Please help us object!
The developers of the 100M tall wind turbines at Pencarreg have appealed against CCC's refusal of an application to increase the height of the machines by 25M. Please click here for further details of the appeal, and how to object. Thank you.
Welcome to the website of MLAG
MLAG was formed 10 years ago to (successfully) oppose a scheme to build three 91-metre-high wind turbines on Mynydd Llansadwrn. Our objectives are as follows:
- To safeguard the natural environment of the countryside, preserve the skylines and landscape of the area, and protect people's health and quality of life.
- To oppose planning for inappropriate industrial turbines in Carmarthenshire.
- To support other groups who are opposing the construction of inappropriate wind farms in Carmarthenshire and throughout the rest of Wales and the UK.
Our objections to commercial windfarms include all of the following:
Wind turbines do not generate CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions. However, this is not the whole story. Wind-generated electricity is weather dependant, so it is intermittent and unpredictable. Therefore, when electricity from wind turbines is brought into the grid system, it requires continuous spinning reserve as backup, ready to take over when the wind does not blow or blows too hard. This backup is usually provided by fossil fuel plants, which do generate CO2 emissions. To compound the problem, when operating in this spinning reserve mode, these fossil fuel plants generate more CO2 per kWh than if operating normally. So the spinning reserve is burning fossil fuels and generating higher than normal CO2 emissions even when not producing electricity.
Shock report: wind farms do not reduce emissions!
There are further CO2 emissions associated with the manufacturing of wind turbines, the transport of component parts, and the construction of the wind farm site with its access roads, grid connections, substations, etc.
Each turbine foundation requires between 500 and 1,000 tonnes of concrete and aggregate; concrete manufacture is one of the largest sources (about 7%) of man-made CO2 emissions.
Some wind farm sites require tree clearance and/or peat removal. This not only removes a valuable carbon sink, it also adds to the CO2 emissions problem.
Below are some links to further information on the subject of wind turbines and CO2 emissions.
Wind power: inordinately expensive and ineffective at cutting CO2 emissions
Wind farms will create more carbon dioxide, say scientists
Wind farms generate enough power for a few cups of tea
Wind Energy: Facts and Fiction
Building a wind farm with all its associated works and grid connections is a major construction project that inevitably causes environmental damage and destroys wildlife habitats. Building access roads, crane pads, and concrete foundations, felling trees and draining peat bogs change the soil composition at the wind farm site. The result is faster run-off of water during heavy rainfall with the associated risk of flooding in the lowlands. Draining peat bogs causes them to dry out and release methane (CH4), which is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2.
Wind turbines and concrete
Below are some links to further information on the subject of wind turbines and environmental damage.
Wind farm company hid water contamination evidence
Lawrence Solomon: Fossil fuels now beat wind and solar on environmental as well as economic grounds
Wind farm construction is a threat to wildlife. Once operational, wind turbines kill birds and bats. Noise and light flicker from turbines can disturb livestock.
Below are some links to further information on the subject of wind turbines and wildlife.
Wind farms vs wildlife
Wind turbines kill birds and bats
Can wind turbines cause developmental deformities in horses?
Please see also our detailed pages on Health Effects and How LFN is Propagated
The low-frequency noise and vibrations from wind turbines can be very disturbing for some people and have serious health implications.
Noise of the mechanical gearing system is similar to that of a motorcycle and this can be quietened to a limited extent. But the low-frequency, penetrating sound of the rotating blades is more troublesome. It has been compared to the low thud of base notes from loud music, or the sound of a helicopter at a distance. So far there has been no success in eliminating this noise, which can continue day and night for extended periods. Low-frequency noise, which is mostly inaudible, is ground borne and air borne and can be felt through vibrations. Some people are very sensitive to low-frequency noise and can sometimes hear it many miles from its source. Under certain atmospheric conditions it can travel 20 miles or more, much further than audible noise, which is more filtered out by the atmosphere.
Below are some links to further information on wind turbines and noise.
Wind farm noise guidance is inadequate
Please see also our detailed pages on Health Effects and How LFN is Propagated
For some people living near wind turbines there is no effect, but for others the low-frequency noise can be very disturbing and debilitating, even at distances of up to seven miles (11km). Recognised health problems that could arise include pulse irregularity, headaches, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, loss of balance, sense of displacement (things not being in the place one expects) and sleep disturbance.
Dr Nina Pierpont, based in the USA, has collected research information on victims suffering adverse health effects from exposure to wind turbine noise. All victims exhibited some or all of a consistent group of symptoms for which she coined the term Wind Turbine Syndrome, which is not a recognised medical condition. The symptoms exhibited by people exposed to low-frequency noise are very similar to those people exhibit when suffering from travel sickness, vertigo (spinning world) or labyrinthitis (inflammation of the inner ear).
www.windturbinesyndrome.com
www.ninapierpont.com
Wind farm noise
Evidence from Australia supports scientific claims of a direct causal link between wind turbine low-level pressure pulses and symptoms of sickness
Even wind-energy enthusiasts have to admit that these giant machines are out of keeping with the landscape. They are built on high-altitude, prominent sites to catch the wind, marring some of the most scenic mountainous regions of Wales. Our remote and beautiful landscapes are further degraded by the pylons and transmission lines needed to transport the electricity to the grid system.
Below are some links to comments on the visual dominance of wind turbines.
Wind farms are in the wrong place says Energy Minister
At last, move to curb the wind farms: Pickles announces that concerns about visual and environmental impact must be taken into account
Wind farm 'threat' to our finest views: English Heritage chief says his 'biggest challenge' is to stop eyesores destroying Britain's cultural heritage
The strobe effect when sun is behind the rotating blades can, according to medical opinion, cause dizziness, headaches and trigger seizures. Shadow flicker and reflected light from the blades can also cause problems. These light disturbances are experienced inside the home as well as outside.
Wind farms have been shown to reduce the value of nearby properties. Even a proposal to build a wind farm in an area can discourage prospective buyer.
Below are some links to further information on wind turbines and their effect on property values.
Wind farms knock eight per cent off average home value, property experts reveal
Council tax cut for homes near wind farms
Wind farms do bring down property values
Land owners and the developers are the major financial beneficiaries of wind farms and individual wind turbines. This can cause serious rifts within the local community, as nearby residents are burdened with the negative consequences of these developments, such as noise, visual intrusion, loss of property value, etc., but the landowners reap the financial gain.
UN legal tribunal ruling support UK citizens' claim that they have been denied any decision-making powers over wind-farm approval and have not been adequately informed of the consequences of wind-farm development
Wind power is one of the most expensive forms of electricity; it survives on direct and indirect subsidies. This extra cost to taxpayers is not good value for the taxpayers because wind energy cannot provide firm generating capacity.
Wind farms threaten the local tourist industry and create few, if any, local jobs.
Below are some links to further information on the subject of wind turbines and the economy.
Ministers at war over secret wind farm evidence
Wind farm subsidies generate 900m for Britain's big six energy suppliers
Green tax boost for wind farm profits
Wind farm job creation
Wind farms are industrial power stations. Even the smaller, individual turbines are not usually for domestic use. All these machines require cabling and pylons to feed the electricity they generate into the national grid. Access roads are needed, opening the area to vehicle traffic. Our countryside is being industrialised in the name of so-called green energy.
Once a rural area becomes a site for a wind power station, with access roads and all its associated construction, it is no longer a wilderness area but an industrial site, thereby setting a precedent further development. Once turbines are up and running, there are often applications to increase the size and or number of turbines on the site.
Please note, we are happy to consider providing space on this site for local groups who do not yet have a web presence of their own (e.g. VAST [Pencarreg and Bryndafydd, Rhydcymerau], CAWT [Caio], Pantycelyn, Salem.
We also endeavour to keep all site visitors updated with relevant local news, views and comment via our News section and our Blog.