France is taking action against wind farms. “The revolt of heritage defenders” is the headline in the newspaper “Le Figaro”. To add in the summary: “Petitions and legal appeals are multiplying to try to block the “assault” of renewables near sites of particular interest, both on land and at sea”. The French newspaper on pages 2 and 3 gives voice to the concerns of local associations and institutions. It is not only Sardinia that is expressing opposition. Discontent with an ecological transition, which paradoxically risks producing effects contrary to those hoped for, is also spreading across the Hexagon where the construction of 2,650 infrastructures to exploit wind energy is planned, especially in the north of the country.
Dangers
Many risks in France: wind farms that touch castles that have never been in danger before and enchanted landscapes. "They are in danger - underline the associations that were born spontaneously to defend the territories from the "wind" attack - sites protected by UNESCO, monuments celebrated by poets and writers, and natural areas of great value". The threat is represented by blades of over 200 meters that could compromise forever even the marine horizon of Normandy in the places of the landings of the Allied forces in the Second World War ("it is - it is reiterated - the desecration of marine cemeteries").
Agricultural areas
Citizens and associations are also questioning the impact of electromagnetic pollution generated by the components of wind farms. In the northern areas, with a strong agricultural vocation, concern is expressed about the effects on animal health. "Every time a wind farm is installed near a livestock farm, the health of the animals is compromised with inevitable repercussions on the economic development of the territories", argues Normandy Senator Kristina Pluchet based on studies conducted in recent years. Fabien Bouglé, an expert in energy policies, bitterly points out that "they want to turn our farmers into producers of electricity through the wind turbines installed on their land".