STATEMENT

Following yesterday's unauthorised comment, Mr Davies has asked us to point out that he has also written physics, cosmology and mathematics programmes for the Open University and worked with the Royal Geographical Society in producing an exhibition on the Royal Research Ship Discovery for Dundee Industrial Heritage.

In keeping with the Wind of Change policy of not censoring or moderating comments, however, Mr Davies has insisted that yesterday's comment should not be removed.

As he said to us, "The information given out by a VVASP member in the comment is four or five years out of date. That's actually pretty good, for them."

Mr Davies has been a vocal supporter of Lenchwick Windfarm since all this started and recognises that the nimbies would sooner or later assume that he was responsible for the Wind of Change blog, to which he has made many contributions of research, advice and ideas.

Now the nimbies just have to identify the other contributors (last count: 15) from Harvington, Atch Lench, Church Lench, Sheriffs Lench, Bishampton, Throckmorton, and Norton and Lenchwick.

When we spoke to Mr Davies today about the comment left by a VVASP supporter, and in particular about the suggestion that he might one day write a script about the issue, he laughed. In an email, he went further:

"Funnily enough, the same suggestion was put to me a few months back by a producer on 'The South Bank Show'. I said then what I'll say now - what would be the point?

"With a fair wind, it can take a minimum of two years to get a script idea onto the screen. By then, all this nonsense will have gone away.

"Remember the mobile phone mast frenzy of a few years ago. Everyone wanted mobile phones, and masts had been around for ages. But then suddenly certain middle class areas discovered that they were going to have to have phone masts if they wanted the mobile phone coverage. Instantly, no end of bogus science appeared. There were placards, protests, demonstrations. All based on rumour and hearsay. And then the fuss died down and we all got on with our lives.

"The windfarm issue is exactly the same. Windfarms have been around for ages, but now communities in England are finding that they too will have to do their bit. They want electricity but don't want a clean, green, harmless and efficient windfarm producing it. So what do we get? No end of bogus science, placards, protests, all based on rumour and hearsay.

"This is the end of the nimby era. In a couple of years time, these protests will have gone the way of the mobile phone masts protests. It's just a temporary madness, and it will pass as more and more people wake up to the real issues involved and discover for themselves how beneficial a windfarm can be.

"Ed Miliband, the climate change secretary, remarked back in March that 'It is socially unacceptable to be against wind turbines in your area - like not wearing your seatbelt or driving past a zebra crossing.'

"Once people buck their ideas up and stop swallowing nimby propaganda whole, the situation will change. So what would be the point of a script about all this? By the time it was ready for broadcast, the issue will be old hat."

Mr Davies has promised to continue contributing his experience as a researcher to the Wind of Change blog.