Debate, Reader's Message | “Wind energy is a climate measure

Wind energy is “shaving”. Nature has been destroyed. Mountains are being bulldozed. A reindeer herding transport lease in Øyfjellet has been demolished. Natural areas in Tufen are threatened by erosion. This is what the deputy mayor of SV in Leirfjord, Åshild Pettersen, claimed # in an article in Helgelendingen on April 10.

Oshild-Petersen is not the only one to put a stamp of “destruction” on wind energy development. In recent years, this has been the due process for opponents of wind energy. This is regardless of whether they identify themselves on the left or right of the political scene.

The development of wind energy is leaving its mark. In the same way as all other developments do. Such as schools, kindergartens, sports halls, football fields, houses, barn buildings, cabins, industrial buildings, roads, railway lines, hydroelectric power stations and airports. Developments that occupy much larger areas and nature than wind energy. But who until now was aware of the crusade being waged by opponents of wind energy against “destruction”.

The construction of wind turbines and associated roads represents, neither in content nor scope, anything close to the merit of a distinct “destruction.” It's a very nice development. The areas after development are considered beautiful. Unless one decides in advance that wind turbines are “nonsense,” as FRP’s Sylvie Listog put it in 2019.

The Deputy Mayor of SV allows himself to be very excited about it Foreigners It is involved in the development of wind energy. Clearly, playing on xenophobia is not just something the FrP resorts to. Instead of cultivating primitive nationalism, we should be happy that foreign investors have been willing to invest long-term in climate-friendly energy production such as wind power. It is largely foreign pension funds that have seen the value of investing in wind energy. The fact that pension funds in Petersen's world are classified as ruthless profit sharks looking to steal our values ​​attests to the fact that valuation capacity leaves something to be desired.

The lease for transporting reindeer herding has not been “destroyed” by the wind power plant in Aoifegelette, as Petersen claims. It is about moving to winter grazing area No. 5 – Hundåla/Husvika. A winter grazing area that has not been used by the Jilin-Nyarki reindeer herding area for nearly 40 years. But it was conveniently used when the wind power plant was to be built. The reindeer are then transported by truck and ferry to Hundala.

If there was any truth in Petersen's claim that a mobile home had been destroyed, one should have expected to see the consequences of that demolition. But this is not the case.

Construction work for the wind power plant began in 2020 and the first wind turbines were already commissioned in 2021. In the last three years before the start of construction work (2017-2019), the average harvest amount was 5,271 kg. The next three years were the same amount of 7,271 kg per year.

The average slaughter weight of calves for the years 2017-2019 was 20.8 kg. For the period 2020-2022 the weight was 20.7 kg.

In 2017, the number of reindeer in the region reached 1,657. In 2022, the number was 1,715.

Therefore, “scraping” mobile rents has no effect on developing slaughter quantities, slaughter weights of calves, or numbers of reindeer. However, Petersen has no qualms about writing about “human rights violations” and “losses” that have not been compensated.

Petersen is also visiting Parliament. According to her, our elected officials have “completely lost sight of the street.” What Parliament did qualifies for such a powerful use of words, which we look for in vain in her publication. She also failed to point out that her party, SV, both in parliament and in government, was at the time at the forefront of wind energy development in Norway. And that the party has strongly criticized other parties in Parliament for being environmentally slow because they do not want to have the same speed in developing wind energy as SV.

Without further development of wind energy, we will get nowhere in working to replace fossil energy with renewable energy. Naturskyddsföreningen is in Sweden though. SV's sister party in Sweden, Vânsterpartiet, understood this too. Both are supporters of large-scale development of wind energy.

Instead, Øschild-Petersen and the SV leadership chose to ally with climate deniers and the far-right Sweden Democrats in the fight against wind energy. For those who care about climate challenges, it is sad to note that a previous environmental party has managed to achieve this feat, ending up in such company.