Wind Power:
Trouble in Scotland

CHARITIES' LINKS WITH WIND FARM DEVELOPERS
Three major Scottish environmental and wildlife organisations have admitted accepting money from top wind farm developers (report, Daily Mail, 27 Apr 2012). They are:

World Wildlife Fund Scotland – (received money from Scottish and Southern Energy)
Friends of the Earth Scotland – (received money from Scottish Power Renewables)
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland (received money from various unnamed wind farm developers)

The opinions of these groups on energy matters, therefore, cannot be regarded as objective or impartial.

Murdo Fraser MSP said ‘It is interesting that other environmental groups such as the John Muir Trust, which do not receive support of this kind, are much more hostile to wind farm development because of the negative impact on wild land.’

27 Apr 12


TROUBLE FOR TOURISM
The US businessman Donald Trump has told MSPs that Mr Salmond and his predecessor Jack McConnell encouraged him to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in Scotland, assuring him that there was no danger of a wind farm development affecting his investment, and then broke their word.

Mr. Trump said that the proposed wind farm development off the coast of his Aberdeenshire golf course would be detrimental to tourism, and to his business, and that he will not proceed with plans for a luxury hotel if the plans for the wind turbines are approved.

Mr. Trump does not operate in isolation; he has his networks of friends and colleagues like the rest of us. His stance is likely to be copied by other influential people. The result - Scottish jobs in tourism will either be lost or not created.

Underlying this is the uncertainty by David Cameron on green energy, the reluctance of the Treasury to maintain green subsidies which are far too high, and the growing economic/political energy crisis. Soaring energy bills are a heavy burden on ordinary people and businesses struggling in an economic climate which looks like getting worse.

26 Apr 12

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