Nick Clegg has pledged that a Lib Dem government would build more wind turbines. UK business leaders, including Sir Richard Branson, say that the UK economy is too dependent on oil and needs to adapt to a future of high energy costs.

Over the past decade the government has missed a real opportunity to promote policies that will both create jobs and tackle climate change. We need to future-proof our economy via expansion in renewable energy production and public transport. This will make sure our economy stable and secure. Only the government has the capacity to organise the development of our economy on this scale.

Mr Clegg’s proposals are a recognition of these facts but can we trust the Lib Dems to deliver? The Lib Dem’s local record on renewable energy projects is poor. When they took control of the Sheffield council in 2008 they immediately cancelled a study into wind power in the city. They have also objected to wind farms in neighbouring authorities and have failed to come up with a plan to increase local energy production.

The Green Party has taken the lead in recognising the dangers posed by raising oil prices and bringing forward practical solutions. Our Green New Deal proposals to create 1 million jobs in the recession have been on the table since July 2008. We are still pushing nationally and locally for those in power to implement them.

Steve Barnard

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Sheffield Hallam

The windfarm at Sheephouse Heights, north of  Stocksbridge has been turned down. This is short-sighted especially as the world comes to terms with the failure to get a real deal at Copenhagen and as constraints in oil supply begin to bite.

The anti-wind lobby campaign played on Stocksbridge resident’s fears but their main argument was about the visual impact. Their model letter for people to complain to Barnsley council said, ”The application has significant visual impact… on a tranquil hillside providing picturesque rural views. It is sited in the Green Belt impacting on our rural environment and Open Space and turbines, unlike the pylons, we can’t see through them, they are 3 times as big and they move.” So in effect turbines are uglier than the existing electric pylons because they rotate.

The Planning Board took their lead from politicians who failed to deliver a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement at Copenhagen.  It is easy for councillors in South Yorkshire to ignore the science and the global concern if Presidents and Prime Ministers cannot respond to the threat that climate change poses to humanity.
This decision does matter. We could lead the way in Europe on solar, tidal and wind energy to cut our oil dependency and tackled climate change. Renewable energy surrounds us and it should be used to reduce our impact on the planet. It is a key ingredient for the future to offer hope to our children and grandchildren.
Yours sincerely
Steve BarnardProspective Candidate Sheffield HallamGreen Party

Ralph Johnson has asked me to answer a number of relevant questions
about wind turbines (Star 11 August). Here goes:

The current price of turbines is around £1.5 million per megawatt
produced. This would power about 600 houses for 25 years at an annual
cost per house of around £100. This includes the cost of excavation,
installation, electricity substation and grid connection. The bigger the
wind farm, the lower the overall cost per megawatt. They create
construction, operation and maintenance jobs and use the services of
local companies.

Developers approach investment like a mortgage, paying off capital and >
interest over the life of the wind farm which might be 20 to 25 years.
Within 6 months turbines have prodcued the energy used in construction
and are then delivering carbon free energy. Turbines have enough wind to
generate energy for about 85% of the year on average. They also need to
be shut down for service, maintenance and the equivalent of an MOT every
6 months or so.

If Ralph or anyone else has further questions about wind energy, the
government has a Q & A at www.berr.gov.uk.

Yours Sincerely
Sheffield Green Party Cllr. Bernard Little

.

I am responding to Pauline Groobey from Penistone, who lives in a quiet rural setting, and is objecting on the basis of health risk and noise to a nearby wind-farm proposal. (The Star July 15th)

In 25 years of wind generation, with 68,000 turbines across the world, there are no significant reports of health issues. Evidence produced by an independent study on public concern about noise from wind turbines, by the DTI concluded that there is no evidence of health effects from low frequency noise. (Source: Hayes McKenzie report on Noise arising from Wind Farms). The Dr Harry study on Wind Turbines, Noise and Health, which is often used by anti wind farm campaigners, is based on selected opinion rather than science.

Every wind turbine development requires a noise assessment which can be validated by an Environmental Health Officer. Wherever there has been independent noise monitoring it has been found not to be a problem. I urge
those who still have doubts to stand under the wind turbines at Thurlstone.

If we were to build at a minimum distance of 2km from a house it would restrict where we could site wind turbines to places like National Parks. Contrary to what Ms Groobey states, Denmark is in the middle of a major program of upgrading its onshore wind turbines.

We all have to cope with inconvenient low levels of background noise from neighbours, traffic, and so on. Modern wind turbines, correctly sited, produce much less sound. We are approaching a world where oil will cost a premium as supplies run out, where we need to avoid the risk of irreversible climate change, and where renewable sources such as wind are an urgent priority. But also, where we can look forward to swapping the roar of a petrol engine for the gentle whoosh of a wind turbine blade.

Yours Sincerely

Sheffield City Green Party Cllr Bernard Little.