Renewables Bad For The Environment?

It is being reported that a large windfarm planned for the western Isles may be refused permission by the Scottish Parliament. Reasons given are the environmental impact. First impressions to that news is ehhh?

We are told we need to develop renewable energy sources to save life on this planet and to avoid a collapse of modern civilization due to the oil running out. This being the case it would be reasonable to think that a windfarm was actually a good thing for the environment.

Objections were raised on the basis of irreversable damage to  a wetland area, wildlife and visual impact. All valid arguments but I do wonder just how valid these arguments really are.

If it weren’t for electricity we would still have windmills all over our landscape to produce the flour to make bread just as there was in previous centuries. Would those have been banned in modern times? Probably though what we would have done without bread I have no idea.

Birds and wildlife adapt to things and would no dounbt get used to the windmills and as for the wetlands I can only think that they will be even wetter if climate change continues to cause the melting of the icecaps and the warming of the oceans.

I can understand that people are nervous of change and are not keen on seeing the skyline change so much. It reinforces my view that local people should benefit from local developments. I am sure locals would be more enthusiastic if they were to get cheaper electricity because of the windfarm.

I am sure the same argument might apply to motorways, airports and even factories. If local people felt they benefitted from developments they would be more enthusiastic but it doesn’t currently work this way and locals suffer the consequences and yet gain nothing.

It is such an obvious thing to do. I look forward to a time when government considers people when they try to imose developments on them. We need more windfarms and it is not unreasonable that local people should benefit from their construction.