Wind Farms in Cumbria

The Cumberland News
Wind Farms in Cumbria

The majority of the world uses non-renewable sources of energy for electricity and this is having a negative impact on the world. Fossil fuels generate most of our electricity but by using them, we create greenhouse gases while combusting them. Hence this contributes to global warming and is impacting the rest of the world. If the level of greenhouse gases keep on rising, the earth will get warmer; sea levels will rise and droughts will occur throughout the world.
A way of preventing this happening is by using renewable energy. This means that the source of energy won’t run out and it is sustainable for future generations, unlike fossil fuels which have a limited supply. They produce little/no greenhouse gases which is much better for our environment. Forms of renewable energy include solar energy, hydropower, biomass, biofuel, geothermal energy and most importantly wind energy.
Wind turbines generate electricity through this process: the wind turns the blades which then spins a shaft. The shaft connects to a generator which produces electricity. The UK is an ideal place for wind turbines because we are one of the windiest nations in Europe. Cumbria in particular is an ideal place to build new wind farms because it is a very hilly area and it has a long coastline; making the area very windy. There is already a wind farm in the village of Great Orton and so far it has been a success. It has supplied 2,000 homes and has saved about 8,530 tonnes/year of greenhouse gases. It also gives farmers extra income in the area because the wind farms are built on their land.
A decision has been made to build another wind farm in Cumbria as it has had quite a lot of success. Caldbeck fells is the location chosen for another wind farm. It has high exposed land which means there will be lots of space for many turbines. Some residents of Cumbria are against wind farms being built due to several reasons. Some elderly people cannot live peacefully with the level of noise that the wind farms produce, it gives them headaches. Other members of the community are concerned that it’ll ruin the landscape and will stunt the level of tourism generated, as Cumbria is a tourist attraction. However, they won’t need to be concerned with this location. The location is very remote, therefore it won’t cause noise pollution which may bother some citizens. It won’t also be ‘ruining the landscape’ since there was nothing there before hand. Although the area is remote, you can access it through country lanes, therefore maintaining the wind farm won’t be as difficult to do.
Building the wind farms will reduce the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is a positive step for Cumbria.