SSE is a major player in the windfarm industry
Scotland’s mountaineering body has called for a boycott of a tourism award because they are being sponsored by a major windfarm developer.
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland said the fact that SSE is to sponsor this year’s Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards should come as a substantial embarrassment to all those involved in the tourism industry.
David Gibson, chief officer of the council, which represents 11,400 climbing, hillwalking and mountaineering members, said: “This company is responsible for some of the most undesirable windfarm applications made in Scotland.
“Its proposals often face fierce opposition from fragile communities which rely on tourism for sustainable local jobs.
“Adding insult to injury is the fact that SSE is sponsoring the awards during the Year of Natural Scotland – during which we are supposed to be encouraging visitors to enjoy the very wild landscapes the company wants to industrialise in order to increase its profits.”
The MCofS said SSE made£1.3bn profit in 2011 to 12.
The council said it objected to four windfarm developments which would damage precious mountain assets, but has not objected to SSE’s proposals for the building of wind turbines at 22 other sites.
Mr Gibson said: “The MCofS is not opposed to windfarms; in fact we have only objected to 6 per cent of planning applications. But we simply argue that they should not be built in the most precious of our mountains, the places which give Scotland its international reputation as a country to visit for its fantastic open spaces.
“We would suggest that potential entrants might think about boycotting the awards this year in the hope that HITA will find more suitable sponsors in the future.”
SSE had not replied to grough’s request for a comment at the time of posting.
Maltloafmonster
24 January 2013The MCoS has long since ceased to be a body focused on hillwalking and mountaineering activities. It is, instead, obsessed with what is largely a side issue. Go onto their website, look at the priority with which issues are presented on their home and news pages. Not much about getting safely up or down a mountain, lots of frothing at the mouth about what you might be able to see in one direction, twenty miles away, if the cloud happened to clear.
Aside from the fact that it's pretty appalling for the aesthetic sensibilities of a largely comfortable middle class leisure group to claim priority over real, complex and challenging issues of energy security and sustainability, it's not mountaineering. Rather, its just obsessive, tangential and not fundamental to the purpose of the Council. the reason I left years ago.
Jenny Keal
24 January 2013Maltloafmaster, you have missed the point. Wind energy, far from providing energy security, is threatening it! It certain isn't sustainable, hence the massive subsidies, the only reason for them being built.
The MCoS has a perfect right to raise this issue as it is threatening our wild places!
Do you want all your future hillwalking to be through wind farms? Hardly a 'wilderness experience'.
Ivor Ward
25 January 2013There are two choices for Scotland: Become an industrial wasteland or retain it's well known Independence from the herd.
If it continues to cover the land with Industrial scale turbines there will be no future Tourism. This does not depend on the number of turbines or the position of turbines it depends on the PERCEPTION of the the future climbers, walkers and tourists. With Salmond talking as though he has flipped his lid about covering massive areas in Turbines, about his renewable energy farce, people already are wary. In a recent survey 20% of those questioned had already been put off visiting Scotland; this is before the full impact of this misguided policy has been seen. The percentage can only grow.
What drives this farcical plan? Subsidies. Are turbines any real answer to future power generation? Not even close. They produce power as and when the wind blows, not when it is actually needed. So you have to retain the REAL power stations, be it nuclear, gas or coal. The rubbish about the wind always blowing somewhere is just that: Rubbish. There is no Europe wide grid. Do they save C02. Not likely. Over a million tons of concrete has been carted around Scotland on Diesel trucks. Low loaders, copper wire, rare earth metals. Aluminium, iron ore mined for steel, transport by sea, pylons, sub stations; the list of Co2 emitters is endless. You do not even need half a brain to call rubbish on the turbine planters figures. Then after ten years they have to be replaced according to new research.
Jobs? They are all in Germany, China and Denmark where they are built. How many times has Vestas or Siemens said "We'll build a local factory" then backed out at the last minute. How dumb can Salmond and his cronies be? They keep falling for it and making grandiose announcements...only to have a quiet little "not happening" notice appear a year later. There are a few low quality jobs left over for the locals in the building stage. After that it is technicians flying in from abroad. Oh...I nearly forgot the bloke who goes around in a landrover burying the eagle carcases every morning.
I could go on, but I won't. Make up your own minds. But, please look at the reality of what is going on. Look for the facts. Don't just follow the b-llsh-t put out by Renewables Uk and Scottish Power. They are the ones ripping you off.