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1. Richard Girling blew the whistle on renewables in the Sunday Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2631117.ece

   The assessment of the wind fiasco “Onshore wind power … lies somewhere between Blue Peter and a money-laundering scam.” sums it up concisely.

   How can wind possibly work to provide dependable power that replaces conventional generation? THE TRUTH IS IT CAN’T. So what is the point in throwing £billions in subsidies at something that needs duplication from ‘proper’ power stations? This cancels out any notional emissions benefit – in fact, increasingly, experts say it WORSENS emissions.

   And remember that increasing reliance on wind leads to the risk of our grid crashing as it did across much of Western Europe a year ago.

   The triumphant mention of “consent for Fullabrook wind farm in north Devon” is enough to make anyone who cares about Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in particular, and our unspoiled countryside in general, throw up. The environment kicked in the teeth because of slavish adherence to flawed policies based on untruths. The planning inspector committed an act of gross environmental vandalism. And for what? Pouring gold into the pockets of (largely foreign) opportunistic ‘developers’ given an easy road to a fast buck by a government that has lost the energy plot.

   Dump wind. Start leading the way in proper insulation and other conservation measures that work – far more than wind can ever possibly deliver. This costs nothing, and there is no excuse for not doing it NOW.

   Comment by G Claxton — 24 Oct 2007 on 1:15 pm | Link

2. The government seems to be all over the map in relation to the future of electricity generation in the UK – sidetracked by every whim and bandwagon.
   The time has surely come, if not too late, for an energy strategy for the UK to be developed to incluse ALL forms of electrcity generation (coal, gas, nuclear and renewables). We simply CANNOT be dependant on one form of energy given the potential problems with fuels in the future. The messge must surely have reached the governments ears that wind IS NOT the sole answer – it is a marginal (if unreliable) source of power – nothing more. The only real benefactors of wind are money hungry developers (mostly overseas based), who see the hidden subsidies as a means of boosting their balance sheets – at the VAST expense of the consumer!!
   Please could the government get on with addressing this major concern – NOW!!

   Comment by GM Lindsay — 24 Oct 2007 on 1:28 pm | Link

3. NEW THREAT: Wind Farm Mechanical Vibrations

   Vibrations may devastate the land and basic universal food chain. Until scientific research and threat assessment is done we are playing Russian Roulette with life itself

   A.E. Geophysics Research confirms their existence, frequency range and power. B.E.T. says they are difficult to predict, basic understanding low

   Academics confirm they affect peat, sand, soil; invertebrates; fungi; bio-aerosols; individual living cells; terrain may lose fertility. Peat bogs already show such degradation – should they collapse, as happened in Ireland 2003, toxic sludge pouring down waterways would harm or ruin fishing, farming, bottling, tourism; landowner and other business interests; rectifying the mess cost local tax payers dearly. Ancient amenity would be lost forever

   Full references available

   Prof. Dixie Dean
   (44) 01309-674-582
   zenminky@clara.co.uk

   Comment by Prof. Dixie Dean — 24 Oct 2007 on 4:35 pm | Link

4. The government and wind industry have played on the man-made climate change concerns people have (which is far from universally accepted by scientists). The simple and reasonable notion that renewable energy that does not pollute is a good thing has been high jacked by governments chasing unrealistic targets and profit driven ‘developers’.

   The public has been conned into linking the renewable energy ideal with useless industrial-scale wind generation.

   But when communities around the country are faced with a wind ‘farm’ proposal and they do some research, the truth is found to differ from the propaganda. Action groups are then formed to fight the threat of pointless environmental destruction. http://www.countryguardian.net lists many such groups, which has new members joining all the time.

   National Wind Watch http://www.wind-watch.org is another resource for beleaguered communities to learn how to distinguish between fact and fiction.

   NIMBY and “vocal minority” are false charges levelled at those who reject the “saving the planet” nonsense the wind industry promotes.

   Among many things the government and developers choose to keep from us is the threat to health. Vibroacoustic disease (VAD) has been studied by a Portuguese multi-disciplinary scientific team for more than 25 years. The findings show that wind turbines are a cause of VAD.

   Here are some quotes taken from the Linton village forum http://www.rural.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,2415.45.html
   ______________________________

   Excessive exposure to infrasound and low frequency noise (ILFN, defined as all acoustical phenomena occurring at or below the frequency bands of 500 Hz) can cause vibro-acoustic disease (VAD). [1]

   These results irrefutably demonstrate that wind turbines in the proximity of residential areas produce acoustical environments that can lead to the development of VAD in nearby home-dwellers.

   In order to protect Public Health, ILFN-producing devices must not be placed in locations that will contaminate residential areas with this agent of disease.

   Vibroacoustic disease (VAD) is a systemic disease that results from long-term exposure to low-frequency noise (LFN).
   ______________________________

   The disease affects the respiratory system (children are said to be particularly vulnerable) the brain and other major organs. Mood swings (including suicidal tendencies) and cancer are also implicated.

   Now Professor Dean has identified the need for research into wind turbine vibration that may be damaging the food chain on which all life depends. Another failure to think things through after first gathering essential evidence.

   Comment by G Claxton — 25 Oct 2007 on 12:29 pm | Link

5. actually it is not that hard to setup wind farms, the only problem is that it requires lots of capital investment.”””

   Comment by Sophie Sanders — 11 Jul 2010 on 12:36 pm | Link

6. wind farms in germany are great! i hope that we could install those in every country”‘,

   Comment by Flatware Sets  — 14 Oct 2010 on 8:06 am | Link

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