June 8, 2011
England, Letters, Wales

Standing against wind power idea

www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk

While Dale Vince, the founder of Stroud-based wind energy company Ecotricity, was (presumably) being wined and dined for his involvement at Gary Neville’s testimonial game against Juventus at Old Trafford, I went to the biggest anti-wind farm protest ever held in UK at the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff.

It was also the biggest rally of any kind ever held there.

An estimated 1,500 people were demonstrating their heartfelt objections to the proposed 800 wind turbines and their associated pylons stretching all the way across mid-Wales into Shropshire, to connect to the National Grid – a proposal, widely known as TAN-8.

If I were Mr Vince, who is trying to get wind farms built in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset, I would be worried by this ominous development.

The media was out in force, ensuring this huge, well-organised event was widely covered. Being held in Wales, there were, of course, plenty of anti-turbine songs and much stirring music.

ITV weather presenter Sian Lloyd, whose home is in Montgomeryshire, made a well-reasoned, passionate speech pointing out that their blades were hardly turning all across UK for long periods during the past three winters.

Politicians, both local and national, should be in no doubt about the strength of feeling against the futility of wind power.

The wind lobby has hijacked the renewables debate.

It seems to have and distorted the green agenda, taking most of the subsidies which could have been spent on developing more reliable and efficient forms of renewable power, such as tidal, wave and geothermal, as well as spending more on home/office insulation and energy-saving measures.

But a few years ago our politicians were taken in by the absurd, exaggerated claims of the wind industry.

What a pity that our ministers didn’t do their homework beforehand.

Roger Stroud, Stinchcombe


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/08/standing-against-wind-power-idea/