So, I took last week to explain the RSPB’s position on wind energy, its importance in our efforts to tackle climate change, potential impact on birds and wildlife as well as addressing the issue of cost and efficiency.
And now I have an announcement. We are, today, unveiling plans to build a wind turbine at our UK headquarters in Sandy, Bedfordshire.
As one of the UK’s leading environmental organisations, we’re working hard to reduce our own carbon emissions. In line with the Climate Change Act I mentioned earlier in the week, we have our own targets and plan to reduce our carbon footprint by 80% by 2050.
And this project is a massive step towards achieving that target. In fact, the proposed turbine will generate around two thirds of the RSPB’s electricity needs across all of our UK operations.
We are working in partnership with green energy company, Ecotricity and together will shortly be submitting a planning application for a meteorological mast to be erected close to The Lodge nature reserve.
This is the first official step in determining if this site is suitable for a wind turbine but as I'm sure you can imagine, we would not be considering this proposal if we thought it would cause harm to the wildlife of our nature reserve or local area. We have spent the past two years undertaking breeding and wintering bird surveys and continue to survey bat populations.
What next?Well, if the site is found to be suitable, the proposed wind turbine will be erected, at the earliest, in autumn 2013. If environmental impacts that cannot be mitigated for are discovered however, the project will not be progressed.
As outlined the project is still in its feasibility stage and consequently, we will be gathering new information over the coming months. Visit our website to find out more - including details of drop in sessions that you might be interested in attending, particularly if you live locally - and to stay abreast of news around this exciting project.
Please do feel free to ask questions below or alternatively, email lodgewindturbine@rspb.org.uk.