AND THE WINNER IS ...

"Winner of what?" we hear you ask. Well, Winner of the Best Nimby Whopper This Week, of course!

As ever, it's been almost too close to call. But, step forward the Belligerent Bigots of Bridgnorth, who are opposing a community wind energy project with all the contempt for the facts and their fellow man that characterises your average nimby protest.

So, wait for it ... Are you sitting comfortably? Here goes:-

Lorries carrying turbine parts are longer than an aircraft carrier.

We think that a pause for applause is called for.

For a little more information about the project to which these zombies are opposed, and the zombified reasons they have given for their zombified opposition, go to: http://www.sharenergy.coop/crida/thescheme/opposition. If you fancy a giggle, that is.

For now, though, let us just contemplate the VVASP-scale mendacity and idiocy of the award-winning statement above. "Lorries carrying turbine parts are longer than an aircraft carrier." Maybe the cretinous nimbies are hoping that the majority of Britons will soon have forgotten how big an aircraft carrier actually is (three cheers for the defence cuts, eh, folks?). But, for the record, the Ark Royal is 210 metres in length. The lorries which transport turbine parts to windfarm sites are, at most, 30 metres in length.

So, the truly, outrageously INSANE comment of the Bridgnorth protesters really should be revised to read:

Lorries carrying turbine parts are, at most, one-seventh of the length of an aircraft carrier.

But no, in the mad, mad world of the nimby (otherwise known as the Land that Time Forgot), it doesn't matter what you say, just as long as you reinterpret wind energy as the Devil's work.

Let us not imagine that the statement to which we have awarded the Wind of Change prize for nimby Lie of the Week is a rogue occurence. Rather, it is on a par with practically every other nimby pronouncement (and the same goes for the artificial arguments being deployed against other vital infrastructure projects, like HS2) - an absolute lie dressed up as a fact with the intention of fooling those of a nervous disposition.

Because, let's face it, the vision of something longer than an aircraft carrier trying to negotiate your narrow lane or street is quite alarming. Fortunately, it's blatantly untrue, when you think about it. But they don't want you to think about it. They want you to believe it. Crazy, hunh?

(The same bunch really do have a thing for aeroplanes: they're also trying to pretend that wind turbines sound "like an aircraft taking off" - which just shows that these protesters are barmy, and if they're not certifiable, then they are deliberately telling GREAT BIG LIES to their neighbours. So, which is it? Mad or bad? You decide.)

No, the sad fact is that lies are the nimby currency. Here's another rather sad example. We reported recently on those Leicestershire villagers who, plagued by nimby liars, formed some rather bizarre prejudices towards their local windfarm. Then, when the windfarm was installed and started operating, those same villagers were willing to admit that they had been wrong (or, rather, misled by deranged nimby fanatics) - see the article here: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/wrong-turbine-noise-admit-protesters/story-13713002-detail/story.html.

It's a hugely reassuring, heartwarming piece. Those who had been forced by the usual redfaced crazies into believing all manner of nonsense about a forthcoming windfarm discovered, much to their delight, that having a windfarm nearby is not a pain at all - in fact, it's a pleasure.

The article was accompanied in the same local newspaper by an editorial opinion piece:

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Leicester-Mercury-Opinion-Wind-farm-positive/story-13713025-detail/story.html

In its way, this piece is even better. It's unusual to find a local paper which supports windfarms (they usually pander to the prejudices of their Daily Mail-type readers), but here we find an editor praising those good villagers who have admitted that they were wrong ('misled' - ed.) about the turbines and welcoming this development as having been good for the area and a potential bonus to other communities. Why? Because a community which now knows, and is prepared to admit, that the nimby maniacs who tell lies about windfarms were wrong can only be good for the country as a whole (too late for the muppets of Wychavon DC and their VVASP puppet-masters, of course, but there's still hope for others).

Look at the bottom of that pleasant op-ed piece, though, and you'll see that two of the usual fruitloops latched onto the story instantly, spreading their sickening bile. One of them might seem rather familiar to anyone who's been following the Action for Renewables blog in recent months (www.actionforrenewables.org). Quite simply, a good article appears in which locals explained that they had been wrong to argue so fervently against their proposed windfarm on the basis of false facts and the swivel-eyed nimbies, predictably, lose their rags.

A measure of the contempt in which these nimby nutters hold their fellow man. First, they lie to you. Then, when you see through their lies, they go berserk. The willingness of the Leicestershire villagers to admit that they were wrong (misled!!) is offensive to the fanatical anti-windfarm fringe. Don't those villagers realise that they were meant to obey orders without question, believe whatever idiotic lie they were told (lorries longer than aircraft carriers!) and shut up about the realities of windfarms, never, ever admitting that they're actually quite nice and attractive and harmless and quiet?!?

That's the nimbies for you. People of Bridgnorth, beware! They're lying to you now, and when you find that the "forest of turbines" - well, two actually - turn out to be both charming and harmless, they will shriek and shout at you if you so much as mention that fact to anyone.

In the meantime, anyone spotting a lorry that is longer than an aircraft carrier is warmly encouraged to contact us here at Wind of Change immediately. We'd love to see what it looks like!