LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]



Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Blighted vision 

Credit:  The Scotsman, scotsman.com 30 April 2011 ~~

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, on behalf of its 11,000 members, welcomes the authoritative opening up of the debate regarding renewables in Scotland (Letters, 27 April) by a group of respected engineers and academics.

Regarding the visual impact on Scotland’s mountain landscape, the environment minister Roseanna Cunningham stated in February that between 2002 and 2009 the extent of Scotland unaffected by any form of visual influence declined from 41 per cent to 28 per cent, commenting: “This is in the main caused by wind-turbine development and its associated visual influence.”

At that rate, in 13 years there could be no part of Scotland unaffected by wind-farm development and the greatly increased and unrealistic ambitions of 100 per cent energy from renewables by 2020 means it could happen sooner.

The cherished landscapes that are under threat are those where many of us go to escape from the pressures of modern life and to experience the natural world. They are also a major tourist attraction and form the basis of Scotland’s identity.

Chris Townsend
President, Mountaineering Council of Scotland
West Mill Street, Perth

CONGRATULATIONS to The Scotsman for revealing the strength of opposition to Alex Salmond’s “vision” of a Scotland covered in wind farms in order to achieve unrealistic renewable energy targets.

The strength of that opposition is growing as people realise the landscape devastation that turbines cause.

If Mr Salmond is returned as First Minister on 5 May, those who love Scotland’s landscape for its beauty and wildness can look forward to more of it being “industrialised” by turbines.

Make no mistake, wind farms are inefficient, massively subsidised and do nothing to combat climate change. They simply allow developers and landowners to trouser the profits at the expense of taxpayers.

Voters should think about this when they visit the polling booths, and someone should drag Mr Salmond up a hill and let him see just what his “vision” is doing to our wild places.

Peter Evans
Balnakyle Road
Lochardil, Inverness

READING the article by Richard Dixon, director of WWF, entitled “Scotland could have 100% green energy by 2020” (29 April) caused me to wonder when we will hear the first politician upping the bidding stakes by claiming that they will generate 120 per cent of our electricity from renewables and create 200,000 jobs by 2020?

George Lindsay
Whinfield Gardens
Kinross

IT IS time to call a halt on the grandiose scheme to construct “wind factories” (28 April) throughout the length and breadth of Scotland, at the expense of the natural beauty of our hills and glens.

Examination of the performance of on-shore wind turbines shows “industry claims” of 30 per cent operational efficiency, while, in practice, outputs are nearer 20 per cent.

Planning applications are always based on the 30 per cent figure, which is dishonest, in view of the new information now in the public domain.

Since their real value has been downgraded, surely these applications should be re-assessed with greater consideration being given to local opinion, aesthetic impact and the potential environmental damage caused by these giant turbines.

Bill Ross
Gullane, East Lothian

Source:  The Scotsman, scotsman.com 30 April 2011

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon