April 19, 2012
Scotland

Platform to be shared with Trump

By Michael Alexander, The Courier & Advertiser, 19 April 2012

A North East Fife campaigner who has been at the forefront of heated opposition to wind turbine applications proposed for Fife will share a platform with US tycoon Donald Trump at the Scottish Parliament next week.

Graham Lang, chairman of Ceres and District Environment and Amenity Protection Group and East Fife Turbine Awareness Group, is representing Communities Against Turbines Scotland (CATS) before the Parliamentary Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee of the Scottish Parliament inquiry into the Scottish Government’s renewable energy targets next Wednesday.

Yesterday – as Cameron Community Council chairman Gordon Ball told the Scottish Parliament’s renewables inquiry that local groups are ill-equipped to fight “David and Goliath” battles with windfarm developers – Mr Lang told The Courier he would be telling the Scottish Government that “turbines wreck landscape and the lives of people living near them.”

“Pressure on communities is at boiling point and is growing, Mr Lang said. “This is unacceptable, what is happening in Fife and, worse, is happening all over Scotland.

“Valued local landscapes are being destroyed and people’s lives are being turned upside-down because of loose and permissive Government policy which recommends a set-back of 2,000 metres while permitting 500 metres, developers creep closer and closer to communities and people are being forced to accept the unacceptable.

“In CATS’ view 2,000 metres is the bare minimum separation distance for an industrial-scale wind turbine and that set-back should be made mandatory.”

He added: “People are not just sick of them but sick because of them. CATS believe that there should be a moratorium on future developments of windfarms. It is a time to pause and take stock.”

Earlier this week Donald Trump (pictured, left) declared all-out war on the Scottish Government-led campaign to power Scotland with nearly 9,000 wind turbines.

The billionaire vowed to halt the “destruction” of the landscape and threatened to take ministers to court to halt the Scottish Government’s wind energy programme.

In a written statement to Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee he claimed a proliferation of windfarms will “completely end” tourism in Scotland and mean “financial suicide”.

Mr Trump is opposing plans to build an offshore windfarm near his £1 billion golf resort in Aberdeenshire.

He made his submission to MSPS in advance of his appearance at the committee, which is holding an inquiry into renewable energy targets.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/19/platform-to-be-shared-with-trump/