Product Description

The spectre of global warming and the political panic surrounding it has triggered a goldrush for renewable energy sources without an open discussion of the merits and drawbacks of each. In The Wind Farm Scam Dr Etherington argues that in the case of wind power the latter far outweigh the former. Wind turbines cannot generate enough energy to reduce global CO2 levels to a meaningful degree; what's more wind power is by nature intermittent and cannot generate a steady output, necessitating back-up coal and gas power plants that significantly negate the saving of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the inefficacy of wind power there are ecological drawbacks, including damage to habitats, wildlife and the far-from-insignificant aesthetic drawback of the assault upon natural beauty and the pristine landscape, which wind turbines entail. Dr Etherington argues that wind power has been, and is being, excessively financed at the cost of consumers who have not been consulted, nor informed that this effective subsidy is being paid from their bills to support an industry that cannot be cost efficient or, ultimately, favour the cause it purports to support.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4656 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 300 pages

About the Author
John Etherington was a Reader in Ecology at the University of Wales, Cardiff. Since his retirement from the University in 1990, he has devoted himself to researching the implications of intermittently available renewable electricity generation, in particular wind power. He is a Thomas Huxley Medallist at the Royal College of Science and a former co-editor of the International Journal of Ecology.

Customer Reviews

Is wind power the answer to our energy problems?
This is a timely book! The UK government is trying to drive through a massive programme of wind farm construction over the next 10 years - usually in the face of huge, democratically-expressed, local opinion against them. The population at large up till now has been willing to go along with this policy, which threatens to despoil large tracts of our beautiful countryside and cause misery to those who are obliged to live close to the huge new generation of turbines around 400ft in height, because it seems the 'green' and 'noble' thing to be doing. But will this policy actually make a real difference to the UK's carbon emissions? What is its real cost to the consumer? Will this policy prevent the lights going out? Do wind farms actually produce the goods?

In the face of the stream of propaganda from politicians and energy companies telling us how wonderful wind farms are, there has been a lack of authoritative independent advice for those who want to come to a balanced judgement. Now Dr John Etherington, a former editor of the 'Journal of Ecology', has produced this handy 200 page summary of the key issues involved. His conclusions are clear from the title of the book: it is a 'scam'!

What do you think? If you care about the despoilation of our countryside; if you care about the direction of our country's energy policy; if you are threatened with a wind farm development (and make no mistake, they are coming soon to a field near you); then read this book.

A book for every politician's Christmas stocking.
John Etherington explains the shortcomings of wind energy with a clarity that cannot be refuted. Only environmentalists of the sickest green hue could find anything to argue with in this book.

The Wind Farm Scam answered all my questions, it laid out in clear, easy to follow tables and charts the reason why we should stop building wind turbines today. Technical details which I have previously found hard to get to grips with were explained in plain language, clarifying the mystery of such things as the national grid and load factors.

If all of our politicians read this book we might at last get a well balanced and realistic policy on energy for the UK. For too long we have been subjected to propaganda from the wind industry trying to convince us that the only way to save the planet is to cover all of our wild uplands with machines reminiscent of H G Wells 'War of the Worlds'

Please read it and come to your own conclusion. The government is advised on energy by the very people who stand to benefit from the subsidies. How can that be right?

Communities and Politicians Should Welcome This Contribution
Thank goodness for this timely contribution. As a professional engineer and academic I was recently faced with the task of educating myself and fellow villagers on the numerous issues surrounding industrial wind turbines. We needed to rapidly acquire and assimilate the information on turbine capital costs, electrical output, revenue streams, subsidies (including the Alice-in-Wonderland `renewables obligation certificates'), health issues (particularly noise) and claimed contributions to carbon-reduction.

All this was required to counter the `steamroller' tactics of developer and lobby groups, both apparently determined to despoil the new South Downs National Park landscape and (as it transpired) to charge us for the privilege! We spent many weeks collating information, then promulgating to residents and planning authorities and at public inquiry. Dr. Etherington's monograph would have dramatically eased and speeded our learning experience.

Etherington's book will surely come to be recognised as the immediate source of reference for communities such as ours when faced with proposals for industrial wind turbine farms. From painful experience our community now knows that they are indeed a `scam'.

Hopefully `The Wind Farm Scam' will also be required reading for all MPs in the 2010 intake; particularly so for ministers who thus far have failed spectacularly to grasp the scientific and environmental issues which John Etherington so adeptly assembles and analyses.

It is no exaggeration to say that none of our legislators (with the honourable exception of Lord Lawson) has thus far grasped the futility of wind turbine economics. If appropriate early action is taken to modify current policies it would save our nation tens of billions of pounds that we can ill afford - and all this with no harm to the environment!

We all owe Dr. Etherington a debt of gratitude for his timely publication - let us not waste the opportunity to revise our strategy.

Dr. Tony Parker
East Sussex

The Wind Farm Scam
An Appeal to Reason: A Cool Look at Global Warming
Scared to Death: From BSE to Global Warming: Why Scares are Costing Us the Earth