Computer generated image of how Hinkley Point windfarm will look
A proposal for a new 12 turbine wind farm has been submitted to West Somerset Council. Located next to a nuclear power plant, the site at Hinkley Point has enormous symbolic significance in the energy crossroads we now face.
Greenpeace and two local groups are supporting the project. Greenpeace believes that Hinkley Point is an example of clean energy development that is vital if we are to prevent the worst effects of climate change. If built the wind farm could provide enough clean energy for 20,000 homes.
4,000 people have written letters of support for the planning application which we presented to West Somerset District Council.
Greenpeace collected the letters at street stalls and festivals, to be given to Council Chief Executive Tim Howes. The message - act now to fight global warming or prepare for the worst.
Some local opposition groups have demanded that planning for the turbines be refused, but these thousands of letters ask the council to give the plan the go-ahead, pointing out that extreme weather linked to climate change killed 35,000 people in Europe last year and that wind farms are a vital part of the solution to the global warming crisis.
The Hinkley Point wind farm, comprising 12 turbines each generating 2.75 mega-watts, is planned for an area of land once earmarked for the construction of a new nuclear power plant.
Local Greenpeace campaigner Steve Krupa said: "We've been collecting these letters across the region and beyond for several weeks. You only need to look at what happened in Cornwall this month to realise how important it is to fight climate change. Most people know that if we don't exploit wind energy we'll end up with a new generation of nuclear power stations, with all the waste, threat to human health and expense that nuclear power has always entailed. The level of support out there for the Hinkley wind farm as part of the solution to climate change is massive."
More information on the impacts of climate change here
Recent examples that indicate the seriousness of the threat from climate change include:
- The World Health Organisation estimates over 150,000 people are already dying every year as a result of climate change
- A recent scientific analysis of the extinction risk from climate change indicates that under a business as usual scenario 1 in 3 land based species will be committed to extinction by 2050 - with rapid emissions reductions the could be limited to 1 in 5.
If wind farm projects fail at the planning stage then the Government has said that it will reconsider the nuclear option. This could mean a new generation of nuclear power stations around the country - just like the one at Hinkley Point - with devastating costs to human health and the environment.
Support Wind Power at www.yes2wind.com
