Bishop Hill Taking the fight to the enemy
Mar 21, 2013 Energy: wind Scotland against Spin is planning to take the fight against windfarms to the enemy, namely Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond. The plan is to have a mass protest on Saturday at the Scottish National Party conference in Inverness. The plan is to have a march from Inverness Castle to the conference venue and then hand over a petition to the great man himself. Unfortunately ChickenBraveheart Salmond seems disinclined to acknowledge the request to hand it over. Press release below; details of times and places in the file attachment right at the end.
Mass anti-wind protest and petition planned for Inverness SNP Conference
"Get UP, get OUT, get ON THE TRAIN, and GET TO INVERNESS!" That's the message from anti-wind farm campaigners organising a mass protest on Saturday for the SNP Spring conference.
Over 4300 people from over 42 countries have signed a petition calling on Alex to ‘Stop the Reckless Siting of Wind Turbines in Scotland's Scenic Landscapes’ http://chn.ge/14WzCGZ. The petition closes today http://bit.ly/Wx5JxEhttp://chn.ge/14WzCGZ.
The organisor of the petition, Harley Keisch of Wind Wise Radio has written to the First Minister inviting him to accept it in person at Eden Court from a delegation led by 93-year old Rhona Weir, widow of celebrated climber, author and broadcaster Tom Weir (photo of Rhona at the Perth anti-wind protest in October attached).
Mr Keisch sent his invitation to Mr Salmond last Monday but has yet to receive a reply (attached). He said:
"It's time for Alex Salmond to man up. Has he got the courage to hear from one of Scotland's oldest and most honourable environmentalists about what his madcap policies are doing to Scotland's cherished landscapes? Thousands of people from across the world are horrified by what is happening in Scotland."Like Tom, Rhona is a great champion of the Scottish landscape and has carried on her husband's pioneering work in protecting it. She recently gave a vivid interview on Wind Wise Radio, describing the impact of industrial wind turbines on the Scottish countryside which she so prizes (http://bit.ly/16m29cB).
"We now have a planning process deformed by political fiat. Alex Salmond's lasting legacy will be the reckless destruction of our natural environment."Hosted by Stop Highland Windfarms Campaign and promoted by Scotland Against Spin, a new national alliance for all those opposed to Scottish wind energy policy, Saturday's protest will begin with a march form Inverness Castle to Eden Court where the SNP is holding its conference. During lunchtime protestors will lobby SNP delegates before making as much noise as possible during Alex Salmond's keynote speech at 3 pm.
Graham Lang, who is manning an SAS stand inside the conference, said:
"We've written to over 1600 Councillors, MSPs, MPs and MEPs and we know there are people in all parties who are deeply worried about the Government's out-of-control wind energy policy. Harley's petition proves how it's hurting tourism - no one in their right mind will come to Scotland to visit a giant wind farm. But the Scottish Government still has its eyes firmly shut and their fingers stuck in their ears. This is why hundreds of people, from 93 year-old Rhona Weir to little children, are coming to Inverness to make them listen."Linda Holt, spokesperson for SAS said:
"The Scottish Government has effectively handed the country over to the wind industry. Our forests, mountains, wild lands, peat bogs, beaches, coastal waters, even our school playgrounds - nowhere is safe from industrial wind turbines."The Scottish Government obediently trots out the latest industry propaganda about the "benefits" of wind energy. Yet everyone can see that windfarms create virtually no real permanent jobs, the carbon-saving calculations are theoretical pie-in-the-sky (there is more and more real evidence that the overall impact of turbines is to increase carbon emissions) and electricity bills are racing ever-upwards as more wind energy comes online.
Reader Comments (22)
I have just signed the online petition. What a great pity it is that the petition hasn't received much publicity and that it closes today. I hadn't heard of it until I read the article above.
I am sure it could have attracted ten times the number of signatures with more publicity. Just think of the fun the English press could have had debunking Salmond's claim to be a great Scottish patriot by publicising the fact that he plans to despoil some of the most impressive landscapes in Europe! Hardly a modern William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, is he?
Keeping Britain's Railway On Track Documentary
Watched this show Tuesday night about the Railways in Scotland .Apart from train delaysirrate passengers and the drunks they showed the trains weaving their way through the Highlands .Spectacular Scenery .Shame to spoil it with all useless Wind Mills.Old railway worker at the end said in Gallic Beautiful place to walk. Beautiful place to work.
How ironic that the Scottish National Party spring conference is likely to be enveloped in snow and ice with sub-zero temperatures.
If the First Minister gets his way and Scotland goes it alone, I foresee that it may go the way of Germany:
POLAND AND CZECH REPUBLICEngland and Wales BANGERMANY’S,Scotland's GREEN ENERGY.Or, even if Scotland "stays" in the UK, NG may be forced, for technical and financial reasons, to put disconnecting switches at the border in order to head-off the possibility that excessive Scottish renewables bring down the whole economy.
SAS on their stand, should simply have a large graph showing the global rise in CO2 plotted against the global rise in temperature. Below it should be the question: "Why should a 0.04% trace-gas plant food be reduced?"
The graph could be based upon illustration No. 2 here:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/03/20/how-well-did-hansen-1988-do/
For supplementary impact, SAS could also show illustration No. 1 from that same link.
Don't expect anything from Salmond at all. He is nothing but a coward when it comes to taking responsibility. For years now he has been sending Sturgeon to do his dirty work when ever anything goes wrong. He is a menace to Scotland and his 'legacy' of windmills will scar the countryside for decades.
He is responsible for robbing pensioners through green levy's on their electricity bills to hand out to his friends in Big Wind. Kind of like the opposite of Robin Hood robbing from the poor to give to the rich.
There is no doubt that the fight against the tyranny of the eco loons will require the good citizens of our once great Nation to take to the streets. And so it begins.
Salmond is flattered by moving in Gore circles, ever-decreasing ones:
"Alex Salmond and Al Gore are green team"
Warning, those of a nervous disposition should be aware of the upsetting image in this link....
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/scottishnews/3842979/Alex-Salmond-and-Al-Gore-are-green-team.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/sep/28/al-gore-proof-climate-change
"Speaking to an audience of business leaders, political leaders including Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond and green energy entrepreneurs in Edinburgh, Gore said the world was at a "fork in the road"."
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/272328-al-gore-scotland-providing-leadership-on-climate-change/
Scotland is a world leader in renewable energy, according to climate change campaigner and former US vice-president Al Gore.
So sad to see Scotland, one of the shining lights of the early scientific revolution, wallowing in the mire thanks to Alex and his pals.
Philip Bratby
Do you know something that we don't.
Is Al gore making a guest appearance?
Hope the media are (is..?) out in force for this protest....
It's a wee bit far (and short notice) for a trip from Burgundy (anyway, I've my carbon footprint to think about) but be sure I'll be with you in spirit.
Eck the Fish is, was and always will be a conceited buffoon — and that's just one of his good points. If he accepts the petition it will only be because John Swinney has a sgian dhub in the small of his back!
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?
Although the petition is being printed ready for delivery, the petition itself is still open ; names and comments received in time will be added. A representative of the Scottish Government has replied but Alex Salmond seems disinclined to receive the petition, clearly preferring to disregard and disrespect the thousands of people who have signed and commented passionately.
Are there any signs of splits in the SNP over this issue? Surely there must be some SNP members who are keen hill-walkers? What do they think about the plans?
Is the SNP really a patriotic party or merely an anti-English one?
Good point, Roy. Several previously SNP supporters have commented on the petition that they will no longer vote for the party. We know of many more, all of whom say that if the SNP can't be trusted with Scotland's landscape and its people, then what can it be trusted with? We know of many SNP people in government who are extremely unhappy with the situation but who will not speak overtly.
Sheesh, seems Salmon has some science (of sorts) on his side. More of the Punitive Psychology type.
Only 'worriers' suffer from wind farm noise
Only those prone to headaches are made ill by the noise of from wind turbines, according to a new study.
[...]
It found that around one in ten respondents reported problems like insomnia and headaches because of wind farm noise.
However further study found this was not connected to the noise made by the wind turbines - but the personality of the people.
"We measured the actual noise from the turbines and used environmental noise modelling software that helped us to predict how much sound is actually heard by those living in the vicinity. We found there was no relationship between the 'real' level of noise and reports of ill health," said Dr Claire Lawrence, who led the study.
Instead she said people with so-called, “neuroticism”, a personality type prone to worrying will suffer health problems connected to wind turbines.
“There is certainly no evidence that if you are living near a noise or can hear a noise that it is causing you ill health,” she said.
“But there is evidence that if you have a certain personality trait you will report problems.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9946617/Only-worriers-suffer-from-wind-farm-noise.html
"We ... used environmental noise modelling software ... "
Oh well, case closed.
I am reassured that the traditional common sense we associate with the Scottish people lives on, though they are ruled these days by a crowd far more pernicious than was opposed by their ancient heroes.
"Punitive psychology" indeed.
There are large variations across the population about sensitivity to noise, vibration, flickering light etc. It is well known that strobe lights can trigger epileptic fits. I am not epileptic, but strobe lights have always made me feel uncomfortable and I avoid them. If someone set one up near my house, according to these 'researchers', if I object it just proves that I am crazy.
There are plenty of good arguments against windmills apart from alleged health effects. But claiming that anyone who experiences discomfort because of them is a nutcase is another version of totalitarian regimes' time-honoured tactic of locking up dissenters because their dissent ipso facto proves that they are mad.
If people modeled the whole geosphere half as well as claimed(!), then modeling the acoustics and vibrations of wind-farms and peoples' reactions must seem a breeze by comparison...
I get the scientific-shivers whenever I read the phrase "person xxx led the study".
It brings to mind Frank Herbert's words in Dune:
“Highly organized research is guaranteed to produce nothing new.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-21912343
Read it and weep. Or more likely, laugh, at the engineering and economic idiocy.
WWF and Earth Hour tacked into the story too !!! Cuddly pandas (there's a pair in Edinburgh Zoo!!)