The conservation charity, Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, has announced a change in stance towards large scale renewable energy projects. The decision comes after the charity’s trustees agreed to adopt a policy to reduce damaging atmospheric emissions.
John Urquhart, Chairman of the Friends, said: “Global warming is creating new imperatives. As a conservation charity, we have a duty to react.”
The charity will now be supporting small scale community based renewable projects, such as the hydro-electric projects at Callander, Lochgoilhead and Arrochar. As well as this, they will also be considering larger schemes, such as very large wind turbines and photovoltaic schemes as well as energy storage facilities.
John Urquhart continued: “Decarbonising the atmosphere is essential to the resolution of the climate and nature crises which threaten the special qualities of the National Park, the protection of which lies at the heart of FOLLAT’s raison d’être.”
The charity’s members were asked to make sure they had the backing of the membership, and only 5% voiced dissent. John Urquhart commented: “The Friends was set up almost half a century ago to fight plans for a pumped storage hydro-electric installation which was to be built inside Ben Lomond. Now Scottish and Southern Electricity is proposing to partially convert their Sloy hydro-electric installation to pumped storage, and the Friends will be enthusiastically supporting this project!”
The Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs are encouraging people to donate or join online, with a share of income from such developments creating substantial benefits and opportunities for visitors, communities and nature.
John Urquhart concluded: “We have an individual responsibility to help in the process of tackling climate change. FOLLAT should be adopting a leadership role in recognising the critical importance of renewable energy and storage systems and should therefore be actively encouraging and facilitating their development on appropriate sites within and around the Park.”
The conservation charity, Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, has announced a shift in their stance towards large scale renewable energy projects. In a move to support the reduction of damaging atmospheric emissions, the trustees have agreed to support the development of small scale community based renewable projects, as well as larger schemes such as very large wind turbines, photovoltaic schemes and energy storage facilities.
John Urquhart, Chairman of the Friends, said: “Global warming is creating new imperatives. As a conservation charity, we have a duty to react. Decarbonising the atmosphere is essential to the resolution of the climate and nature crises which threaten the special qualities of the National Park.”
The charity asked for feedback from their members, with only 5% voicing dissent. John Urquhart commented: “The Friends was set up almost half a century ago to fight plans for a pumped storage hydro-electric installation which was to be built inside Ben Lomond. Now Scottish and Southern Electricity is proposing to partially convert their Sloy hydro-electric installation to pumped storage, and the Friends will be enthusiastically supporting this project!”
The charity is actively encouraging and facilitating the development of renewable energy and storage systems on appropriate sites within and around the Park. They are also asking for donations and/or membership sign-ups to help support their work.
John Urquhart concluded: “We have an individual responsibility to help in the process of tackling climate change. FOLLAT should be adopting a leadership role in recognising the critical importance of renewable energy and storage systems.”
The conservation charity, Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, has announced a change in stance towards large scale renewable energy projects. In order to reduce damaging atmospheric emissions, the trustees have agreed to actively support the development of small scale community based renewable projects, such as the hydro-electric projects at Callander, Lochgoilhead and Arrochar, as well as larger schemes such as very large wind turbines, photovoltaic schemes and energy storage facilities.
John Urquhart, Chairman of the Friends, said: “Global warming is creating new imperatives. As a conservation charity, we have a duty to react. Decarbonising the atmosphere is essential to the resolution of the climate and nature crises which threaten the special qualities of the National Park.”
The charity asked for feedback from their members, with only 5% voicing dissent. John Urquhart commented: “The Friends was set up almost half a century ago to fight plans for a pumped storage hydro-electric installation which was to be built inside Ben Lomond. Now Scottish and Southern Electricity is proposing to partially convert their Sloy hydro-electric installation
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