.~ “Q
«‘51
, .’ t /
Winds f Change
Publicity shot released by anti-wind farm campaigners, with superimposed turbines, plus (below)
all the farms planned for Scotland
As Scotland prepares to welcome Europe’s biggest wind farm, Allan Radcliffe sails through the arguments for and against this monument to renewable technology.
he Scottish lixecutive has
given the green light to the
building of liurope‘s largest windfarm. Willi an astonishing capacity to generate 322MW ofelectricity. it is thought the construction at Whitelee. south of Glasgow. will be able to power virtually every home in Glasgow while providing ll“? of the executive‘s renewable energy targets. thus easily meeting 7.49} of Scotland‘s carbon reduction targets for 2(l|().
The go-ahead for this project appears to provide further evidence of the executive's commitment to renewable energy sources over a new generation of nuclear power stations. Yet. while
A" 3 s. i 7'! g-‘-~. ' n W .* 5°"; on c I "Cfib “a: ' '4‘?! $é«.'c'3°‘8 c ‘ s. C‘ _ 'r w . L. Ge "° . g g 'b- ‘ «can ' . “at: - 1 .. A... L ' :r“ he?" a e ’L at?“ g.“ s or it .-——-----— .W-m EL- 1..
8 THE LIST 1 1—25 May 2006
some see the announcement as cause to break out the tiny wine and portable bunting. voices are being raised in protest at the entire venture.
Mal” Smith. (‘hief lixecutive of
Scottish Renewables welcomes the development as a tremendous boost for the renewables indUstry as well as the environment. ‘This is a shot in the arm for Scotland's economy and environment.‘ he says. ‘This development alone will provide jobs. generate affordable clean green electricity on a scale hitherto unheard of in Scotland or indeed the UK and liurope. and take a big step forward in reducing Scotland‘s harmful carbon emissions.‘
Yet. Gillian Bishop from
campaigning group Views of
Scotland disagrees that wind farms are the best solution to Scotland's energy requirements. The group is generally opposed to the intrusive nature of the l()()m high turbines on Scotland's landscape and for local residents. 'Wind power is probably the least efficient source of renewable energy.‘ she says. '11 is intermittent and unreliable. It is environmentally damaging. It is only popular with suppliers becatise it attracts financial inducements. And nobody knows how badly wind developments
will affect the tourist industry.' Bishop goes as far as to claim that such constructions have a detrimental impact on the environment. ‘The project at
Whitelee will fell two-and-a-half
million trees. quarry six million tons of rock from huge pits on the
site and lay more than 80km of
roads.' she claims.
However. Marcus Rand. (‘hief
lixecutive of the British Wind linergy Association flatly contradicts the claims of anti- windfarm campaigners. such as Views of Scotland and Whitelee local group Watch.
"This is fantastic news and a further sign that onshore wind is delivering and should give confidence to the Government to
commit to expanding the role of
wind and renewables in the ongoing linergy Review Wind. both on and offshore. represents our best chance of delivering significant quantities of carbon free power by 2(ll5 and this
project will be an essential part of
that delivery.'
Clearly. this issue polarises opinion. And with high-profile personalities such as the Marquess of Bute and David Bellamy
joining the anti-windfarm lobby.
figures on both sides could find themselves digging in for a long battle.
‘If they put up a sign saying: “This Wednesday we’re discussing the gospel” 12 people show up. But if a sign says: “This Wednesday we’re discussing The Da Vinci Code” 800 people show up.’
’ s‘lt1"~_» .."."5~ .._‘§ .N.’ .l" ""t”
"new" .‘. "l.l.'"'.'""ll.!/ fi' ‘.'.'
‘l’m fed up with the industry. I’m taking a year off, no touring, no albums. | now go for a walk every morning, and I watch a ton of movies. One day, I watched three Woody Allen movies in a row.’
NWT sounds, like :;(>,"‘Hflttri<} it’ll/(ff) l‘. mt >rt> lilo/i. to tit/w [1123". f M ‘l‘. rt.) m is
into the studio.
‘Lick her like you love her.’ A sornov‘chat mm; '.’()ft* x if (,‘t).’lfl(/‘,‘/ltf" from Debora/i Hall". to flw i/it:.’i/t;or:itoti [ ii" Kim
‘I won’t be in it and I won’t be doing some stupid cameo.’ A}; news two/is flirting/i (if/W ii/f t/io i’w‘gig/iti/ii Pl HRH/19?, full) .9» Wm ’r gm". liq/if into Nit} .‘Q,’l/Hl.
‘The US soldiers were sent to the desert for 122 days and they sat in the same tent and did nothing, except a little too much masturbating.’
Jaime} (iv/1’ viii/it'll guts {fit} (it/If l'./.’i/ .’l:.'(3!(l/,‘I, stir) lung or) m. sir/«- who!) he my» Nor; son»: «(J/H Journos after lili.
reérmi/rl; for Ill/r'lft'lf'. Him/w inh'imtl.
‘I always hated my ankles because they were so skinny but everybody in the fashion world seems to think it’s a really great thing.
Jennifer Lope/ real/om that people '.‘/i// soon start star/it} {if WWI/10f par! of he," frgiriie