While camping at Mad Bob’s campsite deep on Bodmin Moor I got really cross about the anti-wind turbine letters you publish and I think it is only fair that you now publish my letter. I think it is time for an ordinary person like myself to stand up to the awful NIMBYs who say all those dreadful things about turbines.
When windfarms were proposed for North Cornwall I thought “at last someone is going to save this planet from self-destruction” and while I was in Cornwall I decided to go to an exhibition to find out the truth about wind power.
On entering I was greeted by smartly dressed young men who gave me a nice wind badge, some leaflets and a pretty wind bag to keep them in. I said I had read awful things in the paper and could they please reassure me that the turbines would be OK. Yes, they said, I need not worry as these turbines would power a town the size of Camelford quite easily and make it completely carbon neutral.
We would never have to worry about the lights going out and the turbines’ presence would enhance the landscape, which they thought was a bit tatty and neglected, and lots of people would visit Cornwall just to see them.
One was shocked by people who worried about wildlife as nobody minded birds flying into pylons, so why should these graceful turbines be any different? Anyway the birds would just fly under or around or over them or somewhere – and by the way not a single tree would be cut down.
I asked what other countries were doing and one of the nice boys said that Denmark was completely powered by turbines and many other EU countries would totally switch over in the next ten years. He hoped the UK would follow suit as there was masses of free wind and not much time left to save the world.
I asked how many windfarms were needed and was told that, by having several farms, if the wind didn’t blow at one location there was a good chance it would blow at another one. He also said I had nothing to worry about by liking turbines as at least 97 per cent of the country backed wind power, and certainly everyone in North Cornwall.
The boys went on to say I could reduce my carbon footprint by installing low-energy bulbs; in fact they may have some to give away if I signed up to them.
It’s so nice to meet such honest people. I was so happy that I stayed and helped them put their display boards away in their car. I would have loved it if they could have come back for a nice cup of tea – but they said they had to book into their digs at the Flying Pig. Before I could ask them where that was, they sped off in a rather nice shiny new Vauxhall Vectra SRi.
It now seems like a dream meeting them; all I remember is the tinkle of low energy bulbs rattling in the boot of their car as they drove off. Now the sun is shining and the air so fresh; somewhere turbines must be working their magic.
Verity McCoy
Bodmin Moor
14 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/15/all-is-wonderful-in-windfarm-world/