Produção Nacional
Revisado por pares
Balancing Environmental and Cultural Impact against the Strategic Need for Wind Power
2009; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 15; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/13527250902890688
ISSN1470-3610
Autores Tópico(s)Forest Management and Policy
ResumoAbstract Wind power is seen by many as a key industry for the future: an environmentally benign renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. The Northern and Western Isles, with their high average wind speeds, would seem to be well placed to exploit this rapidly emerging demand. As well as meeting a global need, to reduce output of greenhouse gases and a national need for security of supply into the twenty‐first century, wind power promises an economic future for rural regions whose prospects are otherwise uncertain. However, this benign scenario is marred by potentially serious negative consequences for local environmental systems, landscape aesthetics and archaeology, which are themselves often of national and international importance. With particular reference to proposed projects in Lewis and Shetland, this paper will consider the competing demands from national and local policy on the location of wind farms, and weaknesses in the current planning process. Keywords: Wind FarmsClimate ChangeArchaeologyNatural Heritage Notes [1] Global Wind Energy Council, 'Record Year for Wind Energy'. [2] The Western Isle Council voted in favour of the development and Shetland Councillors committed millions of pounds of Development Trust funds to Viking Energy as minority stakeholders in the company. [3] Energy Information Administration, 'United Kingdom: Oil'; 'United Kingdom: Gas'. [4] Plesch, 'New Energy for Global Security'. [5] Stern, Stern Review. [6] Dept of Trade and Industry, Energy White Paper. [7] Ibid., 4.25. [8] The £140 million, 100MW Glendoe Dam near Loch Ness—UK Trade and Investment Services, The UK Hydroelectric Power Sector. [9] The 300MW PS10 solar power station under construction in Spain is projected to average output of 24% of its installed capacity and to cost €1.2 billion, which is €4000 per KW (Renewable Energy UK, 'First European Solar Power Tower'). This compares with a wind turbine industry standard of approximately €1000 ($1000) per KW and output efficiency of 30% (Danish Wind Industries Association, 'Economics of Offshore Wind Energy'). [10] Danish Wind Industries Association, 'Economics of Offshore Wind Energy'. [11] RSPB, 'Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm'; Thomsen et al., Effects of Offshore Wind Farm Noise on Marine Mammals and Fish. [12] Taylor, 'Wind Energy', 248–9. [13] Ibid., Figure 2.32. [14] Renewable Energy UK, 'Burradale Wind Farm Shetland Islands'. [15] SNH, Policy Summary; National Scenic Areas. [16] Lewis Wind Power, 'Lewis Wind Farms: Non‐technical Summary'. [17] Environmental Services Committee Beinn Mhor Power—Supplementary Environmental Information, Conditions, and Draft Section 75 Agreement, Scottish Executive, 'Scoping Opinion for the Proposed Windfarm at Pairc, Isle of Lewis'. [18] Smallwood and Thelander, Developing Methods to Reduce Bird Mortality, 3. [19] RSPB, 'Scotland Wind Farms Blamed for Death of Eagles'; Statkraft, 'Sea Eagles in Collision with Wind Turbines at Smøla; Statkraft, Operational and Research Status at Smøla Wind Farm'. [20] RSPB, 'RSPB Objection to Lewis Wind Power'. [21] Lewis Wind Power, 'Lewis Wind Farms: Non‐Technical Summary'. [22] Douglas, 'The Hidden Cost of Wind Turbines'. [23] Holden, 'Peatland Hydrology and Carbon Release'. [24] SNH, 'Windfarms and Carbon Savings; Technical Guidance Note'. [25] Ritchie and Harman, Argyll and the Western Isles. [26] Ritchie, Shetland: Exploring Scotland's Heritage. [27] Shetland Island Council, 'Natural and Built Environment', 3.11. [28] Whittle, Scord of Brouster. [29] Viking Energy, 'Harnessing Shetland's Natural Resources'. [30] Scottish Office, 'Planning Advisory Note 42'. [31] Cf. Viking Energy, Windylights: A Prospectus for Shetland's Viking Windfarm Project. [32] Scottish Parliament Enterprise and Culture Committee, 'Submission from the Council for Scottish Archaeology'. [33] UNESCO, State of Conservation (Tower of London). [34] Downes et al., The Heart of Neolithic Orkney Research Agenda, 29. [35] Denyer, 'Orkney World Heritage'. [36] Energy Resource Unit, 'UK Wind Resource'. [37] Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 'Electricity in the UK'. [38] John Muir Trust, 'Environmental Groups Join Forces to Protect Scotland's Landscapes'. [39] Energy Network Association Electricity, 'Overhead Lines or Buried Cables', 5. [40] Ibid., 3. [41] Crown Estates 'Making a Positive Connection'. [42] Ashmore, 'Coastal Erosion of Archaeological Sites'; Dawson 'Estimation of the Vulnerability of Scotland's Coastline'; SNH, 'Natural Heritage Trends; Climate Change Impacts: Loss of Synchrony Between Species'. [43] World Wildlife Fund, 'Scottish Islands to be Hard Hit by Climate Change'. [44] Thomas et al., 'Extinction Risk from Climate Change', 145–8. [45] Nettleton et al., Scottish Roads Network Study. [46] SNH, 'Policy Statement No. 02/02'. [47] Natural Scotland, Strategic Environmental Assessment Tool Kit. [48] Scottish Government, 'Decision on Lewis Wind Farm'.
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