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3,600-name petition says no to wind farm

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Published Date: 02 July 2009
By frank urquhart
PROTESTERS campaigning against proposals to site Europe's biggest community wind farm in the heart of the Shetland mainland presented councillors with a petition bearing more than 3,600 signatures yesterday.
Viking Energy, a consortium formed by Shetland Islands Council and Scottish and Southern Energy to build the 150-turbine wind farm, formally lodged an application in May to develop the scheme, which, it is said, will produce enough power to supply 20 per cent of Scotland's domestic energy needs.

The turbines will be spread across 252 hectares of moorland. Viking Energy says the project will generate £37 million a year in revenues and create hundreds of jobs.

But opponents say devastation will be wreaked on a pristine, fragile landscape. Billy Fox, chairman of campaign group Sustainable Shetland, said the petition showed the level of opposition among local people.





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  • Last Updated: 01 July 2009 6:10 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Wind Power
 
1

Yonthing!,

02/07/2009 12:54:41
Without implying support for either side, it is worth pointing out the "Greater Good".

Building the wind farm will upset 3,600 people, but will supply sustainable electricity to 1,000,000.

The population of this planet is increasing daily, and over time we will need to encroach on our natural resources or start killing off the population (which I'm not advocating, merely pointing out as part of the problem). Logan's Run now doesn't seem so unlikely, and we are going to have to upset some NIMBY's somewhere along the line.
2

saneatheist,

Bixter 02/07/2009 17:43:43
Why don't they put the windmills on the Scottish mainland? there's enough space, where's the sense in siting them here in Shetland and having to send the power 200 miles by interconnector.
If Scotland want's the power, let them have the eyesore as well.
3

JustWaving,

Shetland 03/07/2009 21:06:57
What if by building the windfarm on peat, in this location created more CO2 than it could ever save? Should it be considered a green project? One study gave a scenario of carbon payback within 48 years. If the life of the wind farm is 25 years, and damage to the area continues indefinitely, is it really such a good idea?
The argument shouldn't be windfarm good or windfarm bad. It should be about site, location and intention.
Within Shetland this windfarm is promoted by the developers as never mind the environment, look at the money. How green is that!
4

Dragonfire,

17/07/2009 16:06:55
I say spread the wind farms all over the UK. It wont be a pretty sight though.

 

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