Rob Edwards

Ban on building wind farms on peat bogs is 'bad science'

from Sunday Herald, 06 July 2006

A high-profile campaign to ban wind farms from peat bogs has come under sustained attack in the wake of new scientific evidence on climate pollution.

The Scottish Conservative MEP, Struan Stevenson, has been campaigning for a moratorium on wind developments on peatlands. Damaging the peat causes the release of more carbon dioxide than wind farms save, he alleges.

But Stevenson’s claims have now been called into question by an expert report published by the Scottish government. And he has been accused of “bad science” by the wind industry and “showboating” by a fellow MEP - accusations he dismisses as “fatuous”.

One year on, how green is the SNP?

from Sunday Herald, 27 April 2008

The SNP grew up on oil, is wedded to economic expansion and always wants to put Scotland first. As a political party, it has never developed a coherent theoretical approach to one of the defining issues of the age: the environment.

It comes as some surprise then, that after a year in power, the SNP has won warm plaudits from many environmentalists. There are still major reservations, of course, but most observers outside political parties seem to think that the SNP is doing a better job than its predecessors in government.

The councils failing to encourage renewables

from Sunday Herald, 24 February 2008

Plans to cut climate pollution by boosting the use of renewable energy in new building developments are being thwarted because most local authorities are failing to follow government planning guidelines.

A survey has revealed that 60% of Scottish councils have no policy to encourage solar, wind and other clean technologies in new homes and offices - despite being asked a year ago by ministers to introduce one.

This could mean that major flagship developments in the pipeline could be deprived of vital energy-saving measures. They include the Commonwealth games village in Glasgow, as well as new towns planned for Ravenscraig and near Inverness.

Scotland's renewable energy policy a 'poisonous guddle'

from Sunday Herald, 24 February 2008

Almost everyone involved in the “poisonous guddle” that is Scotland’s renewable energy policy has come under blistering attack from a leading Scottish Nationalist, who is calling on the government to draw up a new national energy plan.

Alyn Smith MEP, the SNP’s spokesman on Europe, has launched a fierce assault on developers, environmental groups, government agencies and politicians for the way they have dealt with wind farm applications. As a result, he warned, Scotland is at risk of losing the “glittering prize” of becoming Europe’s green powerhouse.

Wind farms in Scotland face prolonged delays

from Sunday Herald, 20 January 2008

Plans for more than 3,000 new wind turbines across Scotland are facing prolonged delays because the planning system is log-jammed, undermining ministers’ efforts to cut the pollution that is wrecking the climate.

An investigation by the Sunday Herald has revealed that frustrated developers are waiting an average of 33 months to get decisions on big wind farms from the Scottish government, and 20 months for decisions on smaller projects from local authorities.

The amount of electricity that would be generated by the 153 wind farms currently held up in the planning queue is enough to provide 60% of all Scotland’s power, and could easily replace the nation’s nuclear power stations at Hunterston in North Ayrshire and Torness in East Lothian.

Semiconductor uses the sun to split water

from New Scientist, 08 October 2007

Using hydrogen to power vehicles could free us from our reliance on fossil fuels, and water is its obvious source, but how to get one from the other? Now a semiconductor has been discovered that uses energy from sunlight to do this efficiently.

Hydro schemes provoke opposition

from Sunday Herald, 16 September 2007

Plans for seven new hydro-electric schemes across Scotland have provoked opposition from anglers, environmentalists and local people alarmed at the risks for wildlife.

The conflicts highlight the problems plaguing the expansion of renewable energy, and could make it more difficult for the Scottish Government to combat global warming by boosting clean supplies of power.

Public inquiry into power line plan ‘a charade’

from Sunday Herald, 29 April 2007

The public inquiry into controversial plans to string electricity pylons across the Highlands has been condemned as a "charade" by a former ministerial advisor, prompting calls for it to be abandoned.

Roger Crofts, who was chief executive of the conservation agency Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) for ten years, has launched a fierce attack on the Scottish Executive for prejudicing the outcome of the inquiry.

Edinburgh insists on renewables in new developments

08 October 2006

Every major development in Edinburgh will have to supply at least 10% of its power from wind, solar or other renewable energy sources under a plan agreed by the city council.

Executive to challenge regulator on renewables

from Sunday Herald, 17 September 2006

The UK electricity regulator, Ofgem, is to be confronted by the Scottish Executive this week for failing to reform its "unfair" charges for renewables.

At last: a Scottish response to Blair's energy review

14 June 2006

Scottish ministers have finally managed to make their submission to Tony Blair's energy review - two months late and just a few weeks before the Prime Minister is expected to give the go-ahead to new nuclear power stations.

Blair facing legal action on renewables

from Sunday Herald, 07 May 2006

The Blair government is breaking a European law aimed at boosting the use of clean, renewable electricity to combat climate chaos. The European Commission has launched legal action against UK ministers for failing to comply with legislation promoting wind, wave, tidal and other renewable forms of power.

UK to get EU's largest wind farm

from New Scientist, 03 May 2006

Shaking off its image as one of Europe's laggards on renewable energy, the UK last month gave the go-ahead for the EU's largest onshore wind farm.

National Trust opposes wind farm

from Sunday Herald, 12 March 2006

Government plans to boost renewable energy will hit another snag this week with the decision of Scotland’s largest conservation group to come out for the first time against a wind farm.

Hot claims for solar power future

from New Scientist, 04 March 2006

DEVELOPED countries could be generating more electricity from sunlight than from nuclear power within the next 20 years.

Cancer fears over ‘green’ power line

from Sunday Herald, 27 November 2005

THOUSANDS of people could be exposed to cancer risks from a high-voltage power line planned to carry renewable electricity from the north of Scotland.

Fire up the new green fuel: wood

from Sunday Herald, 26 June 2005

AS many as one in 10 of Scotland’s homes could be heated by a humble new fuel that is renewable, affordable and could dramatically cut pollution – wood.

Giant pylons plan sparks official protest

from Sunday Herald, 21 November 2004

The National Trust for Scotland has joined the growing chorus of protest against plans to erect giant pylons across the Highlands to bring renewable electricity from the Western Isles.

Battle brewing as RSPB objects to Lewis wind farms

from Sunday Herald, 24 October 2004

POWERFUL conservation groups and energy multinationals are about to be pitched into battle over plans for the world’s biggest wind farm on the Isle of Lewis.

Think tank dismisses wind farms as ‘expensive, unreliable polluters’

from Sunday Herald, 18 April 2004

Nothing could be more guaranteed to reawaken old hostilities. Forget wind power, the government is to be told, go for nuclear power instead.