So Much Wind: The Myth of Green Energy

Evaluating the Scottish government's obsession with renewable energy, this book also looks at alternative sources of power that may prevent the lights from going out across Scotland. The energy crisis is one of the most pressing and significant problems the world has to face. With limited resources of fossil fuels left, and the additional political and environmental issues that surround their use, it is clear that life on earth cannot continue as it is without the development of alternative sources of power. The UK government's policy of support for wind energy and its attempts to achieve 20 percent electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020 has been lauded by many, yet described as "a fatuous obsession" by others. Scotland's targets are five times more ambitious and therefore invite intensive scrutiny. Scotland's green energy myth is exposed: the truth is that wind turbines despoil the unique landscape and environment; they risk plunging the nation into a devastating energy crisis; and through noise, the flicker-effect, and vibration, they abuse the health and welfare of people and animals that have to live near them. Showing how these visual monstrosities produce a trickle of electricity at vast cost to the consumer, this book also demonstrates that they do not significantly reduce CO2 emissions.