Julian Scola, EWEA Communications Director

We are all getting excited about Global Wind Day tomorrow but one wind “skeptic” group is getting over-excited.

‘Americans for Prosperity’ issued a press release with the title ‘Left wing radicals harness the power of child labor on Global Wind Day‘.

While pleased with all publicity for GWD, the press release contains some misunderstandings that need to be corrected:

1.    Americans For Prosperity seem to have confused educational and recreational activities for children (for example a balloon competition in Germany and a kite flying event in the US) with “child labor”.

2.    The coordinators of GWD – EWEA and GWEC – are not ‘left wing radicals’ but trade associations with members including many well-known companies such as Siemens and GE. There is no special link with the ‘Party of European Socialists’ (the second largest party in the European Parliament), any more than there is with any other mainstream party involved in European policy-making. Our role is to represent our industry to policy-makers so it is normal to talk to all mainstream parties.

3.    The organisers of GWD have never made any “effort to intimidate or silence” ‘Americans for Prosperity’.

4.    GWD does not use children as “props and human shields”.

We struggle to understand why Americans For Prosperity find GWD “disturbing and … sick”. When they describe one GWD activity saying “they will indoctrinate children by using model turbines and kites to show them how wind energy works” there must be some misunderstanding.

GWD is about activities such as wind farm open days for people curious to learn more about renewable energy and fun entertainment activities for children.