April 22, 2008
Letters, Scotland

This monstrous juggernaut

I just heard that plans to construct one of Europe’s largest onshore wind farms on the blanket bog of the Isle of Lewis has been refused by the Scottish Government. This was for 181 turbines with a combined capacity of 702MW. This is slightly larger than Viking Energy, but on the same relative scale.

The scheme had the backing of the local authority but there were almost 11,000 objections from the local community to only 98 for the scheme. Even though the reason for refusal was that the project would have a ‘significant impact on the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area’, the overwhelming degree of public opinion must have been a large factor in the Holyrood decision. The power of public opinion can and does sway our political masters.

Over the last while a number of people have voiced their concerns on virtually every aspect of the Viking Energy proposal in Shetland. This has ranged from peat failure, visibility, house prices, noise, human health risks, animal welfare, carbon savings, economics and many more.

All that Viking Energy says in response to these legitimate concerns is that we are all scaremongers. However, dismissing these concerns in this way does not invalidate them. In my view, if the Viking Energy proposal does go ahead, the Shetland as we know it will be gone for good.

It would take me a long time to reiterate all the issues, but I would like try and encapsulate them in a poem. I apologise for the poor literary standard but I hope the content will be appreciated and more people will wake up and take note of this monstrous juggernaut that is heading towards us.

Windfarm Chaos

Windfarm run-off
Dying fish
Business collapse, but that’s just tough

Windfarm drainage
Drying peat
Flash floods and wildlife carnage

Windfarm construction
Built on peat
Natural carbon sink destruction

Windfarm built
Hill unstable
Bogalanche and peat failure will result

Windfarm grid connection
Pylons laid
Hillwalkers beware of electromagnetic radiation

Windfarm roads
Public access
Attract boy racers and 4x4s in every mode

Windfarm load
Point 45
Fossil fuel backup 90 per cent all told

Windfarm peat disturbance
Payback infinite
Resulting carbon audit in abeyance

Windfarm motion smear
Blades invisible
Tumultuous bird deaths every year

Windfarm shadow flicker
Strobe on hill
Zombie status could not be quicker

Windfarm visibility
House price fall
Tourists will abandon this vicinity

Windfarm noise
Low pitch
Cuts through to the soul and destroys one’s poise

Windfarm resonance
Pacemaker chaos
Old folk pay the penance

Windfarm infrasonic
Frightened animals
Effect on all life will be chronic

Windfarm need
Subsidies abound
Proposers chase these in their greed

Windfarm viability
Not sustainable
Viking bust, nuclear capability

Windfarm finance
Bankrupt trusts
Shetland’s future in the balance.

Windfarm land rent
Viking’s ace
Windfarms cover Shetland’s landmass by 20 per cent

Windfarm legacy
Irreversible
Shetland’s natural heritage gone in reality

Once this windfarm passes planning law
Please understand
Shetland, as we know it, will be no more.

Paul Featherstone
Kergord Hatchery