Resource Library Category: Tourism (8 items)
Documents presented here are not the product of nor are they necessarily endorsed by National Wind Watch. This resource library is provided to assist anyone wishing to research the issue of industrial wind power and the impacts of its development. The information should be evaluated by each reader to come to their own conclusions about the many areas of debate.
Letter to Vt. Dept. of Tourism and Marketing
Source: Kenyon, Paul
I am concerned about the effect of commercial wind installations on the feel of Vermont. I came here and decided to live here because of the wild and open aspect of the mountains here. Commercial wind power will clearly change this aspect of my environment.
Vermont stewards — you included — urge Vermonters to adopt and exercise their sense of ownership of Vermont. I question the wisdom of adopting commercial wind power, especially unfettered and widespread installation for commercial wind derived electricity in Vermont wilderness and in Vermont wild areas. For one thing, the extension of infrastructure required to enable and maintain service to the wind power installations — power and 4-season roads kept plowed all winter — drives sprawl, something Vermonters have overwhelmingly said they are against. And, of course, a landscape dominated by industrial appurtenances will be a sea change to the sense of Vermont and her wild places. Recreation will affected in other ways, too. Recreational access to areas where there are wind farms is prohibited. It is also essential to understand that the 2.5-megawatt turbines that stand 400 feet high today will be replaced during a procedure called “repowering” — a phase two of wind power development of an area — by 5-megawatt turbines in the near future as more power is needed. The new 5-megawatt turbines will stand 600 feet tall and the rotor will sweep the area of three football fields. Seven-megawatt turbines are being developed, 10-megawatt turbines are on the drawing boards and today’s current maximum size turbines are 20 megawatts, any and all of which will be candidates for “repowering” on Vermont ridge lines. You should know about these future developments of Vermont’s commercial wind facilities. Repowering of sites is now being done in Germany … because Germany is running out of land for more turbines, so great is the footprint per unit energy required to extract energy from so diffuse an energy source as the wind.
Eighty million people within a day’s drive of Vermont and people from all over the world come to Vermont to experience Vermont’s small towns and their juxtaposition to her wild and open vistas. If we install wind facilities on Vermont ridge lines the entire sense of the state will change from one dominated by a sense of wilderness to one that is dominated by industry and predominated by enormous industrial appurtenances. I hope you are aware of the power and permanence of the changes that will result from such industrialization. I did not make Vermont my new home to see this done to it and hope it will not. I do not understand why your office is not making a loud and public protest against this abrupt, wholesale destruction of Vermont.
I find the following two questions essential in this discussion. I also find that they are being ignored. Please help me by answering them. Please also forward them to legislators and the news media in Vermont.
1.) If we are going to agree to commercial wind installations on our ridge lines, when will we say, “No more,” and stop installing these machines?
2.) When we do say, “stop”, why will we be saying so?
It is obvious that we will at some time run out of places to put wind turbines. That will happen relatively soon given the feckless nature of extracting energy from such a diffuse power source as the wind; there’s just not a lot of energy in the wind (and, on top of that, the energy there is is intermittent and highly variable, destructive to grids like ours.) When we stop installing more turbines, we will be doing so for a reason. It is my bet that the reason will be aesthetic and not either for lack of wind — as the wind blows over all of us and we can, if the money can be found to do so, extract energy from that wind over all of us — or because our demand for electricity has ceased or that there is a new source of electricity found.
I look forward to having a discussion about this issue with you. From here, it seems your office has been silent on the issue of the impact of commercial wind power on Vermont ridge lines. I don’t understand why this is. Shouldn’t your office be demanding honest and thorough inquiry into the effects of such development and shouldn’t your office be out front drawing the attention of Vermonters and all other interested parties to the realities of such installations?
Sincerely,
~~
Paul Kenyon
Bridport, Vt.
Windfarm Consultation (Bridleways)
Source: British Horse Society
400 Consultations sent out, to: bridleway officers, development officers, affiliated bridleway groups; 116 responses received (return of 29%)
Questions included:
Do you ride near wind turbines?
Are they near public rights of way?
Have you encountered any problems?
Location of respondent
Of the 116 responses, 19 people rode near turbines (16%)
16 people informed us the turbines were on, or very near a right of way, the remainder being on private land.
The main problems reported were:
Turbines casting shadows
Noise from turbines
Flying ice in winter
Movement of blades
All of the above upsetting the horse and often unseating the rider or causing them to fall
From the 19 respondents, 5 people have actually fallen off at least once, 3 of these required hospitalisation and 1 horse was unable to be ridden after the incident.
People who encountered no problems stated they were riding horses who were accustomed to the turbines or riding very steady older horses. They also acknowledged that they could understand how other people’s horses may be upset by the presence of a turbine and are aware of incidents occurring.
Lots of people also commented that they wouldn’t mind one turbine, however a whole farm of turbines may cause them to rethink their riding route.
In one particular instance, a report of over half the members of Haworth and Oxenhope riding club experiencing problems was reported, this being over 100 incidents.
Location of respondents:
1 incident in North East
5 incidents in Lancashire
1 incident in Cumbria
1 incident in West Yorkshire
1 incident in Cornwall
2 incidents in Wales
Lancashire: 1 unable to pass, 1 fall, 1 bolted, 2 distressed horses
Wales: 1 sudden stop and spin around, 1 bolted
West Yorkshire: 1 distressed horse but heard of many more riders having problems, over half the bridleway group
Cornwall: 1 distressed horse
Cumbria: 1 distressed horse
North East: 1 distressed horse due to noise
Respondents were also asked if the presence of turbines would deter them from taking their horse to a given place e.g an equestrian holiday. Of the 99 people who answered the question, 66 would not take their horse on holiday where there were turbines present (65%)
The main reasons were:
Their horse had never seen a turbine and they would be unsure of its reaction
Unnecessary risk
Scenery and views spoilt
Equestrian Business
This will have implications for many equestrian businesses including bed and breakfast establishments. In the areas where incidents were reported the British Horse Society has registered bed and breakfasts that cater for equestrians.
Bed and Breakfast Establishments –
County Durham and surrounding area: 7
Lancashire: 5
Cornwall: 5
West Yorkshire: 11
Cumbria: 6
One respondent commented that her clients have stopped coming due to the erection of turbines in the surrounding area.
Download original document: “The British Horse Society Windfarm Consultation”
Environment, Filings, New York, Property values, Regulations, Safety, Siting, Tourism •
Comments to the Moresville Energy Project DEIS
Source: Western Catskill Preservation Alliance
In addition to the comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the large file below includes graphics and signed Declarations of Opposition to the Moresville Energy Project in the towns of Stamford and Roxbury, N.Y..
Download original document: “Comments to the Moresville Energy Project DEIS” (large)
Download original document: “Comments to the Moresville Energy Project DEIS” (small)
Turismo y parques eolicos [Tourism and wind farms]
Source: Portavoz Coalición Pro Boque Seco Ventanas Verraco
Guayanilla – Mucho se ha hablado del proyecto Windmar, parque eolico propuesto para ser instalado en Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. A pesar de la férrea oposición a este proyecto por parte de la comunidad, el alcalde, la asamblea municipal, científicos, profesores, ambientalistas etc. El proponente junto a ciertos funcionarios del gobierno hacen lo imposible para tratar de justificar esa barbaridad. La compania Windmar Renewable Energy y su dueño, Víctor González Barahona han utilizado información tergiversada y fuera de contexto para promover su proyecto.
Según Windmar “el atractivo del primer parque eólico atraerá el turismo” esta mentira la difundieron en su hoja de promoción titulada “Sopla en Guayanilla el deseo de un mejor Puerto Rico”. De hecho el Secretario del Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, Javier Vélez Arocho también lo dijo. Veamos la realidad entre turismo y parques eolicos.
Parques eólicos: negativos para el turismo en Escocia.
PÉRDIDA DE INVERSIÓN, Y CAMBIO DE PLANES.
El magnate americano de fama mundial, Donald Trump, amenaza con cancelar su proyecto de inversión de £ 300 millones (aprox. € 450 millones) en el turismo escocés si un parque eólico estropea las vistas. Por otra parte, los Consejeros de la provincia de Highland piensan reducir de 11 a 3 las zonas aptas para grandes parques eólicos. Responsables del turismo se hacen críticos de la destrucción del paisaje escocés, y una encuesta entre turistas les da la razón. Fuente: iberica200.org.
Turismo se opone construcción parque de generación eólica
Por Soila Paniagua
SANTO DOMINGO, 23 de febrero.- El secretario de Turismo, Félix Jiménez, se opuso ayer a la construcción de un Parque de generación eólica en Cabo Engaño, en el paraje El Salado, provincia La Altagracia, tras afirmar que esa obra afectaría la industria turística, por lo que ordenó su paralización. Fuente: El Cometa.
Turismo opuesto a proyecto eólico realizado en Punta Cana Dice que Cepem no tiene permiso legal
Por Yanet Beltré / El Caribe
Viernes 23 de febrero del 2007 actualizado a las 12:16 AM
El secretario de Turismo, Félix Jiménez, informó ayer que esa cartera se opone a la construcción de un parque eólico que desarrolla el Consorcio energético Punta Cana-Macao (Cepem), por entender que está contra las leyes del Estado. Fuente: El Caribe.
Felucho dice proyecto es ilegal; Empresario español Pepe Hidalgo también se opone al parque eólico de CEPM
Por Raysa Feliz / elMasacre.com 12:01 pm
El consorcio hotelero Globalia, que preside el empresario español Pepe Hidalgo, declaró su oposición a la construcción de un parque de energía eólica en el polígono 5 de Punta Cana, según reveló el Secretario de Estado de Turismo, licenciado Felucho Jiménez. El titular de Turismo dijo que recibió una llamada de Hidalgo para expresarle su rechazo a la instalación energética, ya que la empresa española es propietaria terrenos en la misma zona para desarrollar un complejo de hotel y villas por 40 millones de dólares. Fuente: el masacre.com (diario digital)
Energía eólica — El pueblo no quiere parques eólicos.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
MUNICIPIOS DE LA PROVINCIA DE ALICANTE, ESPAÑA, RECHAZAN PROYECTOS EÓLICOS QUE DESTRUIRÁN SU PATRIMONIO Y SU CALIDAD DE VIDA. Los ayuntamientos de una veintena de pueblos afectados por el proyecto eólico de las sierras d´Almudaina y d´Álfaro declaran su falta de conformidad con los 50 aerogeneradores que la Generalitat les quiere imponer. En juego está la destrucción del patrimonio natural y cultural de una zona de gran encanto, cuyo potencial turístico será destruido en cuanto se levanten los molinos gigantes en las crestas. Fuente: http://www.iberica2000.org/Es/Articulo.asp?Id=2097
El sector turístico no quiere más molinos
16/01/2003 E. DIAZ VITERI
Los empresarios de Turismo Rural de Oscos-Eo aprovecharon el martes la visita del Director General de Turismo, Javier de la Ballina, a Taramundi para hacerle entrega de un escrito en el que piden que no se instalen más parques eólicos en el occidente asturiano. Los empresarios ya habían enviado una carta con esta petición al Consejero de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, Jesús Urrutia. Fuente: La Voz de Asturias.
Las asociaciones de hostelería rechazan más parques eólicos en la comarca de los Oscos
Oviedo, 29 ago (EFE).- Las asociaciones de hostelería de la comarca de los Oscos han solicitado al Gobierno del Principado que no implante más parques eólicos en el municipio dado el impacto paisajístico que puede generar la presencia de aerogeneradores y su repercusión sobre el turismo rural. Fuente: AOL noticias.
Turismo de interior, paisaje y parques eólicos en Els Ports
TRIBUNA: PACO TORTOSA
Quienes no hayan visitado nunca los asombrosos paisajes de las montañas interiores de las comarcas de Els Ports y el Alt Maestrat deben darse prisa en acercarse a ellos para poder emocionarse con sus perfiles dibujados por muelas, cerros, ermitas, pozos de nieve y bosques primigenios, bañados de un silencio casi místico. ¿Que por qué? Porque estos perfiles que han acompañado el quehacer de sus habitantes a lo largo de su dilatada historia, van a ver aparecer en breve un invitado no deseado que arruinará estos paisajes que tienen en su armónica combinación de elementos naturales y humanos tradicionales su mayor valor. Hace unos días que comenzaron las obras del primer parque eólico de los 67 que transformarán radicalmente los parajes y entornos rurales mejor conservados de las montañas interiores valencianas. Fuente: El Pais.com
Los turistas huyen de los parques eólicos Villanueva de Oscos
R.L Murias
Una encuesta realizada entre los veraneantes de la comarca revela que el 87 por ciento no acudirá a la zona si aumentan los aerogeneradores. La instalación de más parques eólicos en los Oscos y Taramundi influirá negativamente en la afluencia de turismo en ambos municipios. Fuente: Asociación de Turismo Rural de Oscos-Eo y Anturta
Los empresarios turísticos se oponen a la implantación de parques eólicos en Occidente
25.01.08 -
Luis Hernando
Los empresarios turísticos del Occidente temen que la excesiva proliferación de parques eólicos en la comarca pueda frenar la llegada de visitantes a la zona. Por ello, piden al Principado y a los ayuntamientos que tengan en cuenta a este sector a la hora de establecer su ubicación. Así lo demandó ayer el presidente de la Federación de Asociaciones Turísticas del Occidente de Asturias, Bernardo José Alija, en el III Foro de Occidente, celebrado en Luarca. Fuente: elcomerciodigital.com
Las asociaciones de turismo creen que los parques eólicos frenan el desarrollo del sector
D. F./NAVIA
Los empresarios turísticos del Occidente no están de acuerdo con la implantación masiva de parques eólicos en la comarca, como se pretende llevar a cabo en la zona de Oscos-Eo. La federación comarcal, que agrupa a once asociaciones de turismo de todo el Occidente, considera que este tipo de instalaciones «frenan del desarrollo del sector». Fuente: El Comercio
Podemos citar innumerables artículos y noticias referentes a este tema especialmente en el idioma ingles. Este escrito no es con el propósito de promover los empresarios turísticos, nosotros apoyamos el Turismo de Naturaleza. Solo queremos desenmascarar La Gran Mentira, La Otra Cara del Proyecto Windmar.
Jose Francisco Saez Cintron
Portavoz Coalición Pro Boque Seco Ventanas Verraco
Miércoles 20 de febrero de 2008
Guayanilla — A lot has been said about the Windmar project, a wind energy park proposed for installation in Guaryanilla, Puerto Rico. Despite strong opposition to this project from the community, the mayor, the municipal assembly. scientisits, academics, environmentalists, etc., the proponent together with certain government functionaries make it impossible to try justifying this barbarity. The Windmar Renewable Energy company and its owner Victor González Barahona has used twisted and out-of-context information to promote their project.
According to Windmar, “the attraction of the first wind energy part will bring tourism.” This lie is found in its promotional slide show titled “Blowing the desire for a better Puerto Rico into Guayanilla”. The Secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Javier Velez Arocho said the same thing. Let’s look at the reality of tourism and wind energy parks.
Wind energy parks: negative for tourism in Scotland
Loss of investment, change of plans
The world-famous American tycoon Donald Trump, is threatening to cancel his proposed investment of £300 million (c. €450 million) in Scottish tourism if a wind energy park spoils the view. Moreover, the Highland Councillors are thinking of reducing the number of zones suitable for large wind energy parks from 11 to 3. Tourism interests have been critical of the destruction of the Scottish countryside, and a survey of tourists gives them good reason. Source: iberica200.org.
Tourism opposes construction of wind energy park
By Soila Paniagua
Santo Domingo, 23 February — The Secretary of Tourism, Félix Jiménez, yesterday objected to the construction of a wind energy park in Cabo Engaño, in the El Salado region, La Altagracia province, after stating that such work would affect the tourism industry, for which reason he ordered its suspension. Source: El Cometa.
Tourism opposed wind energy project in Punta Cana saying Cepem does not have legal permit
By Yanet Beltré / El Caribe
Friday 23 Feb. 2007 — The Secretary of Tourism, Félix Jiménez, reported yesterday that his ministry was opposed to the construction of a wind energy park developed by the Punta Cana-Macao Energy Consortium (Cepem), saying that it is against the laws of the State. Source: El Caribe.
Felucho said project is illegal
Spanish businessman Pepe Hidalgo also opposes the Cepem wind energy park
By Raysa Feliz / elMasacre.com
The hotel consortium Globalia, chaired by Spanish businessman Pepe Hidalgo, declared its opposition to the construction of a wind energy park in Estate 5, Punta Cana, as revealed by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Felucho Jimenez. The Tourism chief said he received a call from Hidalgo to express his rejection of the energy installation, since the Spanish company owns land in the same area to develop a complex of hotels and villas for $40 million. Source: elmasacre.com
Wind — The people do not want wind energy parks
Cities of Alicante province, Spain, repudiate wind energy projects which destroy their heritage and their quality of life
Tuesday, January 18, 2005 — The city councils of a score of towns affected by the wind energy project in the Almudaina and Álfaro mountains declare their disagreement with the 50 wind turbines that the Government wants to impose. At stake is the destruction of the natural and cultural heritage of an area of great charm, whose tourism potential will be destroyed as giant turbines are raised on the ridges. Source: iberica2000.org
The tourism industry does not want more turbines
E. Diaz Viteri
16/01/2003 — The businesses of Oscos-Eo Rural Tourism took advantage of the Tuesday visit of the Director General of Tourism, Javier de la Ballina, to Taramundi to deliver a written statement asking that no more wind energy parks be installed in western Asturias. The businesses had already sent a letter with this petition to the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, Jesús Urrutia. Source: La Voz de Asturias.
Hospitality associations reject more wind farms in the Oscos region
Oviedo, Aug. 29 (EFE) — Hospitality associations in the Oscos region have requested the Government of the Principality to erect no more wind energy parks in the municipality given the impact on the landscape that can be caused by the presence of wind turbines and the repercussions for rural tourism. Source: AOL noticias.
Tourism, landscape, and wind farms in Els Ports
Tribune: Paco Tortosa
Whoever has not visited the stunning mountain landscapes of the interior districts of Els Ports and Alt Maestrat need to mke haste to be near them for their power to stir the emotions with their silhouettes drawn by knolls, hills, chapels, snow-fed wells and primal forests, bathed in an almost mystical silence. And why? Because those silhouettes, that have accompanied the work of its inhabitants over its long history, will soon see an undesired guest that will ruin those landscapes that hold in their harmonious combination of natural and traditional human elements its greatest value. A few days ago work began on the first wind energy park of 67 that will radically transform the landscape and rural settings best preserved in the interior mountains of Valencia. Source: elPais.com
Tourists flee wind energy parks in Villanueva de Oscos
R.L. Murias
A survey conducted among holidaymakers in the region reveals that 87 percent would not come to the area if there are more wind turbines. The installation of more wind energy parks in Oscos and Taramundi would adversely affect the influx of tourism in both municipalities. Source: Oscos-Eo and Anturta Association of Rural Tourism
Tourism businesses oppose erection of wind energy parks in Occidente
Luis Hernando
25.01.08 — Tourism businesses of Occidente fear that the excessive proliferation of wind farms in the region could stop the influx of visitors to the area. Therefore, they are asking the Principality and the town councils to take into account this sector when establishing their location. This was demanded yesterday by the president of the Federation of Tourism Associations of western Asturias, Bernardo José Alija, in the Occidnete Forum III held in Luarca. Source: elcomerciodigital.com
Tourism associations believe that wind energy parks are holding back the development of the sector
D. F. / Navia
Tourism businesses of Occidente disagree with the massive development of wind energy parks in the region, as planned in the Oscos-Eo area. The regional federation, which includes eleven tourism associations from throughout Occidente, considers that this type of development “holds back the development of the sector”. Source: El Comercio
We can cite countless articles and news regarding this issue, especially in the English language. This is not written with the purpose of promoting tourism businesses — we support nature tourism. We only want to unmask The Big Lie, The Other Side of the Windmar Project.
Jose Francisco Saez Cintron
Portavoz Coalición Pro Boque Seco Ventanas Verraco
20 February 2008
