From BBC Scotland website
The public have spoken.
The bastards.
Tories and SNP clash over wind power support
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The Scottish government says a new poll shows the public is in favour of wind power, despite the Conservative Party citing thousands of objections as evidence of widespread opposition.
The YouGov poll suggests that a majority of supporters of every party - including Tories - support wind power.
But anti-wind farm campaigners arranged a protest at the SNP conference.
More than 44,000 objections to wind farm applications in the past five years showed public alarm, they said.
The Conservative Party said that figures obtained from 23 of 32 Scottish local authorities showed that about 34,000 objections were submitted to councils.
This ranged from an estimated 9,421 in Aberdeenshire, to two objections in East Dunbartonshire.
Six other councils have received more than 1,000 objections, ranging from 3,333 in Argyll and Bute to 1,342 in South Ayrshire.
'Ludicrous goals'
Around two-fifths of the 44,000 total were received in 2012, the Conservatives claim.
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“Start Quote
End Quote Paul Wheelhouse Environment MinisterEven Tory supporters are in favour of wind power. Clearly, it is time for the Tory politicians to listen to their supporters”
Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser, convener of the Scottish Parliament's energy committee, said: "The tens of thousands of objections right across the country show the sheer level of public alarm at the SNP's wind farm obsession.
"And, what's worse, all too often these concerns are completely ignored by an SNP government intent on fulfilling their own ludicrous renewable energy goals, whatever the cost.
"People aren't just concerned about wind farms ruining their landscape and quality of life, they don't want Scotland's electricity supply dependent on a source that is unreliable and intermittent."
Mr Fraser complained that the Scottish government's SNP administration was disrespecting local views when overturning decisions against wind farms made at council level.
However, Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse highlighted the poll suggesting that 77% of SNP supporters, 76% of Liberal Democrat supporters, 68% of Labour supporters and 55% of Conservative supporters "support the continuing development of wind power as part of a mix of renewable and conventional forms of electricity generation".
Earth Hour
The MSP said that a majority of the supporters of each party were also in favour of wind farm developments even when they were in their own area.
When asked if they would be for or against the development of large-scale wind energy projects being built in their council area, 77% of SNP supporters, 71% of Liberal Democrat supporters, 64% of Labour supporters and 53% of Conservative supporters said they were in favour.
Mr Wheelhouse pointed out that the poll coincided with thousands of people around Scotland taking part in events on Saturday evening in support of WWF's Earth Hour.
"Given that, this year, WWF have chosen the focus of Earth Hour to be renewable energy, I am delighted that new You Gov polling shows cross-party support for wind energy," he said.
"Even Tory supporters are in favour of wind power. Clearly, it is time for the Tory politicians to listen to their supporters."
Mr Wheelhouse said that Scotland was a world leader in tackling climate change and in renewable energy - and that the government would continue to pursue its target for renewable energy to produce the equivalent of 100% of electricity from renewables
The use of carefully choreographed statistics, gleaned from people who probably don't care less where their energy comes from, reminds me of the Soviet regime just prior to the collapse of communism. 98% of the population supported the communist state.
ReplyDeleteSalmond and his crew may well be going the same way as Stalin and his descendants.
God help Scotland should it vote for independence. You'll all be paying for the ROCs from your own purse. That's about five times what you pay at the moment. So, instead of about £80 per household it will be £400 per household and doubling in four years.
Funny old game, politics.
ReplyDeleteWho benefits from wind farms ? Land owners and venture capitalists masquerading as energy companies. Which is “their” party ? The Conservatives. Which is the only party expressing even token opposition at Westminster and Holyrood. The Conservatives.
I have to say that “ordinary” people I talk to (you know, servants, tradesmen, that sort of thing) couldn't give a flying one about wind farms. If pressed, they might admit that it's a shame about the views, but it's a price worth paying to save the planet for our grandchildren. There is also a bizarre perception that it means cheaper electricity – the wind's free (innit optional).
I realised that a few years back, OM. That's why I bang on about it so much in the blog - I hope that some of the realities with stick with the readers and that they can pass the information on.
ReplyDeleteNot one single Government or Assembly in Britain has actually carried out the legally required assessment of Wind Energy, under EC rules, so technically our legislators are breaking the law by imposing ROCs.
It's been proven twice in Europe and what have our leaders done about it?
Nothing.
Someone should pay for this. This is not lying about speeding points. This is not telling a porky. This is raising a back-door tax illegally. Those responsible have committed an outrageous fraud that has cost domestic and industrial consumers billions, and has made our industries less competitive.
And at the same time they are destroying our countryside for generations.
Post something cheerful old boy, please?
:-)
And another thing.
ReplyDeleteI was reading the minutes of one of the local Community Councils, ruddy faced yeomen to a man ( and woman). The secretary was instructed to write to the operators of the local wind farm thanking them for the latest installment of the bribe and tell them that last year's blood money was spent on hanging baskets, books for the primary school library, and having the public toilets repainted. So why should they give this up just so some middle aged men (and women) with beards can better enjoy their hobby. ?
Telling the “man in the pub” that Cameron McNeish is against it, The Mountaineering Council of Scotland is against it, Chris Townsend is against it and that nice Alan Sloman is against it just gets a big yawn. Now, if Simon Cowell was against it, and Lorraine Kelly and David Beckham then opinions might change.
Anyway, I'm off to Youtube for some noisy solace