Why is there opposition to wind farms?
Local opposition to proposed wind farms usually arises because some people perceive that the development will spoil the view that they are used to. It is true that a large wind farm can be a significant change, but while some people express concern about the effect wind turbines have on the beauty of our landscape, others see them as elegant and beautiful, or symbols of a better, less polluted future.
The increased utilisation of renewable energy and greater use of wind power will mean that we will have more of these structures visible in our townscape and landscape in the future. But all the organisations supporting this web site believe that building more wind farms is vital for tackling climate change and that the UK should be ready to embrace these developments - obviously whilst following sensible siting criteria.
The visual effect of wind farms is a subjective issue, but most of the other criticisms made about wind energy today are exaggerated or untrue, and simply reflect attempts by particular groups to discredit the technology, worry local communities and turn them against renewable energy schemes. Anti-wind groups have been particularly effective at using local media, and have been able to create highly emotive and divisive reaction in local communities, where sensible discussion of the issues is forgotten.
A detailed investigation into wind power by the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee dispelled many of the myths generated by anti-wind lobby groups. For example, the Committee accused one of these groups, Country Guardian, of "inaccuracies and misrepresentations" in their evidence, and also criticised "the casual approach of the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) to inaccuracies in their evidence". It also found a number of errors in the evidence from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales and concluded that it "seriously undermine[s] the standing and reputation of the CPRW that it is prepared to base its policy on such exaggeration and misinformation."
While these organisations are now more careful in their anti wind farm commentary, many misleading arguments are still perpetuated by a small but vocal minority.
For more information: take a look at the web sites of some anti wind groups to see what arguments they use and how they work.
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