Well according to Magnus Linklater of the Times this is so.

The Lewis wind farm has been the subject of much impassioned debate over the last couple of years, with locals crying foul of the developers and money grabbing councillors, and the said councillors claiming in a Nelson ‘stylee’ ‘I see no Protests’ , conveniently missing the petition signed by 4000 odd residents of Lewis.



In case you don’t already know, the proposed ‘development’ will include 240 turbines and the associated pylons, sub-stations and roads. If this development was built in London it would stretch across the full length of Greater London. This was recently covered by Coast on BBC2 and was the first program that I have seen to really show what kind of impact this will have on the Island.

Magnus' article (I'll call him Magnus, I feel 'Maggie' would be a touch too familiar)quotes all the usual Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace rhetoric. He seems to feel that it is perfectly acceptable to create further noise and visual pollution at the expense of the 'odd' Sea Eagle or Hen Harrier. How are we possibly saving the world by building a forest of turbines along with a hundred miles plus of road, digging up tonnes of peat in the process in an area of Special Scientific Interest?

All to the benefit of one million people. Not alot of people when you think about it. If those million people used energy saving lightbulbs, remembered to switch lights off when they leave the room (best to make sure no-ones in the room first, it's not nice to leave Granny in the dark) and refrained from decorating their entire house in OTT ridiculous Xmas lights, maybe we wouldn't need this wind farm. I can't help but feel the Government are just a little bit guilty of spoon feeding the masses.

'Have you used all the power again?

'Look...right, here's the thing. It's just not on right? Yes I know you need your Sky TV and your 4x4 and of course it's important little Tarquin has all the mod-cons...What?...What do you mean you'll vote Lib Dem next time....Ok, Look here's a big windfarm, energy efficient (ahem) and Green too. Never mind that, the locals don't even speak the same language as us, Garlic or somesuch nonsense.'

'Just don't do it again. Ok?'