNERS opposing eight 300ft wind turbines on a site only 50ft from an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty were accused yesterday of refusing to accept their obligation to contribute to Government targets for providing renewable energy. Npower Renewables' barrister David Hardy made the claim at the start of a public inquiry into Harrogate Council's refusal of permission for a wind farm on an 197-acre site at Knabs Ridge, 708ft above sea level, three miles west of Harrogate...
...The inquiry continues. "

Aug 1 2005 ~ GERMAN WINDFARM INEFFICIENCY REVEALED

WMN "... Germany has the largest capacity in the world for generating wind-powered electricity, with the figure standing at 16,000 megawatts (MW) - more than 15 times the amount produced in the UK. However, statistics from two of the main energy groups in Germany, RWE and E.ON, indicate that efficiency of the windfarms is much lower than expected. The unreliability of wind power, which cannot be created on demand, means that RWE windfarms are producing just 16 per cent of the power they should be creating.....despite the vast capacity on offer, the amount of energy provided is much less per head of population than previously predicted. These findings are likely to cause concerns in the UK, where the Government has set a target of generating a tenth of energy needs from renewable sources by 2010.......RWE's UK subsidiary, npower, said it was wrong to compare German and UK wind power. .... the UK is a much windier country than Germany...... The report also claims that according to the specialist investment bank, Climate Change Capital, meeting the UK's ten per cent investment in renewable energy will cost #6 billion. Mr Hale said: "Wind power is not cost effective. According to the Royal Academy of Engineering it is more than twice as expensive, and even more for offshore windfarms for the amount of power it produces compared to fossil fuel, nuclear and tidal energy."

Aug 1 2005 ~" A slightly different approach has been taken in Wales...."

Having in his Ministerial Statement, said that
"...the UK Government believe that the private sector is best placed to decide exactly what energy infrastructure is needed and how, subject to planning and environmental requirements, to deliver policy objectives most effectively.."
he goes on to say, " A slightly different approach has been taken in Wales..where the Assembly Government have set out in their revised technical advice note (TAN) 8 that 800 MW of additional capacity will be required to be provided by large-scale onshore wind by 2010. TAN8 has identified specific areas considered suitable for large-scale on shore wind farm development. The capacity of the electricity distribution system to accommodate sufficient wind energy developments is a key influence on the shape and distribution of proposals in Wales. .."

July 29 ~ MoD to carry out wind farm tests

"Trials to test how wind farms could affect air traffic control radar systems are to be held in Mid Wales .... It will be the first time such tests will have been carried out and follows news that hundreds more wind turbines could be erected across Wales...." Shropshire Star

July 27 2005 ~Common land fears over new wind farm

Swansea-based JCP Solicitors says it has received a phenomenal amount of inquiries at its stand during the four days of the Royal Welsh Show about wind farms on common land. Steve Dube, of the Western Mail:
"....The company's agricultural team head Rory Hutchings :"..... wind farms are a very real issue for farming communities across the length and breadth of Wales...
....Common land is an integral part of the rural landscape in Wales and is an important resource in terms of farming, wildlife conservation and recreation.."
Mr Hutchings said the law on common land was complex, and some was arcane. ... He said JCP Solicitors have acted for both commoners and companies on wind farm-related issues during the past six months. "This really is a burning issue for much of Wales' rural community and the number of wind farm-related queries we've received so far this week is testament to that," he said. "We expect to be kept very busy over the coming months and, indeed, years, as it is clear that this is one issue which is with us to stay." ...."

July 23 2005 ~ "At Cefn Croes you can witness at first hand the appalling destruction of a landscape by commercial wind turbines."

Angela Kelly writes about Sunday's special walk: "Please make an effort to join those who have fought a long, hard and noble battle to save this once beautiful area. from the greedy maw of the wind industry.
The Cefn Croes campaigners have, tragically and quite undeservedly, lost their battle against undemocratic and insuperable odds.
However, with great generosity of spirit, they fight on to prevent similar destruction elsewhere by exposing the reality of the damage inflicted on the environment by the wind industry.
Read the story of how this disaster came about on: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hills/cc/"
(Cefn Croes Walk Sunday 24th July 2005 Leaders, Dr Kaye Little and Mr Terry Rogers Walkers to meet at the Forestry Commission car park at The Arch [B4574 between Devil's Bridge and Cwm Ystwyth] leaving at 1.00pm.)

July 23 2005 ~ "... the issues of integrating wind power with existing generators have not been widely publicised.."

In May 2005, the Council for Science and Technology published a report An electricity supply strategy for the UK (2005) (pdf) that recommends: immediate investment in large scale, low-carbon, energy generation facilities to meet the Government's carbon dioxide reduction targets keeping the nuclear option open and placing more emphasis on carbon sequestration and tidal power.
An electricity supply strategy for the UK: report (May 2005) (pdf - opens in new window. Click once only! Pdf files do take some time to arrive if your connection is not very fast)
Extract page 16/19:
".....UK, the issues of integrating wind power with existing generators have not been widely publicised. This may lead to unrealistic targets being set for new renewable energy sources or it may divert investment away from the energy infrastructure which is needed to fully exploit renewable energy sources. E.on, have published a report
( _{46 E.on Netz Wind Report 2004, Germany} )
showing the contribution of wind power to the grid for a full 12 months in 2003. The maximum simultaneous wind power infeed from the windfarm was just under 80% of the installed capacity. The average annual infeed was less than one sixth of the installed capacity. In any year, for over 50% of the time, the wind power infeed was less than 11% of the installed capacity. This is why the provision of backup generation is important. If the backup generation uses fossil fuels, as is likely, then the reduction in carbon emissions achieved by the use of wind energy will be less than that commonly quoted..."

July 20 2005 ~ "The report from the House of Lords is important because it reminds us of the uncertainties shared by a number of scientists on climate science

from Professor Ross McKitrick, who questioned the temperature graph used by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), to Bjorn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical Environmentalist, or even Professor Richard Lindzen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Based on that, the report's conclusions are unambiguous. "The science of climate change leaves considerable uncertainties about the future," it declares. "The costs of mitigation are uncertain, as are the benefits which are also more distant." The committee even questions the objectivity of the IPCC process and its models concerning emissions. It adds: "Positive aspects of global warming appear to have been downplayed in IPCC reports."
The committee also recognizes that the Kyoto Protocol will have only a very small impact on lowering global warming and that it is very unlikely the plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions will succeed. It thus invites the British government to review its energy and climate policies.
Tony Blair has deplored the inability of governments to agree on climate change, but he will now have to face the lack of consensus in his own country, more so as it comes from such an institution as the House of Lords (which, granted, does not have much legislative power). Indeed, the assembly is known for its seniority, its prestige, its independence. It seems quite logical that its members remind us of truths too often kept from the public, which is hearing only one side of the story: the one saying we have to act fast whatever the price for it." Techcentral.com carries the article by Cicile Philippe, director of the independent, non profit Molinari Economic Institute.

July 15 2005 ~no wind installation will power any sector of a community, let alone homes, unless it has expensive battery storage units

Comment from a campaigner - forwarded by Angela Kelly
"It is good to note that some publications such as Investor's Business Daily are waking up to the avalanche of facts exposing industrial wind as a lot of hot air.
However, this writer still accepts as gospel the wind industry's claims about about the number of homes their plants will "power"--and even about the exaggerated capacity factor claims. Do you know, for example, of any large wind installations that provide an average annual capacity factor of 35 percent? And, as you well know, no wind installation will power any sector of a community, let alone homes, unless it has expensive battery storage units. In the example cited in this article, the author seems to assume 1.5 MW turbines (300-440 foot tall with 300 foot rotors) that would each power about "500 homes" 35 percent of the time. In reality, the best the industry could hope for with those turbines would be a capacity factor of 30 percent generating electricity into the local grid at levels that, relative to present and future demand, wouldn't dent a grape. And, if there were tens of thousands of them all generating, say, five percent of the grid's electrical supply, then expensive fossil-fueled backup generators would likely be needed to reinforce the grid's equilibrium."

July 14 2005 ~ Wind power will have no effect on climate change

Letters in the Telegraph