Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have joined forces to pledge their support for a proposed wind farm at Whinash in the Lake District. A planning inquiry into the scheme is due to begin on Tuesday (19th April) at Penrith in Cumbria.Jim Footner of Greenpeace said:
"Climate change is the greatest threat our planet faces, already killing over 150,000 people every year and putting 1 in 3 of our land based species at risk from extinction. Clean energy alternatives such as the Whinash wind farm are crucial if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Contrary to what some people believe the biggest threat to the British landscape is climate change not the visual impacts of wind turbines. Wind farms like that proposed for Whinash are part of the solution."
Jill Perry, energy campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:
"I'm amazed that people are claiming that the area should be designated a National Park. What kind of National Park has a motorway running through it? People need to wake up to the fact that climate change will happen and it's not good enough to pretend that we can sit back for the next few years thinking about the solutions."
Campaigners from South Lakeland Friends of the Earth have submitted evidence in support of the proposed Whinash wind farm to the public inquiry, which will start on Tuesday 19 April 2005. The inquiry is expected to be pivotal for the future of wind farms in rural areas, weighing the visual impact of the turbines against the benefits of tackling climate change by producing significant amounts of renewable energy. Neither RSPB or English Nature are objecting to the proposal.
South Lakeland Friends of the Earth collected more than seven hundred letters from local people in support of the wind farm and sent these on to the Department of Trade and Industry and to the Public Inquiry Office. One resident of Tebay wrote that they felt unable to speak out publicly in support of the development because of the vitriolic nature of the campaign against the wind farm. The inquiry, which is expected to last five weeks, will take place at the Shap Wells Hotel, near Penrith, Cumbria.
Environmental campaigners will ask the Government Inspector to disregard claims made by the opponents of the scheme, ruled as 'misleading' by the Advertising Standards Authority, about damage to house prices and the tourist industry in the Lake District. Opponents of the scheme, which would be sited beside the M6 motorway, have claimed that the wind turbines will spoil the views, failing to acknowledge that the presence of a motorway has degraded the landscape visually and by generating noise and air pollution.
Anita Stirzaker, a local business woman said:
"I have rented out holiday accommodation for a number of years and I'm totally in favour of the scheme. Many of the people who come to the Lake District are walkers and outdoors types who are interested in green lifestyles - they're not going to be put off by wind turbines. It's ridiculous to suggest that they will. There's a plenty of misinformation from those who oppose the wind farm, but we haven't heard any real evidence to back up these claims.
A Carlisle resident, who supported South Lakeland Friends of the Earth's campaign, told Margaret Sanders:
"It's about time something was done to tackle climate change. I am still waiting to return to my house after the January floods. I can't believe people are objecting to this, when we're faced with the prospect of more severe weather in the future. It's unbelievably short-sighted."
Notes to editors:
- South Lakeland Friends of the Earth collected over seven hundred letters of support from local people on three mornings - two in Kendal and one in Carlisle.
- Weather-related claims on property insurance doubled to over £6 billion between 1998 to 2003, compared with the previous five years, according to a report by Association of British Insurers published in 2005. The report predicts that claims could treble if no action is taken,
- The proposed wind farm has 27 tall turbines, will produce enough energy for 47,000 houses homes, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 178,000 tonnes every year or over 4 million tones of carbon dioxide over a 25 year lifespan.
Evidence submitted by Friends of the Earth includes:
- The site is between 1km and 5km from the M6, which can be seen and heard from much of the site. It lies between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District National Park, but is not itself a designated area. Motorways have been found to have a larger footprint than previously thought and affect wildlife for a large area.
- Opponents have used photomontages showing 41 turbines much taller than those planned and continued to use them long after the proposed number of turbines was reduced.
- Cumbria is one of the windiest counties in England, but as it has many designated areas, the sites available for building land based wind farms are limited. Whinash offers a great opportunity for the production of renewable energy and would make a significant contribution to county, regional and national targets.
- The latest evidence from climate scientists including those at the recent Hadley Centre conference and the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, show that there is a compelling need to take every reasonable opportunity to build wind farms.
- The reduction of emissions will lessen the chances of damage to the landscape and biodiversity that the UK Climate Impacts Programme warns will be among the most severe effects in Cumbria. This damage would be random, permanent and more dangerous with impacts most likely within the National Parks.
- Flooding is also among the impacts, but the severity and extent of the floods in Carlisle in January took everyone by surprise. It caused great personal suffering and 2 deaths, as well as enormous economic loss.
- To make the necessary impact on climate change will require action across the planet, but as we have a mere decade to avoid the worst impacts, it is essential that this wind farm is built.
More information:
Neil Verlander, Friends of the Earth press office: 020 7566 1649/ 07712 843 209 (m)
Jim Footner, Greenpeace, 020 7865 8218
Greenpeace Press office: 020 7865 8255
