259 lines
7.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
259 lines
7.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
earth
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3568869
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# RSPB to build wind farms on its bird reserves
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## A wildlife charity which has been a vocal opponent of wind farms is to
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build turbines on its own nature reserves.
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By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent 3:13PM GMT 06 Dec 2008
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[Comments][1]
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The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is drawing up plans that
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will see wind turbines constructed on its estates as part of a new green
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energy drive.
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The move, which will see the RSPB generating power for its own buildings and
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selling any surplus to the National Grid, is likely to anger some RSPB members
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who believe wind farms pose a threat to rare birds of prey.
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In the past the RSPB has opposed wind farm projects by lodging planning
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objections against farms it believes are a threat to wild birds and their
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habitats.
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Most recently the RSPB lodged objections against a giant wind farm on the Isle
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of Lewis on the grounds that the 181 turbines proposed would have harmed
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protected bird life and their habitat.
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Wind turbines have faced intense opposition from wildlife charities in the
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past who believe the construction, presence and maintenance of large turbines
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in often remote landscapes can harm the wildlife and habitats they rely upon.
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## Related Articles
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* [Wind power targets 'unrealistic'][2]
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06 Dec 2008
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* [Wind farm 'would wreck Lake District views'][3]
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06 Dec 2008
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Critics of wind farms, however, fear the society may not apply the same
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rigorous scrutiny to wind turbines to be sited on its own estates.
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Neil Sinden, campaigns director at the Campaign to Protect Rural England,
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said: "We are not at all surprised that the RSPB, as an environmental
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organisation, is looking at how it might get more of its power and energy
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needs from renewable sources such as wind turbines.
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"We would have concerns if they fail to pay due attention to the landscape
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character, sensitivity and capacity to accommodate large scale, often quite
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intrusive energy infrastructure."
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Other critics insist wind turbines spoil the aesthetic of the landscapes where
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they are built, particularly as the best locations for wind have few
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buildings.
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Constructing turbines in protected areas such as nature reserves and National
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Parks has been particularly controversial.
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The RSPB's plans form part of its strategy to reduce the society's carbon
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footprint by three per cent a year by using renewable energy sources.
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Details of how much energy the RSPB hopes to generate and how many turbines it
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will build are still to be decided, and will then have to be approved by the
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society's board.
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A 15 kilowatt turbine, however, is already due to be built at the RSPB reserve
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in Rainey Marshes, Dagenham. It has the capacity to generate enough energy for
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six homes.
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A smaller 6 kilowatt turbine is already in use on the RSPB reserve in
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Barnsley.
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It comes just weeks after the Environment Agency, the government body charged
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with protecting the environment in England and Wales, also announced it was to
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build wind turbines on its land, including stretches of countryside alongside
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rivers and waterways.
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Neil Kellthorn, development and projects manager at the RSPB, insisted that
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the society would rigorously assess any proposed site for wind turbines on its
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land and apply the same criteria as it does for wind farms in other parts of
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the country.
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He said wind turbines would be used alongside other technologies such as solar
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power and biofuels to reduce emissions from the RSPB's buildings.
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Mr Kellythorn said: "We are developing a society-wide strategy for using
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renewable energy on the society's reserves. We will look no less stringently
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at our own wind turbine sites than we do at anyone elses.
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"We are mindful of the locations and the sensitive nature of most of our
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sites. The RSPB does not object routinely to all wind turbine sites, but does
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lodge planning objections against those that pose a risk to migrating birds or
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vulnerable populations of birds and habitats."
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A spokesman for the RSPB added: "Climate change is one of the greatest, if not
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the greatest, threats facing wildlife over the next 100 years.
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"We have to do everything we can to protect wildlife, but we must not site
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renewable energy on sites that will be damaging to wildlife as any potential
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gain in climate change will be offset by local difficulties."
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[X][4] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][5]
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* Share: [Share][4] [ ][6] [ ][7]
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[Tweet][8]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3568869/RSPB-to-build-wind-farms-on-its-bird-
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reserves.html
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Telegraph
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## [Earth][9]
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* ### [News »][10]
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In earth
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[![Animal pictures of the week: 27 May 2011][12] ][13]
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### [Animal photos of the week][13]
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[![][16] ][17]
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[![The Milky Way stretches across the night sky behind a rock arch in Arches
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relative insignificance of the Earth in the cosmos.][20] ][21]
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### [The Milky Way over the desert][21]
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[X][4] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][5]
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Share:
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* [ ][4]
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* [ ][6]
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* [ ][7]
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* [Tweet][8]
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![][22]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][23] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][24]
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sponsored features
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var puffs_8120616 = new Array();
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