Wind turbines at sea
Clean power from wind farms such as the one proposed at Scarweather Sands is vital to tackling global warming. We are already experiencing the effects of global warming, but if we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change we must cut carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions by 80-90 per cent by 2050. That means switching to clean forms of energy generation that do not produce CO 2.
It's time to leave the era of dirty fossil fuels behind.
The stakes in the energy debate are extremely high. UN scientists agree that, because of global warming caused by burning fossil fuels, we will experience more droughts, floods and storms from now on. For South Wales, climate change means more coastal flooding and wetter, stormier weather.
We can't stop some of the impacts of climate change, but if we make changes we can prevent the more extreme consequences. UN and UK government scientists predict, that unless we do something, millions of people could face starvation or drought and we may lose the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets completely. This could add around 6 metres to global sea level, with catastrophic effects. The choice of energy investments in the next few decades will determine whether or not this will happen.
Wind power is a clean, renewable form of energy, which during operation produces no carbon dioxide. Within a few months of operation the energy needed to construct the wind farm is completely paid back.
Scarweather Sands will save around 6 million tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere over its lifetime. Given the scale of the CO2 cuts needed, we must act now. Wind power - as the cheapest, most developed renewable energy technology, and the fastest to build - is well placed to quickly reduce emissions.
The government has recently given it's backing to clean energy, but has indicated that if renewable energy technologies such as wind power aren't successful, new nuclear power stations could be built in order to secure the necessary carbon dioxide cuts to tackle climate change.
We know that wind power works - it already supplies 40 million people globally with electricity. However some people are concerned about the developments, and are trying to block the proposals. But if wind farms like Scarweather are blocked it will have a damaging knock on effect on the progress of the whole renewable energy industry. And if wind power in the UK doesn't start delivering large amounts of our energy soon, we'll face more climate change, and a new generation of nuclear power stations.
