“Wind turbines are good – even if we pay a price for them”

Conflict of interests between wind power production and wildlife protection is “marginal if we look at the alternatives,” the head of the German Green Party’s parliamentary group, Anton Hofreiter, says in an opinion piece for Der Tagesspiegel Online. “Nuclear- or coal-fired power production will only make matters worse,” Hofreiter argues, saying the potential environmental harm from these technologies is of far greater concern than that of wind power. Hofreiter says it’s necessary to counter “all attempts to inflate and exploit a conflict in order to stall the energy transition.” While it’s necessary to ensure wind farms enjoy local acceptance and meet ecological standards, “fossil energies are the greatest global threat to the environment.”

Find the article in German here.

For more information, see the CLEW factsheet Fighting windmills: When growth hits resistance.