UK Urged to Turn to Wind Power

Germany's Green party environment minister said yesterday that Britain should emulate Germany's example and build thousands more wind turbines if it wanted to prevent climate change.

Speaking in an interview with the Guardian ahead of a meeting in London today of the G8's environment ministers, Jürgen Trittin said that Britain should consider expanding its wind farm programme.

"This would be a good way for Britain to build up its so far very marginal use of wind energy," he said. Asked whether wind farms wrecked the environment, he replied: "Landscapes have always been affected by changing demands, like the erection of electricity pylons or the building of motorways ... It is important to have the support of the population before you proceed."

Mr Trittin's remarks are likely to fuel the growing debate over how far Britain should adopt the German model of building thousands of new wind farms in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past 15 years Germany has constructed more than 15,000 turbines - a number which is set to double again by the end of the decade.

Britain has agreed to increase dramatically its own wind farm programme, as a means of achieving 10% of energy needs from renewable sources by 2010.

Yesterday Mr Trittin, whose Green party governs in coalition with the Social Democrats, said that he supported Tony Blair's decision to put climate change at the top of the agenda during Britain's presidency of the G8 this year.