Published: Thursday, 28th May, 2009 9:00am
Letter: Blowing in the wind
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WEST Berkshire Council leader Graham Jones" pronouncements on increasing Reading"s renewable energy usage ("Voice your climate change concerns", Chronicle, May 21), that planting wind turbines will reduce carbon emissions, have to be taken with a large pinch of salt.
We are constantly misinformed about the number of homes these wind turbines can power - unless you really believe that two 100W light bulbs per home can be classed as being powered. No one ever mentions all the coal and gas power stations that are kept on standby in case the wind drops or rises beyond their operating range, increasing the overall carbon footprint for wind generation.
Perhaps Cllr Jones would like to explain why - when countries like Germany and Denmark which have more wind turbines than the UK - their CO2 emissions have not been reduced by one ounce.
The Danes, who decided in 2002 to build no more turbines, have learnt their lesson. Obviously WBC has still to learn it. Every time I hear that over-used term 'green', I remember it has another meaning: someone who is naively foolish and dangerously gullible.
KEN MANN
Albany Road
Reading
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Politico
(Unregistered User)
May 31 09 11:07
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Ken - you may well be right about the inflated claims made for turbines. But that means we need more of them, not fewer!
You're wrong to talk about fossil fuel power stations being 'on standby' - wind power currently contributes very little of our electricity, only a few percent, so of course the old-fashioned stations are running too.
I know some people don't like the look of them, the vocal minority, but polls show the majority of people (myself included) actually think they look quite majestic and in no way spoil the countryside.
There's a report out in the news yesterday estimating 300,000 people have died in the last few years because of climate change. It's only going to get worse, and if you think immigration's bad now, wait until infrastructure and food production starts collapsing completely in countries already on the brink. Wind might not be the solution on its own, but it's a small part of it, a part that we need more of and that, yes, needs to get more efficient.
Politico
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May 31 09 11:08
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p.s.
I don't think Graham Jones cares much about Reading, it's West Berkshire he's on about! Not that that changes the point
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