Petition calls on council to protect peatlands
Shetland Islands Council has been handed a petition asking it to protect peatlands.
The petition was submitted by Caroline Henderson and signed by another 23 residents from across the isles.
These residents want the SIC to consider a motion to: “Cease immediately and in future to support any entity in the destruction of peatlands with regards to its value as a carbon sink”.
The petition claims that “current evidence on the intrinsic value of Peatlands as a carbon sink has not been taken into account or acted on by the Council with their formal recognition of a global climate emergency”.
It also highlights work taking place at Upper Kergord to build a converter station linked to the Viking Energy windfarm.
A picnic protest was held at the site on Friday morning.
The petition makes mention of the 2018 National Islands Plan and its example of working with island partners to protect and restore peatlands and salt marshes.
Jim Ivens
It has been said since the wind farm was first mooted that it would cause great destruction to the peat. Now that the planning permissions have all been granted, the protest is too little and too late. The value of Shetland as an unspoiled wilderness has been sacrificed as has the tourist industry. The more windmills we have the more it becomes increasingly difficult to prevent wind farms from being built. I feel as though I am sitting at the deathbed of the Shetland I love.
susan Miller
Jim Ivens is correct about the tourist industry and Shetlands beautiful wilderness. As a tourist the windfarm is nothing to do with me but it will make me think twice before I make the trek up to the Island, and I fear others will be the same. Knowing what has happened in other parts of Scotland your beautiful island will be one big windfarm. I’m glad I have visited before the beautiful landscape is gone.