Assault on wildlife

HAVING experienced the powerful forces generated by storms in our northern waters, i wasn’t surprised when a proposed wind farm offshore in the North-west was withdrawn because of the risk ‘to the habitats of sea birds (and projected severe weather conditions)’.

such conditions were amply demonstrated most recently by the tragedy of a cargo ship being turned upside down, and film of an oil rig being rocked by huge waves.

i remember joking that we might see a turbine floating up the Forth.

little did i realise that there is a proposal submitted to build offshore turbines on the Firth of tay and the Firth of Forth. And t he scottish Government has given the go ahead. the RSPB is reported to be appealing in the high Court against this decision.

it is citing the danger not only to t he es t a bl i s hed habitats of colonies of sea birds but the birds themselves. these mammoth constructions with huge blades that can reach speeds of 90 mph at the tips are nothing short of ‘bird shredders’.

the re n e wable energy company isn’t happy as the appeal will extend the time scale of the development. how did we reach this sorry state? the scottish Government has laid d o wn conditions, supposedly to avoid such situations.

surely it should be cut and dried, for or against. the rsPB must have a sound case to make such a stand. it’s a charity.

We will foot the bill for the Government — and this won’t be the first time.

Now these follies have reached our back door, we should be concerned not only at the change in the view of the seascape but the fact that we export excess electricity to the hot spots down south.

so why, considering the big picture that we are often reminded of, does the scottish Government seem determined to pursue this ‘green crusade’ to t he detriment of our beautiful country, onshore, and now offshore?

they have now been handed by the Uk Government the right (or poisoned chalice) to grant planning permission to extract gas, through fracking. What chance has our countryside got if the history of their decisions on so called wind farms is anything to go by?

BOB CUTHBERT, Alloa.