The BBC on are showing a 4 part serial on BBC2 (7.00 Fri) called "WindFarm Wars". It is about a bitterly opposed planning application for a an industrial wind turbine complex in the heart of unspoilt rural Devon. Initially the BBC appeared to be favouring the company (RES), having nice little chats with the developer and backing it all up with images of collapsing icebergs and industrial chimneys.
But after watching episode two I feel even the luvvies at the Beeb have begun to tire of the high handed arrogance of the developer. Even on camera, the developer refused to release the wind data. This is a general ploy with all these carpet baggers. You get various weasel words trying to justify this secrecy. None of which stand any scutiny. In the series their only excuse is that people "wouldn't understand it" (condescending bastards).
Personally I suspect that if the data was readily available for any of these get rich quick schemes they would soon be shown for what they are: A method of making huge sums of money from a naive and ill informed government.
One thing I hope the series continues to show is the ruthless and arrogant methodology of corporate wind turbine developers. If a decision does not go their way, they appeal it. Their only goal is to see the ROC's (subsidy) piling up in their bank account. Democracy can go to hell along with the locals.
The law is used as a weapon to overwhelm common people who are treated and regarded as little more than peasants who can be ignored and trampled over. These companies have so much money (your money) sloshing about they can buy their way through the law and the planning process.
The first two episodes have been on the TV but are available on BBC iplayer for the next 21 days
Episode 1 Here
Episode 2 Here
Well worth a watch.
4 comments:
I shall inspect the turbines closely as I sip a Metaxa in the taverna next week...
Blimey Dioclese, not more holidays!
You say "Their only goal is to see the ROC's (subsidy) piling up in their bank account." ....you do know they get this money only in exchange for each MWhr they produce, like every other renewable energy.
Just thought I'd mention it as your blog post comes across blatantly biased and sadly uninformed.
Thank God the law is there to prevent 'I bought this landscape' selfish people from easily taking down much needed renewable energy projects.
I hear the oil barons of Saudi and the Tsars of Russia loved the show :-)
Roaminghaggis:
I know (and I hope you know) that without the ROC there would be no klondike style goldrush by the huge corporations to build these things. True, as you say, they actually have to produce some power, but then they get paid (at least) twice for it.
Are you seriously naive enough to believe the likes of RES (a subsidiary of the McAlpine Group) are bulldozing these things through to benefit mankind?
Get Real.
My blog may come across as biased, but I believe it is only because I have actually read the reports and studied the data. Most of which is damning. Example:- (PLEASE READ) from the John Muir Trust
http://www.jmt.org/assets/pdf/wind-report.pdf
(p.s. as your are apparently Scottish I hope you know who the John Muir Trust are!)
Hey! I even did my own analysis (which was slightly kinder to the wind industry than JMT - though not by much) So to call me uninformed I think is a bit rich.
http://billothewisp.blogspot.com/2011/01/wind-power-damning-results.html
You may be willing to sacrifice the countryside and the people who live there so the likes of RES can rake in the profits but don't include me.
Wasting money on wind turbines does nothing (and never could) to reduce oil consumption. All they do is ensure more and more people are reduced to fuel poverty.
While coal kills thousands because of mining accidents and noxious fumes, wind turbines will kill thousands simply because they are so bloody useless.
Trying to save the world with wind turbines is like trying to bale out a sinking dinghy with a set of silver spoons. Nice impressive and shiny, but unfit for purpose, and ultimately useless.
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