Facts and figures (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Facts and figures

9:54am Friday 3rd July 2009

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Sir, – As usual, the proponents of wind turbines seem to think that we can all be baffled by a load of irrelevant numbers pretending to be facts.

Calum Gillespy has followed the same pattern. Using the figures he quotes (DST, Jun 5), his turbine will have 2,411 “productive”

hours of operation. That, of course, demonstrates quite clearly that during the other 5,325 hours (the rest of the year), the turbine will produce nothing at all.

But he states that my annual demand for 4,700kw/h will nevertheless be met.

In other words, I can have all the power I want for a whole year, providing I want it during only 27.6 per cent of the year.

What do I do the rest of the time?

This is a perfect example of how to demonstrate that wind turbines are about as much use as a handbrake on a surfboard.

When he ventures into comparisons between Opinion v Fact, he digs another great hole in his argument.

In his opinion, wind farms are quite “elegant”, and certainly not “ruinous”. Yet he goes on to say that “the UK has statutorily protected” national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty “from such activities as wind farm development”, presumably because they are anything but elegant.

Surely, as a chartered surveyor, Mr Gillespy must be well aware that beauty being in the eyes of the beholder, my area of outstanding natural beauty is the view I enjoy from my living room window. I would like to have that “protected” as well, if you don’t mind.

TONY BRENNAN Goodwood Close, Sadberge.

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