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Getting Topical

There is a topic that appears to be in the news practically every day at the moment, some of that possibly due to the fact that there just happens to be an election coming up. Oh am I sounding cynical............................

The topic is renewable energy though in Scotland's case that might as well just be labelled as wind power.  I'm not professing to be an expert on this or anything but. i just want others to have a wee think about it and what it means for the whole of the UK.

What pricked my attention was Alan Sloman's post on his blog about a proposed windfarm. I thought about my surrounding area and what impact the windfarms around me have had. I'm in the central belt and you can't drive too far without coming across one in this populated corridor. The biggest is Whitelee on Eaglesham Moor with 140 turbines. I can see it all the way from the windfarm at Ardrossan on a clear day. OK some of these are in areas that spoil the view but I take the attitude that this is the central belt. This is where most of the energy is required for and although they spoil some views sacrifices have to be made to give us what we demand.

I do however draw the line at putting these windfarms into areas where its impact on the areas natural beauty far outweighs any energy and economic benefit. Some of this is borne out in the John Muir Trust Report on the efficiency of this renewable energy, something that the Scottish Renewables disputes. But I am cautious when reading any of these reports as all data can be presented in such a way to attempt to win any argument. What I do know is that wind power is not the sole answer.  As ever its an all eggs in one basket approach from all quarters.

For me it's about learning from the past to make the future better. Yes we need to look at renewables but we also need to look at what we already have working and making it usable for the future. It might not fit into the new green agenda but we have carbon fuels that need to be made more efficient and we have nuclear power which also has it's place in this debate. It's also about minimising the impact on those areas of wilderness which we will never get back and mostly for the benefit of those who live no where near it for them to care. So make sure you ask the canvassers when they come chapping on your door what their party's take is on this topic and get your views heard.

 

Comments

  1. Thanks for that mention - It really *is* important that the politicians realise that their voters really don't want wild land ruined for ever.

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  2. The unfortunate fact of life Alan is that we now live in an era of "short term thinking" and forever looking for the quick fix/hit. Coupled with the "it'll never happen in my lifetime" means a recipe for disaster in the not too distant future.

    I heard a great expression today about our politicians that they are feeding us junk food policies. Let's hope that some of them listen to Pat Waters from COSLA and start giving us some healthy options

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  3. Hi Elaina, I agree that windfarms are part of the solution but only a part. We have a similar problem here but as of yet no windfarm has been put in our truly wild tourist spots. Prior to the Japanese disaster I was begining to come around to the idea that the only sustainable solution to the energy problem was nuclear, now for obvious reasons I'm not so sure. On balance though I still think I favour that option.

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  4. As with all things there is a trade off for what we want. With nuclear for some that trade off is seen as a price too high to pay. Stuff like what's happening in Japan tend to reinforce attitudes towards nuclear but what people forget is we are in the UK where things are very different.
    As I see it, renewables can't be fully relied upon whatever type we plump for as they are dependent upon things we can't fully control so we have to look at what else we can use to supplement it. Nuclear has to be included in that equation along with looking more creatively about recycling and how to get energy from it.

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