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Back to Menu Wind power Oh, how I wish now that I had paid more attention to, the late, Bill McDowall and the very much alive Brian Rookley, when I was a boy. They were, respectively, my chemistry and physics teachers at secondary school. The whole world is presently going at it hammer and tongs about carbon sequestration, renewable energy sources and farting coos while I struggle to fully understand the science of it all. I have to confess that of the three things, that I have just mentioned, there is only one of them that I have any real knowledge. But, then renewable energy has always interested me! The thing about flatulent cows and the whole carbon capturing deal is that you can’t actually see what it is that the boffins are talking about. If methane gas was visible to the naked eye then I do believe that I would be wracked with guilt every time one of my cows broke wind within sight of the main road. Or, if I could go out in the morning and capture two or three real big carbons before they warmed up; then I might be able to feel good about myself. But, it was never going to be so simple. Wind farms on the other hand are very easy to understand and highly visible. Generally you will find them on the tops of hills surrounded by the decaying remnants of protesters banners. Isn’t it strange how some communities get really het-up over the idea of a wind farm? However, this proved not to be the case here in the Luce Valley. A wind farm sprung up out of the heather five years ago without a voice or placard being raised in anger. It didn’t mean that everyone here was in favour of the project but it was merely an indication of the reserved and well-mannered nature of the local population. Now, a few years after the erection of the turbines, the village is awash with cash from the electricity company that put up the turbines. The 25 year deal, to keep us all sweet, has meant that the populace can hardly dream up schemes fast enough to spend the cash. The local hall is painted, the bowling club has new mats, the badminton club has new nets and in an act of pure optimism we have ploughed money into a range of brightly coloured playground equipment for the village park. The latter project shows remarkable hope for our future as the local population is down to only two or possibly just a single breeding pair. I’m guessing here. One can never be sure about these things. So, as the money from the wind farm keeps on coming and accumulating it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. One of the local ladies came up with the idea of an art project; a sculpture or the like that would epitomise the spirit of the valley. Eyebrows were raised and tea was spilt as the news quickly spread up the valley. The coming of the piece of art has caused more “discussion” than the fifteen great big whirling monsters that flap endlessly on the horizon. So, for the last few months two artists have been mixing in with the locals here while we are at work and at play. They are trying to come up with something that will be in tune with the environment and the people that live here. That can’t be easy but from what I’ve seen so far they look to be on the right track. When you think about it it’s a bit like me asking an absolute stranger to buy my wife’s Christmas present this year. How could they possibly know, without living with her, that deep down, she really wants a new pair of foot-shears and matching gore-tex leggings. I hope I haven’t spoiled the surprise for her.
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