A foster family had their foster children taken off them last week by Rotherham Social Services because the foster parents were members of UKIP, which provoked national outrage including from all main political parties

Not related stories, but interesting anyway.

“The Coalition has been accused of being in an “utter shambles” over wind farms after the Energy Secretary moved to strip powers from a Conservative minister for being “prejudiced” against turbines.”

Ed Davey, a Liberal Democrat, said he took legal advice after John Hayes, one of his junior Tory ministers, called an end to wind farms “peppering” the countryside.

In a newspaper interview, Mr Davey said he had written to the Prime Minister pointing out the energy minister had spoken out against Coalition policy. He also said there was a “question mark” over whether Mr Hayes should continue to be responsible for green energy.

“I asked the legal department here whether there was a danger John had prejudiced himself because he had made these statements, and they said there was a danger. They said they could not say it would end up in judicial review, and challenging decisions in which he was involved, but there was a greater potential danger,” he told The Guardian.

David Cameron has not responded to Mr Davey.

“I think it is fair to guess that he has come to the conclusion that renewable energy deployment could stay with John. I can only assume he has decided the legal risk is quite small,” Mr Davey added

Yesterday, Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, said Mr Davey’s move to strip powers from his deputy was a sign of an “utterly shambolic government”.

Mr Hayes has repeatedly criticised onshore wind farms, amid anger from more than 100 backbench Tory MPs about their intrusion on the countryside.

In a letter in July, the MP for South Holland and The Deepings in Lincolnshire wrote to his local council saying wind farms were “inefficient”, “costly” and generate “barely a trickle of non-storable electricity”.

Last month he said Britain could “no longer have wind turbines imposed on communities”. He also promised to “protect our green and pleasant land”.

The debate over the future of wind farms comes as

Mr Davey prepares to unveil his Energy Bill this week,

paving the way for more nuclear power stations and wind farms over the next two decades.

He will also travel to Doha, Qatar, next week for international talks on how to tackle climate change.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/9702342/Infighting-over-wind-farm-policy-descends-into-utter-shambles.html

answering question
“Would you be prepared to pay more for green energy?”

31% Yes, 69% No

Would you be prepared to pay more for green energy?

The government’s deal over a new energy bill is expected to lead to higher gas and electricity bills in the coming year. The Guardian has calculated an increase of £60-£80, while the Telegraph expects bills to “rise by up to £178 a year”. In principle, would you prepared to pay more for renewable energy?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2012/nov/23/would-you-be-perpared-to-pay-more-for-green-energy

Currently 33% Yes, 67% No. Polls close in 2 hours

http://www.stopitmeddon.co.uk/Turbine%20Size%20PSA1.JPG

Britain will triple subsidies for low-carbon power generation by 2020 after its coalition government this week forged a compromise over how to fund wind farms without harming the future of gas-fired power.

The compromise became possible after the government agreed to postpone until 2016 setting a target for decarbonisation, which was opposed by many members of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party. The target is the extent to which carbon emissions are to be reduced by 2030.

The deal is expected to boost the share of renewables in Britain’s energy mix to 30 per cent by 2020, outpacing European Union targets of 20 per cent, and create thousands of new jobs.

“Today we’ve reached a landmark agreement on energy policy that’s going to deliver a clear, durable signal to investors,” Cameron’s spokeswoman said.

Under the agreed Levy Control Framework, spending on renewable power generation will increase to 7.6 billion pounds ($12 billion) a year in real terms by 2020, from the current 2.35 billion pounds, to reduce dependence on gas.

The renewable spending plans will be funded through further rises in household energy bills, which are increasingly unaffordable for many consumers.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/uk-triples-subsidies-for-renewable-energy-20121124-29zom.html#ixzz2DBgqmoV9

Just to repeat that last bit The renewable spending plans will be funded through further rises in household energy bills, which are increasingly unaffordable for many consumers.

CAMPAIGNERS against a 34-turbine wind farm are outraged a planner has recommended that Highland Council should not object to the development, despite fierce opposition from four community councils and hundreds of people.

In a stinging response, the Ardross-based Save our Straths group said the recommendation to councillors not to challenge the Glenmorie wind farm plan made a mockery of public consultation and meant local opinion “counted for nothing”.

The proposal to establish the wind farm on Kildermorie and Glencalvie Estate has whipped up strong feelings over the past year, with Ardross residents claiming it would lead to their community being completely encircled by 125-high metre turbines

http://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/News/Glenmorie-wind-farm-objections-count-for-nothing-23112012.htm

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/story-17401807-detail/story.html

I had a similar suggestion put to me by a Greenpeace beggar some time back but it revolved around replacement of France’s nuclear capability with wind. The impossibility was not a barrier to be considered of course and it was apparently justifiable to erect towers everywhere all over France (a “carpet” as you put it). Even in urban neighbourhoods. To save the planet.

Unintended consequences again. Reminds me of the Spanish variation a while ago, solar electricity produced at night – with diesel.