MegA North East

Contributers may be interested in reading this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/8713128/The-aristocrats-cashing-in-on-Britains-wind-farm-subsidies.html

flannel Eastern

The reason Large Landowners are approached is because its practically the only place you can site a farm without having to go through the NIMBY consultation that is only employed when siting windfarms.

The article says very litle else of relevance on this topic.

Goodfellow North East

So apparently the use of renewable energy and the fact of climate change seems to be of little importance now to people. Lets just keep burning coal till there's none left.

All these arguments do is push the wind farms to be off-shore and therefore 3 times more expensive and more problematic due to salty sea water.

If people don't like the look of turbines do they like the look of Gas and Coal powered stations or how about a nuclear reactor instead?

 

bobin2007 - Houghton and Sunderland South Date posted: 24-Sep-11 05:16

 

They're fine for making the odd cup of tea. But, says the Mail's Science Editor; if we wanted to go totally green, we'd have to carpet the country with more windmills than exist in the whole world......how about this interesting bit of information i read the other day...

flannel Eastern

Well after a considerable Gap can we take it that Mr Wilson MP, having forwarded his own vitriolic viewpoint, is not going to be defending his statements or backing up his figures?

Is this because he cannot?

Enquiring minds would like to know.....

Jonathan71 North East

At least he had the courage to present his viewpoint on a public forum. I think that is to be applauded. Most MPs wouldn't dream of opening their views to voters scrutiny and we certainly need to ensure that this experience doesn't put off the few that have made this step.

flannel Eastern

I would agree partially. The problem appears to be that this MP has not responded to scrutiny.

I do not think it is appropriate that this forum be used by politicians yet another soapbox to stand on where they can comment without having to justify or back up their views or engage in the debate.

He may yet respond.

guest4183 Wales

I have Wind Farms on hills around me. Trees and peat bogs were cleared to make room for their concrete foundations along with the concrete tracks from one turbine to another. When it rains the water runs straight off the concrete surfaces. Areas which in the past absorbed the rain. No wonder the river floods more now. For several days especially when its very cold the turbines dont turn and when the wind is too great they are stopped for safety. A 14 tonne blade came off a turbine near Glasgow this March but it was "OK because no one died". Sunny days in particular make the blades flicker as the shadow passes over the main shaft. Its a bit like the nuisance of a dripping tap.

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bobin2007 North East

I am sick to death at looking at the hill-sides all around, to see windmills, its starting to look a bloody mess,for what is very little power generation its gona take thousands of these things to make a small difference in carbon saving ,its also pushing up the price of electricity way beyond what we can afford,

hopscotch North East

Yes, well done Mr Wilson for stating your position.

Interesting usage of the English language or is this an attempt to engage 'the young' by devolving into incompprehensible text-speak.

What exactly does 'millions of concrete....' mean?

As to wind farms. Have people forgotten why renewable energy is needed? Or the benifits of low-tech, low maintainance, practically pollution-free generation of energy?

Or is it just a case of 'the TV told me they are bad' or 'not in my back yard.'

Bosch North East

One wind turbine looks better than one gas powered plant, of that there is no disagreement. But you need many hundreds of turbines to do the work of one gas plant. Many hundreds of turbines will cover an entire countryside and spoil more natural areas than the Gas-plant ever would. Even when the turbines could be removed would they? or would the company that owns them just leave them there because it's still making money?
Mr Wilson MP is right to point out that only sites in the South should be considered until they provide at least the same land commitment as the North has by percentage of landmass, not "There's three in the north, so we'll make three in the south.

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