Cornwall

What a disappointment!

The deadline for CPRE Cornwall's petition against more wind farms expired yesterday (November 14^th) with only 141 names.  Compared to another petition that calls for a 2 km buffer zone between turbines and homes which currently has 2301 signatures and has a deadline of April 29^th 2009, our response was most disappointing. 

So why was support so sparse?  Was the time frame too short?  A longer period could result in support being deferred rather than a decision being made.  We all have to make up our minds at some stage, and most of us hold opinions about all sorts of issues.  So why not make a decision at once and act!?

Some of the 141 signatures contained messages.  One actually said: "I love wind farms - build more!"  Hardly a supporter of the petition, so perhaps the total number of signatures reduces to 140!

Another comment asked: "What's the alternative?"  Well surely the answer, as far as renewable energy goes, is that there should be more energetic research and development into solar energy.  With the UK's population expected to reach 75 million by 2050 even more wind turbines than the 7000 by 2020 currently proposed by the Government would be needed.

Should the countryside of our island home be ruined by a blanket of wind turbines of all sizes in an effort to produce renewable energy that is dependent on the vagaries of wind?

The lack of support for CPRE Cornwall's petition against more wind farms has to be investigated.  Were members unaware of the petition?  Attempts were made to contact members by e-mail, though members with e-mail addresses are in the minority at the present time.  The November Newsletter that highlighted the petition was prepared in good time, but were there delays in distribution?  Perhaps members felt that they couldn't comment because of a lack of knowledge, though this website contains a number of articles about the ineffectualness and costliness of wind energy.  Even if the website couldn't be accessed, there is an on-going debate in newspapers and on television and radio about wind power and other forms of renewable energy. 

As CPRE members we need to be more passionate and more active in the protection of our rural environment - or at least more vocal.  Once lost, the countryside is gone forever!  There are many groups around the country, and in Cornwall, that have been set up to resist various developments that would desecrate and ruin the countryside - mainly wind farms, but also eco-towns, waste incinerators and inappropriate expansion of airports.  These groups do much valuable work and we applaud their commitment, but it would be far better if there weren't so many individual groups as the Government relishes multiple opposition, because opponents are spread thinly and the necessary work of opposition is duplicated.  The end result is that Government wins the day - and the majority of the population becomes apathetic due to the belief that their opinions are fragmented, lost or just disregarded.

CPRE membership gathers like-minded people together.  But if we are to achieve our aims and objectives, we must also act together.  Although our petition must be viewed as a failure, I do encourage you to support other on-going petitions against wind farms.  These other petitions can be accessed on: http://www.number10.gov.uk/

Ted Venn

15^th November 2008