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LONDON, England, August 24, 2005 (Refocus
Weekly)
Windfarms in the United Kingdom have not been
associated with any major adverse effects on birds, according to a
new government internet site.
The Department of Trade & Industry has posted a site with an
explanation of the top ten myths for wind turbines in England,
quoting a 2004 pamphlet from the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds that no windfarm has been associated with major adverse
effects on the avian population. “By far the biggest threat to UK
bird populations is climate change, which is mitigated by renewables
such as wind,” it adds.
Environmental assessments are required as part of the planning
process, to ensure that windfarms are properly sited and configured
in relation to bird movements, and these assessments have improved
the understanding of bird ecology, further helping conservation
efforts, it notes.
On the myth that ‘turbines are taking over the countryside,’ the are
1,120 turbines in 90 locations, and generating 10% of electricity
from renewables by 2010 could mean an increase by one and half times
the current number, it states. Less than 1/20,000th of the country
(a total of 800 to 1,200 hectares) would be used for foundations and
access roads, and the land between turbines can still be used for
farming or natural habitat.
Not only are windfarms not unpopular but “research suggests quite
the reverse,” with 90% of the public believing the government should
encourage the use of renewable energy and 80% supporting government
plans to significantly increase turbine installations. Approval
ratings exceed 80% among people already living within 5 km of a
windfarm.
Wind generation produces no emissions, harmful pollutants or waste
products and, in 25 years of operation, the 68,000 turbines around
the world have had no significant reports of health issues. The DTI
has commissioned an independent study in response to public concerns
about low frequency noise but vibration levels 100 m from turbines
are a factor of 10 lower than the safety requirements for modern
laboratories, it adds.
Windfarms do not devastate house prices, and a study by the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests that windfarms have no
lasting impact on house prices. Local house prices recover from any
initial impact once a windfarm has been operating for two years, and
“people promoting fears of falling prices risk making them
self-fulfilling.”
Many windfarms are tourist attractions, with 30,000 visitors to the
new Scroby Sands offshore facility in one year, and 90% of tourists
in Scotland saying windfarms made no difference to enjoyment of
their holiday. Twice as many would return to an area because of a
wind farm than would stay away, the site quotes MORI Social
Research.
A single 1.8 MW turbine can produce enough power for 1,000 homes,
and existing windfarms generate power for half a million homes. The
average UK windfarm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture
within five months, more quickly than coal and nuclear plants, and
will repay this energy 50 times over its lifetime.
“Ministers have made it clear that windfarms should only be located
in the appropriate place and that local concerns should be listened
to,” and all proposals are subject to a strict planning process that
addresses environmental, visual and community impacts. Local
planning authorities consider onshore proposals up to 50 MW and they
can ask for an independent public inquiry if they object to
applications over 50 MW. About one third of all applications are
refused, the site explains.
The government has committed £500 million to develop longer-term
renewables, such as offshore wind, wave and tidal, solar, biomass
and community projects, but “onshore wind is currently the most
economically viable renewables technology with scope for expansion,
but it will increasingly operate as part of a renewables mix as
other technologies come on line,” the site explains. Britain is the
world’s second-largest offshore wind generator and plans for
additional offshore facilities represent the world’s largest
expansion of renewable energy.
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