A Showboat to the Maldives

It's been revealed that Scotland's main climate change champion, none other than our Glorious Leader Alex Salmond is to visit the Maldives en-route to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. It's not as some of you may assume because it's the Maldives Derby or Grand National, no it's so he can study the effects of climate on the Islands. The visit has been promoted because Mr Salmond signed an agreement with the government of the Maldives to help combat global warming at the recent climate change summit in Copenhagen.

Seriously, does his actions make any difference at all? With the problems that beset our economy, news that the NHS in Scotland does not perform as well as in England and all the other issues that we have – like the SNP's wilful desecraeation of Scotland through the gung-ho policy of approving wind farms – does he honestly think this is the best use of his time?

Rather than flying to the Maldives perhaps he should take a showboat

Lies, Spin, Connivance, B/S, Total Bollocks and Wind Farms

The opening this week of the Whitelee wind farm outside Glasgow exposes the lying and deceitfulness of both the wind farm industry and Alex Salmond.

Hurrah they all trumpeted! The 322-megawatt wind farm is going to be able to power the whole of Glasgow. Except it isn't. Government figures show that it will likely operate at a capacity of 28% which means it will be far from effective but just as expensive. It will do little more than keep half of Glasgow’s lights on, and not do anything to power TVs, dishwashers, tumble dryers et al.

Of course it will make a lot of people a lot of money because of the subsidies that are paid. Especially the Spanish owned company that built it and the landowners on whose land it's built. We will be paying massive subsidies so that these ultimate examples of gesture politics can keep turning.

Meanwhile, according to Jason Ormiston the former PR windbag for Scottish Renewables, which represents the wind industry, the vast majority of wind farms were sited out with highly sensitive landscape areas. What utter bollocks. Try coming to the Lammermuir Hills where most of the wind farms are built on AGLVs (officially designated Areas of Great Landscape Vale) and a SSSI in the case of the Aikengall wind farm. He also said, "One of the biggest threats to wild land is climate change and one of the most effective responses to it is the sensible development of renewable energy." He said this in his capacity of Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, having been promoted from PR spokesman.

He went on to say, "The industry will continue to work with a rigorous planning system so that the building of productive renewable energy projects in the right places continues to follow good practice." He, and his organization, cares not a jot where they are built, just as long as they are. The wind farm planned by that defender of the Scottish Borders landscape, the Duke of Roxburghe on land he owns in the Lammermuir Hills at Fallago Ridge is case in point. It s on peat bogs that will be forever ruined by the concrete bases that are the size of football pitches that will be needed if the wind farm gets approval. It has been awaiting a decision by the Scottish Government's reporter following a public inquiry for over a year now. The reason that none has been forthcoming is nothing to do with the fact that it will complete the decimation of these remote hills, but because the MOD objected. Their radar will not work properly, creating 'holes' in its effectiveness. Ironically it would not be able to 'see' if an aircraft was approaching the Torness Nuclear Power station.

So desperate is the Duke’s company to develop this wind farm that they have got the former Conservative minister and now MP for Kensington and Chelsea, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, to write to Des Browne and another Labour Minister pointing out that they are acting contrary to the Prime Minster’s stated aims.
"As you know, the Prime Minister has indicated very recently the importance the government attaches to the development of alternative energy projects, and clearly wind farms must be a very important part of this overall strategy. It would be unfortunate if one arm of the government was pursuing a policy with such rigidity that it conflicted with the broader arms of the government."
Now that’s a first. A Tory helping the Prime Minister!

Then we have the downright untruths spouted by the great leader who opened the Whitelee wind farm. According to Alex Salmond, "Whitelee in its current form is already flying the flag for onshore wind power in Europe. The benefits of this investment go beyond South Lanarkshire and beyond our real economy. It is an investment in Scotland's potential and ambition to lead the clean, green energy revolution."

Back in January 2007 Alex Salmond was unequivocal. "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 went to say 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. Of course all that was done in order to help the SNP get elected and gain votes in areas where there was rising opposition to wind farms being built against public opinion.

This volte-face from Mr. Salmond is not totally unexpected; he is after all a politician. But such is the courting of the Scottish government by the renewables industry that even I’m staggered by the complete change in attitude. Does he not understand that wind turbines are inefficient, make little money for Scotland – other than for the landowners and the renewable companies, which are often foreign owned?

Are there any wind farms in Mr. Salmond’s constituencies? In fact how many wind farms have been approved in SNP constituencies as opposed to opposition constituencies? It might make for interesting analysis.

The Tory, The SNP and The Cosy Alliance

Malcolm Rifkind QC is the Conservative MP for Kensington and Chelsea. From all the information that is available it appears he has never voted on a transparent parliament and he's someone who votes well below the average amongst MPs, yet he seems happy to take on a lobbying job for North British Windpower, a company trying to get permission to build a giant wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills in the Scottish Borders.

Despite, it would appear, after a public enquiry well over a year ago, and the Scottish Government's Reporter recommending against this wind farm, the SNP government are doing everything in their power to find a way to get it approved. The reason that the wind farm was rejected is because the MOD have objected to it because it will create 'holes' in their radar. The radar that they use to see if there might be a possible threat against the Torness Nuclear power station, which is not many miles east of the Fallago Ridge wind farm site.

Now why would Mr Rifkind, whose constituents are a good way away from the Lammermuir Hills, have an interest in such a thing? Could it be the offer of the dreaded wonga! Or is he just so mad keen on wind farms that he sees it as his duty? I wonder if he consulted the local Conservative MSP in Berwickshire to gauge public opinion? I doubt it. Has Mr Rifkind ever been to the Lammermuirs to see for himself the scale of the developments of windfarms? Having moved south after losing his Edinburgh Pentland's seat I don't suppose he really cares.

And while we're on the subject how come the Energy Consents Unit here in Scotland seems so cosy with North British Windpower, to the extent that they apparently offered to go to London to meet with the MOD, along with NBWP? It seems that there's an agenda afoot. Let's cover the South of Scotland with turbines, an area where the SNP have absolutely no chance of ever winning a seat outright, so that we can keep turbines away from all those SNP strongholds.

Scottish Minister Being Deliberately Unhelpful

Last Wednesday Jim Hume (South of Scotland Lib Dem MSP asked when the Scottish Executive reporter’s findings in relation to the Fallago Rig wind farm public inquiry would be published. Bearing in mind enquiry took place in February 2008 so it is now well over a year not an unreasonable question.

This was the answer from the minister. Possibly the most unhelpful answer in the history of parliamentary answers.

Jim Mather: The report from the Public Local Inquiry on the Fallago Rig wind farm will be published on the day the ministerial decision is announced. A news release will be issued and the decision details, including the Inquiry report will be made available on the Energy Consents website www.scotland.gov.uk/enterprise/energy.

Of course it's taking so long because it's turned into a matter on national security. The RAF don't want the windfarm because it affects their radar and creates black holes. Torness Nuclear power station is just down the road.

Wind Turbines are so Great for the Scottish Economy - Except they're Not!

There's big news here in Scotland this morning because Vestas, the wind turbine manufacturer, is closing it's Argyll factory with a loss of around 100 jobs. In the Scotsman there's much gnashing of teeth saying it's a blow for Alex Samond's wind aspirations, it's because the planning process is cumbersome, it's because the factory doesn't build the biggest turbines (surely that's their decision? - Ed) and the government 'should intervene' says a union leader. According to government minister Jim Mather, "As a government, we are ready to do whatever we can to try and find a sustainable future for the yard."

The Scotsman miss one vital point. Yesterday Vestas also announced the expansion of their facitlity in the Isle Of Wight with plans to provide 300 plus more jobs on the English island. All the turbines that are being approved in Scotland are not exactly doing a lot for employment north of the border are they? The First Monister constantly trumpets how good all these wind farms are for Scottish jobs. First we have the Norwegian company behind Crystal Rig giving the ground works to a Welsh company and now this.

Is Alex Salmond a Liar?

Back in January 2007 Alex Salmond was unequivocal. "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 went to say 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. Of course all that was done in order to help the SNP get elected and gain votes in areas where there was rising opposition to wind farms being built against public opinion.

This week the farce minister said that Scotland was on the brink of a renewables revolution as he gave the go-ahead for the largest wind farm in Europe. He told the World Renewable Energy Congress in Glasgow that his government has given the green light had been given to a 152-turbine project in South Lanarkshire. The chairman of the congress hailed Mr. Salmond as the "saint of renewable energy".

This volte face from Mr. Salmond is not totally unexpected; he is after all a politician. But such is the courting of the Scottish government by the renewables industry that even I’m staggered by the complete change in attitude. Is he stupid? Does he not understand that wind turbines are inefficient, make little money for Scotland – other than for the landowners and the renewable companies, which are often foreign owned? Here in the Lammermuir Hills we are still waiting for a decision on the Fallago Ridge wind farm that was the matter of a public enquiry in January and February this year. The longer it goes on without a decision the more likely it is to be approved and the greater the damage to these hills.

Some questions. Why if wind farms are so benign are they not being placed along the M8 corridor, close to where the majority of Scotland’s electricity is consumed and more convenient for export via the grid? Are there any windfarms in Mr. Salmond’s constituencies? In fact how many windfarms have been approved in SNP constituencies as opposed to opposition constituencies? It might make for interesting analysis.

The Hypocrisy of Wind

All we ever hear from the renewables industry and the Scottish government is how building windfarms is good for Scotland's economy; how they boost jobs, bring untold wealth into Scotland. Well how do they explain what's happening here in the Lammermuir Hills. Work is about to begin on the extension to the Crystal Rig II wind farm. The 51 turbine site will create one of the largest windfarms in Europe when it's added to the existing Crstal Rig turbines. The company that owns the wind turbines is Fred Olsen Renewables, a Norwegian company, and they've awarded the £16.5 million contract for the infrastructure to a Welsh civil engineering company.

Philanthropic City Financiers?

By and large city financiers are not well known for their desire to save the planet or by large-scale philanthropic gestures that will aid the needy and the less well off. It’s not to decry those that do make chartable donations and gestures it’s just to make the point that they get their rocks of by making money.

There’s news today that Nicholas Oppenheim the man behind the Beinn Mhor Power company who wants to put a 53 turbine wind farm on Lewes wants us to believe that he’s bucking the trend. An enquiry yesterday was told that six of the turbines have been signed over to the community and will bring in more than £1 million a year and the development will also create up to 100 direct and indirect jobs. Beinn Mhor Power’s plan was originally for 133 turbines at Muaitheabhal but has been reduced to 53, of which 27 would be within a National Scenic Area.

Obviously there’s a lot of people objet to this scheme, many of them local people who have a stake in the tourism industry in one way or another, others just don’t want to live in earshot, or eye line of the wind farm. Mr. Oppenheim’s company argues that it will be good for local people and largely because the city financier, who sometimes flies from Stornoway to Wall Street by private jet, is being so generous in giving the locals six turbines of their own. Clearly such an act of philanthropy must mean that his company stands to make a huge amount of money from the remaining 47 turbines? Indeed that’s what is so wrong about the whole on shore turbine business. The subsidies dolled out by government to windfarm developers and landowners are so obscene that it’s a huge temptation for any man who has the inclination to build.

While it’s clear that the money will be of some benefit to the community it’s difficult to see quite how. What businesses will be built up on the back of it? Certainly not tourism. There’s even an argument that suggests that rather than encouraging more people to move to the Outer Hebrides it might cause many who don’t want a wind farm as a neighbor to move away. There are also implications for the eagle population, which looks like taking a battering, literally, from the huge turbines.

As Catriona Campbell, a protester against the development, said it was senseless to destroy the National Scenic Area to provide green energy: "You violate one green thing to achieve another green thing. In principle, I support renewable energy but I think this scheme is wrong."

All over Scotland Areas of Great Landscape Value, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Scenic Areas are being blighted by the windbaggers intent of lining their pockets with our money on schemes of questionable value. The SNP continue to speak out of both sides of their mouths on the whole business of wind farms and still give no clear lead on the matter. Here in the Lammermuir Hills we are still awaiting the results of a public enquiry on a wind farm even bigger than this one. It took place at the start of the year and still no word. Meanwhile another opportunistic local Borders landowner has opted to apply for yet another windfarm that will make him a lot of money while quite possibly adversely affecting the value of nearby properties and certainly doing nothing to enhance this area of great landscape value. In years to come some may feel the shame of their actions but I doubt that many city financiers will miss a beat while flying around the world in the private jets sipping a G&T while contaminating the atmosphere.

The Desecration of the Lammermuir Hills

In all the rhetoric and argument over the Lewis wind farm proposal what is happening on our doorstep is largely ignored. Of course it is not such an emotive argument as that concerning the Outer Hebrides, but it is arguably more significant. Last week the Scottish Government's approved a 68-turbine site in Perthshire, it’s great news according to the energy minister Jim Mather. "There is no doubt that this country can become the green energy capital of Europe." This mantra's beginning to wear a bit thin and its time we started to think in a more holistic way about of impact of wind farms; especially as it affects tourism. This is especially important in the Borders where tourism is our single biggest industry. And as some of you may recall Alex Salmond said, before the election, that there needed to be a curb onshore wind farm development.

Over the past six years the Lammermuir Hills have steadily been allowed to become the wind farm capital of Scotland - and arguably Europe - as there are already 188 turbines either operating, being erected or approved. Today a public enquiry is to begin in Duns over the latest scheme, the Fallago Ridge wind farm, on land owned by the Duke of Roxburghe.

This latest wind farm, if approved, will increase the number of turbines in the Lammermuir Hills to 236, which would represent 15% of the total turbines in Scotland. Naturally it will be argued that the scheme will help to make Scotland the green energy capital of Europe and little attention will be paid to how much money is to be made by both the developer and the landowner. Unusually in the case of Fallago Ridge the landowner and developer are inexorably linked because the Duke is also a shareholder in North British Windpower. This means that some of the huge subsidies that are paid to developers will benefit the Duke to the tune of tens of millions of pounds over the lifetime of the wind farm. We can also assume that he will also receive some additional benefit as a shareholder in the development.

On the Duke's web site he proudly announces. "I have endeavoured to expand the Estates operations into the more commercial tourist related areas, which complement the stunning Borders countryside I and my family are fortunate enough to live in" Does he think the Fallago Ridge wind farm will become a tourist attraction? Or is it that they are sited far enough away from his estate at Kelso as to not affect his tourism income? The fact is that local councils and the Scottish Government have allowed the systematic ruination of the Lammermuir Hills in the pursuit of the elusive green energy ‘goals’. Areas of Great Landscape Value, SSSI's and local opinion have been ignored. Meanwhile one of the south of Scotland's last wild places is steadily being taken by stealth allowing the rich to get richer while Scotland becomes the poorer.

Windfarms Are Killers

There's a letter in the Scotsman this morning inspired, if that's the right word by the death in the Borders of the Golden Eagle by poisoning. Mark Duchamp the windfarms and research manager at Iberica 2000 in Spain reports that a Golden Eagle died at the Beinn Tuiric windfarm as did a Sea Eagle at a lone wind turbine on a Hebridean Island. Most disturbing of all is that "75-165 eagles to be killed by the Pairc windfarm (Lewis ) over its useful life, this hasn't made the news. Yet the prediction was published by Scottish & Southern Energy, the windfarm developer."

Astonishing!

Windbaggers

This letter is in today's Scotsman from Dr. David Bellamy.

Why is Germany considering the building of up to 26 coal-fired power stations when they already have 17,000 wind turbines whirring away to the delight of the European green lobby?

Why? Because German E.ON who are doing a roaring trade building windfarms in Scotland and Wales have admitted in their own reports that however many wind turbines they build or sell, without the right back-up they will not provide grid security and herald power cuts across Europe.

E.ON UK must be aware of this shortcoming of their parent company's technology. Surely, it is only fair for them to warn their collaborators in Britain like Greenpeace, and FOE, to name but a few, before it is too late

Two things. Why is there not more talk and action from the government in Westminster and Holyrood about saving electricity? Surely is the subsidies for onshore wind turbines were cut then businesses and landowners would not be rushing headlong into their construction. Turbines are gesture politics by windbaggers with a klondyke mentality.

Balancing Act

"Let me make it clear that there is no confusion over the new Scottish government's energy policy. Ministers have specifically and consistently stated that nuclear power is neither needed nor wanted in Scotland. It would be difficult to be any clearer than that. We were elected on that pledge and we will stick to it." So says Jim Mather, the Minister for Enterprise, Energy & Tourism in a letter to the Scotsman this morning.

Several things come to mind. How are we going to 'fill the gap'? Where is this renewable power going to come from on a large enough scale? If we are to continue with wind farms on an industrial scale, and that's what will be needed, how will the Minister balance this with his tourism portfolio?