Friday, December 07, 2007

SNP's Wind Farm Turnaround

In the Scotsman today there's a report on Jim Mather and the SNP wanting to fast track decisions on wind farms shows how the SNP's attitude has changed since they came to power. Back in January 2007 Alex Salmond said. "There is a real difficulty with public acceptance of onshore wind. There should be a cap on future developments. We should concentrate the development of onshore wind into suitable areas." He also said that financial support for onshore wind farms should be looked at again as he believed there was a danger onshore wind developers were getting too much financial support.

Now I'm sure that our First Minister and the SNP will argue that there's no contradiction here, but has anyone heard them mention a cap on wind farm development or a cut in subsidies since they were elected? The SNP should be ashamed as all they are doing is encouraging the on shore renewables industry. We are fast approaching the tipping point where the effect of wind farms on people's homes and lives; our tourism and our environment is irreversible. This isn't about saving the planet, it's about big business, and landowners, making millions out of the destruction of our natural heritage.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Have you never heard of Peak Oil? It's here or will be here shortly. When it finally sinks in to folk like you it will be too late for the rest of us. If we don't diversify and get to the forefront of this technology we'll be left behind by Portugal, Denmark, Germany and Spain who are all light years ahead of us when it comes to renewable energy development. North Sea Oil is dying. Peak production was back in 1999. We will be importing most of our energy very soon.
You are right when you say the SNP should be ashamed though.
Ashamed, due to the fact they are holding this countries ability to diversify from the oil industry and forge a successful future for ourselves.
Ashamed that they have held up so many wind farm developments.
Ashamed that they are trying to prove a point with a Westminster government by opposing anything that vaguely aims towards targets of reducing carbon emissions.
Ashamed that they have no plan to provide energy once the oil runs out.
It is not a matter of them and us between landowners and everyone else!
It's OUR future this NIMBYism is jeapordising.
How will we provide for ourselves after Oil with NO nuclear and NO renewables???

I'm ashamed that this party represents me as the Scottish Goverment.