The all too powerful green lobby has gained far too much influence over government policy, and, as a result many people in Bath and Somerset are now struggling with the cost of living.
The Tory government’s capitulation to the unrealistic demands of green activists has resulted in your electricity bills increasing way above inflation. Far too many people in our area now face the stark choice of heating or eating, and many of our local children are living in poverty. This problem will only increase with the construction of more solar and wind farms, which will mean no end to expensive green levies on your fuel bills. Solar arrays and windfarms can only operate with the help of subsidies from green taxes, which, in turn, create energy poverty, particularly for those on fixed incomes and pensions.
Crazy “net zero” targets are having a severe economic impact on the entire UK, with a consequent drop in our standard of living. You did not vote for this, and it is undemocratic.
UKIP is opposing this lack of common sense. UKIP opposes wind and solar farms, which are an ineffectual source of electricity. They rely on subsidies in the form of green energy surcharges in order to make them economically viable. We all pay for them through our increased energy bills. The recent Tory net zero targets are relentlessly increasing our power bills but they are delivering less secure power supplies. Households are paying ever more for their gas and electricity, and household costs are going to rise even further as the Government raises the price cap.
Windfarms and solar arrays are a blot on the landscape and they threaten to reduce the value of houses near them. There are already too many wind and solar farms in the Bath and Somerset area. We have wind farms in Shepton Mallet and Radstock and solar farms in Crewkerne, Taunton, Wincanton, Bridgwater, Weston super Mare and Marksbury. If the green lobby gets their way there will be even more popping up all over our area. At the time of writing, Bridgwater is at risk and so is East and West Huntspill.
The output of windfarms is unpredictable and inconsistent. They are ugly and devastate rural settings. They create noise pollution, reduce the value of nearby homes and are inefficient. They can have a harmful effect on biodiversity, with birds and bats particularly at risk. The threats to nature include unsettling birds, habitat loss and deaths due to collision, dislocation from feeding grounds or nesting areas and damage to habitat.
Solar farms involve high start-up costs, unreliable and intermittent output, they use a lot of (mainly agricultural) land, create pollution during manufacture, transportation and installation and can adversely affect nearby house prices.
The diversion of funding from conventional reliable power stations to intermittent solar and wind means that the electricity grid struggles to cope at times of peak demand, typically winter evenings, when of course there is no solar power. Conventional gas and coal power stations receive huge sums of money to generate electricity when there is a shortage from wind and solar farms. This capacity shortfall is a serious problem because the Tory government is closing conventional power stations without adequate replacements being available in time. It is impossible to run a modern economy if electricity blackouts become frequent.
UKIP believes agricultural land should be fully utilised to make the UK self-sufficient in food production but windfarms and solar arrays are an ineffectual means to generate power, leaving arable land unused and making the import of food more likely. Manufacturing of windmills and solar panels, plus the increased food-miles from imports and fossil fuel plants still needed to provide 100% backup to the intermittent output of solar electricity panels will all likely offset any minor saving in emissions.
If you want good, common sense policies, and proper accountability to democratic principles, the only choice now in Bath and Somerset is to join and vote for UKIP. If you agree with us and wish to help our local campaign please contact me at chairman@bathandsomersetukip.org.uk
Steve Grimes
County Chairman and Chairman UKIP Bath & Somerset Branch
