Blowin’ in the wind

Dec 1 2007 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

LOOKING after the world for future generations is one of the top topics of the moment.

Talking is one part of it, but it has to be translated into effective action. And that has to be tracked back from national and international resolutions to regions, cities, communities and, ultimately, individuals.

Wind farms are one of the positive and practical solutions.

The source power is free: the UK is a windy place. It’s simply a case of harnessing that energy to the economic and social advantage of all.

But will it really happen on a large scale?

Plenty of people have protested about turbine plans, lending to the impression that we are generally against these things.

But is opposition to the very idea of wind farms so widespread? A survey in today’s Examiner appears to suggest otherwise.

Eight out of ten people questioned in the Colne Valley said they supported the idea of turbines.

There is no doubting that sites have to be chosen carefully, but turbines can be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing objects in themselves.

Decisions will have to be made sooner or later for future power generation as the world’s oil stocks decline over the next few decades.

Wind farms must be placed pretty high up on the list of preferred options.