Today at 13.05 CET* I physically posted a appeal/petition with 1320 signatures to:
Mr. Julio Garcia Burgues, Head of Infringements at the EC Directorate General for the Environment
This addressee was chosen on the advice of the Head of the Directorate for Protecting the Natural Environment in reply to previous representations on this matter.
In the letter I have avoided the term “extirpation” (OED – eradication, making extinct) and have used the formulation “populations of the rare White-tailed Eagle, and the emblematic Golden Eagle, are under threat in Scotland” instead. The EC and others have made clear that the former term cannot be supported.
The Scottish wind energy campaign has been a rough ride, not least for me personally. I have made it clear on a number of occasions (as posted on the Proact site at
http://www.proact-campaigns.net/windfarmsandbirds/index.html ) that Proact (and myself personally) are not opposed to wind energy per se. That is another argument which can be conducted on a different and higher plane. We will however continue to oppose the inappropriate development of wind farms in and near bird habitats where breeding and the natural life cycle of significant numbers of birds could be adversely affected.
I think the time is ripe for conservationists to tackle this problem at the key level of governmental (and European) energy policy. Perhaps readers might care to consider this a little more closely. Rising energy consumption and the lemming-like consumer demand for vehicles and appliances which demand even more energy (inter alia the dreaded SUV spread) do not augur well for the future. This is way outside the Proact charter; but nevertheless something with which all those involved or interested in nature conservation should concern themselves.
Thank you all for your support,
David
--
David Conlin, Proact
*I have been visiting my aged and sick mother in Cyprus so was unable to respond before in the past 18 days.
