A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Large areas of the County have average wind speeds sufficient for the generation of energy from wind turbines, with the greatest potential in Bromsgrove and Wychavon districts ...

Thus spake the technical research paper 'Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire', released by Worcestershire County Council in January 2009. It's a shame that this document isn't more widely known. It reveals, for example, that the Community Strategy for Worcestershire (Second Edition 2008 - 2013) includes the following Priority Outcome:

To increase energy efficiency and increase the proportion of energy generated from renewable sources.

The document also indicates that, in order to fulfil the requirements of the Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy targets, 30 2MW wind turbines would need to be installed in the county.

That's right - thirty. 30. Our local bunch of lying, bullying, cheating, conniving nimbies are trying to stop five. Hell of a target to meet by 2011 then, don't you think?

(The target could also be reached through a combination of, say, six turbines, 6,200 solar panels, 20 small hydro-electric schemes and five biomass power plants. Then again, it could just be 30 wind turbines - simpler, really.)

The saddest part of the Worcestershire County Council report comes in the section entitled 'Social Benefits of Renewable Energy in Worcestershire', which kicks off with the confident and uplifting -

Renewable energy can bring real benefits to local communities.

Indeed - elsewhere in the UK, a correlation has been noted between megawatts of wind energy generated and inward investment. In other words, windfarms tend to attract money into a local area. But what's really heartbreaking is paragraph 7.4:

Educating children through ESD [Education for Sustainable Development] on the issues surrounding renewable energy is just one part of a much wider need for effective education across the whole community. People must be properly informed in order to be able to comment effectively on projects that may concern them. Misinformation can be damaging and can portray renewables in too positive or too negative a way. Objective information can be cascaded from local authorities, local strategic partnerships, and national organisations, as well as groups such as Act on Energy.

Nice sentiments. Pity, then, that nobody thought to action that. Where has been the objective information cascading down from our local authorities, etc? Why oh why oh why has it been left to the proven liars and self-centred deception merchants of VVASP to lead the community a merry dance?

Why, in short, have so many people been frightened and bullied into opposing the proposed Lenchwick Windfarm on the most cretinous and unrealistic grounds imaginable just because a bunch of demented dictators in the Lenches don't want to catch sight of a wind turbine from time to time? WHERE WAS THE EFFECTIVE EDUCATION, THE OBJECTIVE INFORMATION? WHERE? WHERE???

There has been so much pain and anguish and misery in the Lenches. None of it, we should hasten to add, was caused by a windfarm that doesn't exist yet. All of it has been caused by those fraudulent, irresponsible social terrorists of VVASP - motto: "Lie First, Don't Ask Questions Later".

If the local authorities had stepped in at an early stage, cascading effective education into the area like paratroopers heading towards Arnhem - well, the loony nimby brigade would have gone ballistic, but it doesn't take much to set them off, and the rest of us would have had some real facts to weigh up.

It's a shame. Our local authorities have utterly failed us in this regard. As far back as January 2009, they had realised how important it was to keep the community informed about the realities of wind power and other renewables.

Unfortunately, the mentalists of VVASP had already started their evil crusade by then.