Friday 4 October 2013

Striking out for what one believes in -needs lots of thought and action

Wind turbines are a new thing to be seen on our horizon.

Sadly most of us resist change. We readily accept a telegraph pole but not a turbine.

There is a purest approach that a turbine free environment is desirable but we accept electrocity pylons. Human survival requires sacrifices, this one is a very minor one. Very hard cold winters of -5 deg centigrade and sudden floods are the alternative.

If people are willing to finance this way of generating carbon free energy so that our children can enjoy a global-warming free future, they should be applauded not criticised.

We all need to become better informed and willing to challenge our own biggotted opinions which are based on being frightened of change.

Sadly I too am guilty of not thinking things threw.

I originally wrote : "Please write in and support the following planning proposal."

 Jim and Yvonne Miller bid to build a single wind turbine (85 metres high) on land near Roerigg Tarn, Lowick Common near Lowick Green just north of Ulverston very close to their home. The company who will build the turbine is Freewind Ltd , Essex

The planning application is SL/2013/0906

On reflection, as a result of being stopped to think by a friend - 85metres - Do you realise just how high that is?

And one on it's own - how intrusive. Our human spirits need to value solitude and undesturbed skylines. So a compromise is needed we need to give ground in some areas and not others and then we have to decide "Where if not here?" - one on it's own sounds very intrusive - a group of fifty in a designated location leaving other areas for quiet contemplation?

If you go onto South Lakeland District website, planning applications are very easy to locate and you can submit your comments on-line. It can take as little as 5 minutes.

Support Jim and Yvonne in their efforts to produce electricity in a renewable way rather than using more fossil fuels. Can they come up with alternative proposals?

 Jim informs that there is local opposition building up and it is not pleasant, I imagine because it comes from people who don't stop two minutes to think what the alternatives are. There's some hard difficult thinking to be done - or will it be avoided - lots of quiet talking is needed.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would like to see a 3d image of the structure imposed on the site on video to form an opinion.
I am in favour of wind generation in the correct place.
The area is a unspoilt jewel away from the national park.
"How green was my valley"
Sitting on the fence, but seems awful BIG!
Jack Kelly.

Scott Symon said...

Hi Geoff, if you take away all subsidies for these wind turbines would they still be viable? And is it not these same subsidies that are pushing people into fuel poverty?

Scott Symon said...

Hi Geoff, if you take away all subsidies for these wind turbines would they still be viable? And is it not these same subsidies that are pushing people into fuel poverty?

Geoff Dellow said...

Thanks Scott - I love good questions that make me think. Don't know but will find out tomorrow!

Scott Symon said...

Geoff, gorgive the copy and paste below. This is a bit of an extract from a debate in the Scottish Parliament. What the MSP has to say is basically where our family are regarding home energy costs. We are not a rich family but neither are we low paid. We watch our energy useage like hawks. We have done everything we can to reduce our energy use, but if this winter is a hard one we will have choices to make on where our wages will go. Energy or food. Looks like it will be a cold winter.

Opponents of the Government policy have claimed the generous grants awarded to wind farm developers have pushed electricity costs through the roof, leaving Scotland with some of the highest energy bills in Europe.

The subsidies were introduced across the UK last year and are expected to have cost up to £1 billion.

They offer a huge benefit to the energy companies as they push ahead with wind power projects but their cost in added on to household bills.

The subsidies are said to be rising faster than inflation, with wages struggling to keep up.

Almost 30% of Scottish residents are being left in fuel poverty and Energy Action Scotland claims the figure could be as high as 40%.

“Each electricity bill has a rapidly increasing levy for paying the subsidies for wind turbines,” Mr Fraser said.

“Every time we hear someone evangelising on behalf of the wind power industry, let us remember it is built on increasing fuel poverty.

“Every time we hear wind farm developers talking about the sums they pay out in community benefit, let us remember every penny of community benefit is being robbed from the public, many of whom can barely afford to heat their homes.

Mr Fraser added: “The Scottish Government must realise the decisions they make on wind energy effects everyone in Scotland, from the rural resident whose community is blighted by these structures, to the urban family who witness a dramatic increase in their heating and lighting bills.”

Scott Symon said...

Geoff, gorgive the copy and paste below. This is a bit of an extract from a debate in the Scottish Parliament. What the MSP has to say is basically where our family are regarding home energy costs. We are not a rich family but neither are we low paid. We watch our energy useage like hawks. We have done everything we can to reduce our energy use, but if this winter is a hard one we will have choices to make on where our wages will go. Energy or food. Looks like it will be a cold winter.

Opponents of the Government policy have claimed the generous grants awarded to wind farm developers have pushed electricity costs through the roof, leaving Scotland with some of the highest energy bills in Europe.

The subsidies were introduced across the UK last year and are expected to have cost up to £1 billion.

They offer a huge benefit to the energy companies as they push ahead with wind power projects but their cost in added on to household bills.

The subsidies are said to be rising faster than inflation, with wages struggling to keep up.

Almost 30% of Scottish residents are being left in fuel poverty and Energy Action Scotland claims the figure could be as high as 40%.

“Each electricity bill has a rapidly increasing levy for paying the subsidies for wind turbines,” Mr Fraser said.

“Every time we hear someone evangelising on behalf of the wind power industry, let us remember it is built on increasing fuel poverty.

“Every time we hear wind farm developers talking about the sums they pay out in community benefit, let us remember every penny of community benefit is being robbed from the public, many of whom can barely afford to heat their homes.

Mr Fraser added: “The Scottish Government must realise the decisions they make on wind energy effects everyone in Scotland, from the rural resident whose community is blighted by these structures, to the urban family who witness a dramatic increase in their heating and lighting bills.”