I consider myself an environmentalist, I'm at the very least environmentally aware and vocal in my support of conservation and the protection of open spaces and particularly public access to such spaces. In a world where no piece of vacant land seems to be out of the grasp of developers whether it is 'protected' or not, I try my best to write about and support efforts to conserve what is left untouched.
And of course all of this empathy with the natural world encompasses the need to factor in the responsible production of energy and other essential services. But..... Is it just me or are those wind turbines (in spite of their purported benefits) a horrible blot on our landscape? Not just landscapes in fact but also and especially seascapes which are forever ruined by banks of huge ugly wind turbines. Many wonderful views have been entirely spoiled forever, they are the places where one could look out to sea and imagine infinite space, find time to think and be at one with one's thoughts in nature. I for one don't buy into the assertion that these windmills are efficient producers of energy especially given just how much priceless space they take up. Whole hillsides are covered in the things and some of my favourite stretches of coastline are now dominated by these sinister looking edifices. One report into the efficacy of these so called 'wind farms' (as if the term 'farm' makes them sound more wholesome) concluded that UK wind farms top 80 per cent of their potential output for less than a week every year and that wind turbines are only able to produce 90 per cent or more of their potential power output for a tiny 17 hours a year. So they appear to be a wholly inefficient waste of space. I'd dearly love for someone to provide some figures proving otherwise....but it seems unlikely to happen. We recently left our 'green' energy company because they incessantly told us that our energy was coming mostly from these wind farms and that they were investing heavily in this (inefficient) system, like it was the best thing ever. What about the alternatives? Call me cynical but one wonders if someone somewhere is making a fortune out of manufacturing and installing wind farms throughout our precious countryside and coast whether they are in fact ecologically sound or not. I'm not Einstein but surely if we are to doggedly pursue this less than efficient means of producing power (and the one thing in its favour is that the wind does at least produce some free energy that we can harness) then would it not make more sense for very small windmills to be fitted to domestic dwellings (next to the satellite dish perhaps) and for solar panels to replace traditional roof tiles where possible, thereby benefiting the householder with free or subsidised electricity and/or feeding it into the national grid...? That and hydro power of course which just seems like an obvious choice for an island nation surrounded by water. Meanwhile I hold my breath and close my eyes when we take a trip into our favourite parts of the countryside lest I find they have desecrated my cherished places with these monstrosities – they seem to be encroaching fast but it is still just possible to find wide horizons and open vistas for now. My hope is that those who seek solace in these places will be able to do so for generations to come without the ugly intrusion of wind farms.
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July 2023
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