Do wind turbines spoil the landscape?

Do wind turbines spoil the landscape?

Friends of the Earth believes the visual appearance of wind farms cannot be ignored. The number of turbines, their layout in the landscape and whether there are other wind farms nearby (producing a cumulative visual effect) should all be considered. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) or National Parks are  unlikely to be appropriate for large wind farms.

 This is a highly subjective issue. Being visible is not necessarily the same as being intrusive. While some  people express concern about the effect wind turbines have on the beauty of our landscape, others see them as symbols of a better, less polluted future.

The landscape we inhabit is largely man-made and it evolves over time. In comparison to developments like quarries, power stations or open cast mining, wind farms have the advantage that they can be easily removed from the landscape at the end of their lives, leaving virtually no sign that they have been there. If we don’t  switch to cleaner forms of energy, climate change will severely and irrevocably alter much of our landscape and the animal and plant life it contains.

By consulting local people, avoiding the most sensitive areas, and careful siting, wind power companies can do much to ensure that turbines can be successfully integrated into our landscape.