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Wind farm NIMBYs are becoming increasingly vocal in the UK leading to big challenges for companies trying to construct wind energy projects.
The British Wind Energy Association and wind energy companies say that most people in the UK are supportive of wind turbines but they are less likely to express their support for specific projects than people who are against proposals. This group are known as the ’silent majority’ and they are also usually against wind farm NIMBYs.
In an attempt to mobilise the silent majority for both wind energy projects and other neccessary infrastructure, a new national anti ‘NIMBY’ petition has been started in the UK. The petition will be presented to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown after the deadline of February 2010.
Petition creator John Brookes says the aim is to “prevent NIMBYism and other minority action that delay or prevent benefits for the great majority of UK citizens”.
“The Prime Minister must ensure that the long-term needs of the majority of the UK population are not impeded by actions of vociferous minorities, especially over planning and implementation of energy-related infrastructure. In particular, local organisations and pressure groups must not triumph over the needs of the majority, national economic imperatives and physical realities, and they must be prevented from scare-mongering and rabble-rousing intended mainly to frighten people rather than to identify and quantify risks and disbenefits. Eg. condemning clean-burn energy from waste plants using the emissions performance of ‘traditional’ waste incinerators” says Brookes.
Sign the petition if you agree with John Brookes.
Colin
January 28th, 2010
Each wind turbine can power around 500 households. The world will eventually run out of fossil fuels, and we are already dangerously close to not having enough energy to fuel our country’s needs – wind is FREE, and does not cost.
john f peacocke
March 6th, 2010
I come from a rural area with high touristic interest. It is known that a large offshore wind farm is on the way. The electricity transmission network locally is underdeveloped and we will have to be connected more directly to the N.I.Grid, the UK interconnectors, to Europe.
I intend to argue and lobby for underground cabling in order to mitigate the effect upon our precious landscape.
I am aware that
:the Wales- Ireland interconnector will be run buried well inland in order to preserve residential amenity .
:German regulations require burial of cables until well inshore.
:In the case of the South Downs landscape, pylons are being removed for a HV underground cable installation to preserve landscape.
I envisage a future for Ireland as a net energy producer with major power flows towards Europe, via the Eastern Irish coastline and across the Irish Sea.
This makes it all the more important that environmental protection is made a major material consideration in Planning Applications ,and front loading of projects in respect of such matters should be demanded from constructors.
Given the fast tracking of large scale infrastructure development, I confess that I am not optimistic.