Climate
Change
Windfarms address
the problem of climate change by replacing electricity that would
otherwise be provided by gas and coal fired power stations; sources
which release carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming. The
Prime Minister in his forward to the UK
Energy Review in 2006 said:
“We
now face two immense challenges as a country – climate change
and energy security. The scientific evidence is now overwhelming.
If the anticipated growth in emissions is left unchecked, global
average temperatures could be as much as 5.8C higher by the end
of this century, with a devastating impact on our economy and natural
world, in the UK and, above all, in the most vulnerable developing
countries.”
The UK
Government Climate Change Programme 2006 notes the following forecast
international impacts from climate change:
Temperature
Rise |
Forecast
Impact |
| 1-2ºC |
Major
impacts on ecosystems and species; wide ranging impacts on society |
| 2-3ºC |
Greenland
ice cap starts to melt, major loss of coral reef ecosystem;
considerable species loss; large impacts on agriculture water
resources; health; and economies; Terrestrial carbon sink could
become a source |
| 1-4ºC |
North Atlantic
circulation at increasing risk of collapse |
| 2-4.5ºC |
West Antarctic
ice sheet at increasing risk of collapse |
The Welsh Assembly
report, ‘Climate
Changes Wales - Learning to Live Differently’, 2003 , identified
the expected changes in climate in Wales:
• more
frequent storms;
• sea level rise;
• increased rainfall and greater inflow to estuaries and the
sea;
• changes of rainfall pattern during the year - wetter winters
and drier summers.
The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) have identified windfarms as a
key part of their strategy to address climate change. National
Planning Policy issued in 2005 stated:
“The
Assembly Government is committed to playing its part by delivering
an energy programme which contributes to reducing carbon emissions.
It has established specific renewable electricity production targets
for Wales ... In order to meet the […] target, the Assembly
Government’s energy policy is that 800MW of renewables capacity
should be provided from strategic onshore wind energy development
– mostly in the form of a small number of large wind farms.
This is based on Wales’ abundant onshore wind resource and
the fact that onshore wind power is the most viable commercial technology
available”
The General
Information section contains links to many other websites addressing
the issues of climate change.
As well as climate
change there are two other important areas that windfarms support:
Energy Security
Energy
prices have risen sharply for all consumers over the last 2 years
as north sea gas reserves have depleted and we import more energy
from overseas. Last winter the electricity regulator warned of potential
shortages for industrial consumers. Windfarms are a sustainable domestic
source of electricity and hence reduce our reliance on unstable overseas
energy imports.
The
UK Government Energy
Review 2006 identifies energy security as “an immense
challenge facing the country” and further states that “we
must promote the growth of our own home-grown energy resources”.
Welsh Energy Industry
The Welsh Assembly Economic Development Committee in their Review
of Energy Policy in Wales, 2003 noted:
“Wales
is well endowed with renewable energy resources and has a good track
record of manufacturing and engineering. The Committee recognises
that a focus on this sector will not create large numbers of jobs
overnight, but considers it to be one in which Wales, in the medium
to long term, has the potential to become a strong player and from
that to export both expertise and technology to the world.”
The
Maerdy Windfarm development would support this strategy.
