The Western Isles renewable energy solution?
‘We can’t do it because policy does not allow, the Government won’t support us, energy companies won’t upgrade, and decisions have not been made.’ I hear these statements regularly. It’s time to take control – we’ll feel better for it! Some individuals have already done so – building energy sustainable housing. We should learn from them and grow small projects into larger initiatives and support people who do have the vision to make a difference. If we demonstrate a vision and commitment we are more likely to get a hearing from energy suppliers, funders and Government.
As a Liberal Democrat I am committed to action to reduce global warming. I am also committed to the wellbeing of the community in which I live. A zero carbon local economy in the Western Isles powered by local mixed renewable projects would put the Western Isles at the forefront of sustainable solutions.
We should be visionary. The third largest island in the UK (Harris and Lewis), self sufficient for power and supporting other local island areas such as Uist, which is at particular risk to rising sea levels, should be our aim. We should aim to be the UK Samso!
Of course local sustainable energy will not solve the issues of global warming and we must consider the vulnerability of our local islands, particularly North and South Uist and Benbecula. Anyone who has flown over those islands and seen the geography cannot fail to be aware of the situation for residents in a time of predicted sea level rise.
Large wind farms here will not make for a sustainable future for the people of the Western Isles. We have a mixed and fragile economy of service industries, small and medium enterprises and tourism, which we should support and strengthen. We have seen an increased number of visitors this year. We need to build on this with interesting and innovative projects, which are not detrimental to our world-renowned natural heritage and way of life.
