Join the campaign to support wind power 24 September 04

I was very interested to read the latest exchange between Monbiot & Bellamy. I happen to have done some voluntary work for the Conservation Foundation back in 1992/93 and think it is a very good organisation.

http://www.conservationfoundation.co.uk/

I only met David Bellamy once in 1993, and he happened to mention then that he thought it more likely the world would cool rather than get warmer. But we know so much more now!

Anyway, in David Bellamy’s response of 19/9/04,, he mentioned that the NGOs had not contacted me on this matter. This prompted to write the following email today to David Shreeve, Executive Director and co-founder, of the Conservation Foundation:

WINDPOWER & THE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Dear David,

I hope you and the Conservation Foundation are doing well.

It is now over 10 years since we worked together on “The Road From Rio” project which assessed reactions after the 1992 Earth Summit. Judging from your website, you are still going strong!

I am writing on the subject of wind power. It seems clear that David Bellamy is against wind power and I think this is a very wrong and dangerous position to hold. Could you tell me whether the Conservation Foundation supports this point of view?

To summarise my view:

1. HUMAN-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE There is compelling evidence that current human activities are causing the planet to warm-up due to the release of greenhouse gases. Climate change is a very grave threat to the health of the planet. Year-on-year, we are currently producing more-and-more of these greenhouse gases. There is a reasonably large degree of uncertainty about how climate change will impact on our world, and this is sometimes used to inhibit preventative action. Personally, I think this makes the prospect of climate change even more worrying as I am inclined to think that it could threaten life on earth.

Conclusion/Action : We should take climate change very seriously indeed.

2. VALUE OF WIND POWER TO THE UK Renewable energy provides an very important part of the solution to climate change and, in the context of the UK, wind power has a very important role to play. The UK is very well placed to take advantage of wind power given the amount of wind we receive (whereas, for example, solar power is more appropriate for Spain where it is much sunnier, and less windy). The UK is not yet well developed for wind power given the resources available, and lags behind countries such as Germany, Spain and Denmark.* In Denmark, wind power currently supplies around 20% of the country’s electricity.* Wind power could contribute a significant proportion of the UK’s electricity needs in the immediate future. If necessary, this could be provided by wind generation at off-shore sites. The DTI has stated that “There is clear evidence that the biggest new contributor to our renewables target is going to be offshore wind and Government has a strong interest in encouraging it to develop quickly and successfully”.

Conclusion/Action : We should take all reasonable measures to adopt a high capacity of wind power quickly.

• Source : Renewable Energy, Ed. Godfrey Boyle, OUP (2004), P282, P291, P403

3. DAVID BELLAMY DOES NOT SUPPORT WIND POWER As a prominent environmentalist, David Bellamy’s opposition to wind power provides a high-level of credibility to the anti-wind lobby. It is rare for people to change deeply held views, especially if they have been advocating them in public and you have a group of people you are working with. Yet, is David Bellamy’s mind absolutely set on this issue? What kind of evidence and arguments might change his mind? It is sometimes easier to take points of view from friends, colleagues and associates in a non-threatening atmosphere (than people you have no connection with).

Conclusion/Action : Could the Conservation Foundation provide a forum for debating the role of wind energy? Would there be opportunities of working with the Royal Geographical Society on this? Should the debate take into account how seriously we should consider the threat of Climate Change? Could we do a survey on this issue?

I would be very interested in your views on this. I am supportive of what the Conservation Foundation is doing and would like to help.

With best wishes,

Peter

Maybe we should get some of these ever-debating “windbags” and have them power a wind turbine or two! What’d’ya think?

By David Bellamy, Daily Mail, 9 July 2004

Well, well – I had only heard rumour of this article before – see link below.

Words fail me …

http://www.globalwarmingissues.com/v2/opinions.asp?ID=71&view=details&Article=GW+is+poppycock&cat=Climate%20change%20science