Wind energy was front-page news in the UK this weekend with the revelation that Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne plans on cutting subsidies for onshore wind turbines by 25%, a move that would “kill dead” the industry, according to RenewableUK. At the same time, the Chancellor will maintain Government support for nuclear and fossil fuels which account for the largest proportion of Government support for energy.
The news came despite Prime Minister David Cameron’s election campaign promises to be the “greenest government ever” and in the face of a new poll which reveals that a majority of Britons actually want more wind energy.
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Annika, Annika and Mari
By Annika Hadenius and Mari Wikström, Wind in Mind
The Global Wind Day photo competition – which attracted a massive 2,300 entries – is supported by Wind in Mind, a Swedish company that makes products out of sailcloth. Wind in Mind are giving sail cloth wash bags to the six lucky photo competition winners set to be announced on 15 June – Global Wind Day itself. Here, they tell the EWEA blog about their passion for the energy that’s in the wind…
With a passion for sailing the wind has always had a central role in our lives. To reach our sailing goals we depend on the wind. And from our passion our company Wind in Mind grew. Wind in Mind designs and produces trendy and functional products from scrap sailcloth left over from sail production. A small piece of sailcloth for the sail maker becomes many wallets, bags and toilet bags. We want our products to give a sense of wind and ocean even when you are on shore. Like our sailcloth lamp shades that refract the light as sunbeams through a sail.
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With just over two weeks to go until Global Wind Day (GWD), interest in celebrating the power of wind on or about 15 June is growing in the three nations of North America.
In Boston, the 381-year-old capital of Massachusetts, free scheduled GWD events in the city include educational sessions, movie screenings and political actions designed to raise awareness about electrical generation and use while promoting clean energy solutions.
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Opening session at EWEA 2012
Neil Jeffery, CEO of Renewable World – EWEA’s chosen charity – shares his thoughts on the EWEA Annual Event in Copenhagen in April and on how renewable energy can bring affordable electricity to some of the world’s poorer regions…
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) 2012 Annual Event was an inspiring week, reminding me how much more we can potentially achieve to bring affordable energy to the poorest on the planet far and how far Renewable World has come as a successful and growing organisation.
Sitting in one of the conference sessions watching the simple and clear graphics designed by the EWEA team that explained how the world needs constant innovation and pioneers to drive forward positive change, I was reminded of the critical role of dedicated, hardworking and visionary individuals to push forward the creation of appropriate responses to critical global challenges.
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Forecasting how much households will be paying for their electricity in the coming years is never an easy task and no government, especially in these austerity times, wants to tell the electorate that its policies will lead to increased prices. But the UK government this week published its draft energy bill, offering support for renewables, including wind power, and saying these measures will reduce consumer energy bills.
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