279 lines
8.4 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
279 lines
8.4 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
earth
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energy
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windpower
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3867232
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-----
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# Promoters overstated the environmental benefit of wind farms
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## The wind farm industry has been forced to admit that the environmental
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benefit of wind power in reducing carbon emissions is only half as big as it
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had previously claimed.
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![Environmental benefit of wind farms: overstated ][1]
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It will be regarded as a concession that twice as many wind turbines as
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previously calculated will be needed to provide the same degree of reduction
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in Britain's carbon emissions Photo: PA
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By Patrick Sawer 10:28AM GMT 20 Dec 2008
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[Comments][2]
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The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) has agreed to scale down its
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calculation for the amount of harmful carbon dioxide emission that can be
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eliminated by using wind turbines to generate electricity instead of burning
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fossil fuels such as coal or gas.
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The move is a serious setback for the advocates of wind power, as it will be
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regarded as a concession that twice as many wind turbines as previously
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calculated will be needed to provide the same degree of reduction in Britain's
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carbon emissions.
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A wind farm industry source admitted: "It's not ideal for us. It's the result
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of pressure by the anti-wind farm lobby."
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For several years the BWEA - which lobbies on behalf of wind power firms -
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claimed that electricity from wind turbines 'displaces' 860 grams of carbon
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dioxide emission for every kilowatt hour of electricity generated.
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However it has now halved that figure to 430 grams, following discussions with
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the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
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## Related Articles
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* [More wind farms can be built in UK without harming wildlife - RSPB][3]
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24 Mar 2009
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* [RSPB to build wind farms on its bird reserves][4]
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06 Dec 2008
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Hundreds of wind farms are being planned across the country, adding to the 198
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onshore and offshore farms - a total of 2,389 turbines - already in operation.
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Another 40 farms are currently under construction.
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Experts have previously calculated that to help achieve the Government's aim
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of saving around 200 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2020 - through
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generating 15 per cent of the country's electricity from wind power - would
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require 50,000 wind turbines.
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But the new figure for carbon displacement means that twice as many turbines
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would now be needed to save the same amount of CO2 emissions.
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While their advocates regard wind farms as a key part of Britain's fight
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against climate change, opponents argue they blight the landscape at great
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financial cost while bringing little environmental benefit.
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Dr Mike Hall, an anti-wind farm campaigner from the Friends of Eden, Lakeland
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and Lunesdale Scenery group in the Lake District, said: "Every wind farm
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application says it will lead to a big saving in the amount of carbon dioxide
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produced. This has been greatly exaggerated and the reduction in the carbon
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displacement figure is a significant admission of this.
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"As we get cleaner power stations on line, the figure will get even lower. It
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further backs the argument that wind farms are one of the most inefficient and
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expensive ways of lowering carbon emissions."
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Because wind farms burn no fuel, they emit no carbon dioxide during regular
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running. The revised calculation for the amount of carbon emission they save
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has come about because the BWEA's earlier figure did not take account of
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recent improvements to the technology used in conventional, fossil-fuel-
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burning power stations.
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The figure of 860 grams dates back to the days of old-style coal-fired power
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stations. However, since the early 1990s, many of the dirty coal-fired
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stations have been replaced by cleaner-burning stations, with a consequent
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reduction in what the industry calls the "grid average mix" figure for carbon
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dioxide displacement.
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As a result, a modern 100MW coal or gas power station is now calculated to
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produce half as many tonnes of carbon dioxide as its predecessor would have
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done.
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The BWEA's move follows a number of rulings by the ASA against claims made by
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individual wind farm promoters about the benefits their schemes would have in
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reducing carbon emissions.
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In one key adjudication, the ASA ruled that a claim by Npower Renewables that
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a wind farm planned for the southern edge of Exmoor National Park, in Devon,
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would help prevent the release of 33,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the
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atmosphere was "inaccurate and likely to mislead". This claim was based on the
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860-gram figure.
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The watchdog concluded: "We told Npower to ensure that future carbon savings
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claims were based on a more representative and rigorous carbon emissions
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factor."
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The ASA has now recommended that the BWEA and generating companies use the far
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lower figure of 430 grams.
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In a letter to its members, the BWEA's head of onshore, Jan Matthiesen, said:
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"It was agreed to recommend to all BWEA members to use the single static
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figure of 430 g CO2/kWh for the time being. The advantage is that it is well
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accepted and presents little risk as it understates the true figure."
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This is now the figure given on the BWEA's website. The organisation will also
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be forced to lower its claim for the total amount of carbon dioxide emission
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saved by the 2,389 wind turbines currently operating around Britain.
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But the association denied the change weakened the case for wind farms.
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Nick Medic, spokesman for the BWEA, said: "Wind farms are still eliminating
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emissions. The fact is that fossil fuel burning power stations belch out CO2
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and wind farms don't. That has not changed.
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"The fact is we need to reduce carbon emissions, however you account for them.
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But there are people who just don't like wind farms and will use any argument
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against them."
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[X][5] Share & bookmark
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][6]
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* Share: [Share][5] [ ][7] [ ][8]
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[Tweet][9]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/3867232/Promoters-
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overstated-the-environmental-benefit-of-wind-farms.html
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Telegraph
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## [Wind Power][10]
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* ### [News »][11]
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* ### [UK News »][12]
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* ### [Earth »][13]
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* ### [Energy »][14]
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* ### [Green Politics »][15]
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In earth
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[![More than 195,000 wind turbines to appear outside homes by 2020: The Burbo
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Bank Wind Farm, Liverpool][16] ][17]
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### [Wind turbines would need to cover Wales to supply a sixth of country's
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energy needs][17]
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[![Environmental benefit of wind farms: overstated ][18] ][19]
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### [Wind farm benefits 'overstated'][19]
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[![Floating wind farms to be developed as part of government-backed
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research][20] ][21]
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### [Floating wind farms to be developed as part of government-backed
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research][21]
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[X][5] 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?][6]
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Share:
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* [ ][5]
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* [ ][7]
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* [ ][8]
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* [Tweet][9]
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* Advertisement
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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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