Prof David Bellamy



BIOGRAPHY

Prof David Bellamy is a world-leading and extremely respected scientist. Prof David Bellamy is famous for his appearances on the BBC where he brought enviromental issues and scientific morality into peoples living rooms. Bellamy is seen by many as the worlds leading scientist in his field.

SUPPORT FOR SWAG

WIND FARMS AND PYLONS - an Open meeting with Prof. David Bellamy
Portree, Isle of Skye on Monday 22nd November 2004.

If you were among the assembled audience and not seriously worried by the statistics provided by Prof. David Bellamy; the pictures and presentation of Mr Bob Graham, not to mention the personal experiences and six-year hell of Mr David Brierly and Mr Les Nicholls from Cumbria, (all of whom appeared for no fee) then you must be living in cloud cuckoo land.

If the map they provided showing designated areas for Wind Farm Development is to be believed, then the residents of the magical Isle of Skye, let alone the rest of the Highlands, are in for a rude awakening. Even if they feel this will not affect them directly, the knock-on effect will. It will just be a matter of time.

Wind Farms, of the size and location proposed by AMEC, are in the short term interest of a few and the long term interests of none. As Prof. Bellamy pointed out - you can build as many ‘Wind Factories’ as you like, but they will not shut down one fossil fuel station. Not only is the energy created nowhere near commensurate with the investment, but we are going to have to pay more for our energy as a result!

This meeting highlighted that not only are Wind Farms all ‘Developer Led’ by greed, but once again the Scottish Executive has failed us. By not having a Wind Farm development strategy it is allowing all the unprincipled cowboys access to trash our landscape for their considerable gain. A travesty, and one that environmentally will take 100s of years to redress.

By contrast, Monday’s Newsnight Scotland ran a piece on Islay showing how a ‘spread’ of renewable energy works for the benefit of the inhabitants. This involved wave power (hidden into the landscape) all new properties with solar tiles, geothermal energy sourcing and only 3 wind turbines - located to the detriment of no one. This is hoped to be a ‘blueprint’ but most importantly is run ‘by the people, for the people’ with any profit re-invested. Even the Distillery Bowmore’s boiling water is used for energy saving.

If nothing else, Monday’s meeting served notice on the people of Scotland. Stand up and be counted on this issue - otherwise be prepared to have your heritage, landscape and tourism ruined, FOR EVER. It recently emerged that more than 4000 Giant (330’ high - in some cases over 400’) turbines are planned across Scotland!