Tuesday 04 Aug 09

Ugly nation?

There seems to be a lot of chatter about wind power at the moment, like this piece in the Independent. Each side of the argument are as passionate as the other, and as an observer, it's sometimes hard to see the wood for the trees.

One issue is whether you think wind farms are a blight on the landscape or have some aesthetic value.  Some years ago David Attenborough said he thought they were quite beautiful, but clearly many people disagree.  Of course, there are other factors like the cost of creating this type of clean renewable energy.  But in the end, doesn't it boil down to weighing up the long-term benefit gained from reduced carbon emissions (is it measurable and meaningful?) against the perceived uglification of the landscape and seascape?