Tuesday, 9th August 2011
Tory MEP joins campaign against industrial wind turbines
Scots Tory MEP Struan Stevenson has lent his whole-hearted support to a campaign by Communities Against Turbines (Scotland) against the scandal of industrial wind developments in Scotland.
Hosting a protest meeting in Ayrshire tonight (Tuesday 9th August at 19.00 hrs), Mr Stevenson, a long-time campaigner against the environmental, financial and social impacts of wind developments, said that Scotland was being violated, despoiled and abused by the industrial renewable energy sector.
In his speech to over 100 guests at Ballantrae Community Centre Mr Stevenson accuses wind turbines of violating the principle of fairness by transferring vast amounts of money from the poor to the rich; of despoiling Scotland’s unique landscape and environment; and through noise, the flicker-effect and vibration, abusing the health and welfare of people and animals which have to live near them.
Mr Stevenson said:
“Renewable energy is important but windfarms are simply not financially or environmentally credible. Scotland has some of the most beautiful and iconic landscapes anywhere in the world and yet, as a nation we’re allowing wind developments to destroy one of our strongest assets.
“As planning permission is granted for yet more industrial windfarm developments across Scotland, the effect of digging up peat bogs and felling millions of trees to make way for them is having a carbon negative impact. Peatland and wetland ecosystems and forestry store on average 10 times more carbon per hectare than other ecosystems.”
Struan is a strong advocate for the need of a mixed energy infrastructure of combined renewable and nuclear energy, and poses viable alternatives, including hydrogen, saying:
“In our transition to a green economy we have to be smart. Hitching Scotland’s energy future to windfarms is a risky strategy that could literally see the lights go out when the wind changes. At the same time, we will double or treble electricity bills to Scottish consumers.
“I also believe that we should be investing much more into developing the new sunrise technologies such as the hydrogen economy. So far, no-one has invented an efficient way to store electricity. But hydrogen, which is the lightest and most abundant chemical element in the Universe, can be readily stored and can provide an effective energy source. In Germany they are building hydrogen powered cars, trains and ferries. Hydrogen powered homes are under construction. We need to cut our dependency on fossil fuels and look to the future.”
