February 20, 2013
Press releases, Scotland

CAWT ‘call for boycott’ – corrections and clarifications

Concerned About Wind Turbines (CAWT) | Feb 19, 2013 | www.cawt.co.uk

The Press and Journal on 18-Feb-2013 claimed that CAWT was calling for a ‘boycott’ of businesses that support wind energy developments. The article contained several inaccuracies and errors which we wish to have corrected.

Click here to read a transcript of the Press and Journal article of 18-Feb-2013.

1.

The article described CAWT as ‘Communities Against Wind Turbines’.

This is incorrect.

As is clear throughout the website, CAWT is ‘Concerned About Wind Turbines‘.

 

2.

The Press and Journal article stated:

“Anti-windfarm campaigners have called for a boycott of businesses which support turbine schemes.

They have drawn up a “blacklist” which includes food giant Mackies of Scotland, farming consultants – and even a north-east vet.”

This is incorrect.

The newsletters referred to can be read here [Athena Commercial Solutions Ltd/Donview Veterinary Centre/Inverurie Farm Consultancy Ltd/Scotfarms], here [PepsiCo/Dr Maitland Mackie], here [PepsiCo update], here [Dr Maitland Mackie/Morrison Motors Turriff/Marks & Spencer], and here [Dr Maitland Mackie].

The specific paragraph of the January newsletter, referred to by the Press and Journal, stated:

“In common with previous bulletins we’re highlighting some local businesses who have thrown their support behind turbines in Aberdeenshire.  If you feel strongly you may wish to contact some of these businesses to protest and withdraw your business.  Today’s list includes:
Athena Commercial Solutions Ltd,
Donview Veterinary Centre,
Inverurie Farm Consultancy Ltd,
Scotfarms

If you spot headed paper from businesses that are dependent on local support and want to “name and shame” them, then let us know (please send a link to the representation) and we’ll include in a future newsletter.”

 

Clarification

To date, at no stage has CAWT called for a ‘boycott’ or prepared a ‘blacklist’ or ‘hitlist’ of businesses.

What CAWT has done is further publicise information, that was already in the public domain (on Aberdeenshire Council’s website), of businesses writing letters of support for wind energy planning applications on company-headed stationery. The links above go directly to such letters as evidence.

Individuals have the right to decide where they take their custom. If an individual is aggrieved that a business is publicly-supporting a wind energy development (or any other development) that they feel is inappropriate, they can contact that business and/or choose to take their custom elsewhere. This is their right as a consumer.

CAWT stands by its decision to publicise details, which are already in the public domain, of businesses that publicly-support wind energy developments in order that people concerned about wind turbines can decide for themselves whether they wish to be a customer of any such businesses, and indeed a number of CAWT supporters have done exactly that.

CAWT’s position, as clarified above, was pointed out to the Press and Journal reporter prior to the article being published.

We do not consider that CAWT’s position was fairly represented in the original article of 18-Feb-2013, nor clarified in the 19-Feb-2013 edition of the newspaper.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/02/20/cawt-call-for-boycott-corrections-and-clarifications/