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Donald Trump: 'Wind Farms Will Destroy Scotland'

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: 25/04/2012 11:16 Updated: 25/04/2012 11:58

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Donald Trump has told Scottish MSPs that wind turbines are "one of the most serious problems Scotland has had, or will ever have".

The American billionaire, who is building a golf course in Scotland, told MSPs in Holyrood on Wednesday that wind turbines "are going to be the destruction of your tourism industry".

"You'll lose your tourism industry to Ireland and to other places that are laughing at what Scotland is doing," he added.

Trump warned them: "If you pursue this goal of building these monsters all over Scotland, Scotland will go broke".

Pressed by a member of Holyrood's Tourism Committee on the evidence for his claim, Trump replied: "I am the evidence".

"I am an expert at tourism. I have won many awards ... If you dot your landscape with these horrible horrible structures, you'll do tremendous damage."

'I am a lot more of an expert than the people you'd like me to hire to do it for a pay-check. I am considered a world-class expert in tourism. When you say where is the evidence, I am the evidence'

Trump complained to MSPs about the prospect of wind turbines being built near his golf course. "I don't want to see it destroyed by having [these] monstrosities looming over it"

He said that he had invested "a tremendous amont of money" in his golf resort.

"Many are already considering it to be the greatest golf course in the world. This project is better than Disneyland"

"If I knew turbines were going there near the course. I would have built in Ireland"

Trump dismissed wind power as a "very inefficient form of energy. It requires a massive amount of subsidies".

"Wind turbine are so unattractive, so noisy and so ugly that if Scotland does this, I think Scotland will be in serious trouble."

"When you have a tiny population, a couple of windmills could do something. Appropriately located industrial turbines are ok. You lose money, you lose a tremendous amount of money without a UK subsidy."

Trump has caused controversy with his plan to build a golf course in Aberdeen. The billionaire has had to battle concerns over the course's environmental impact, and resistance from the Scottish government.

First minister Alex Salmond has said that Trump's decision to spend £750m on the golf resort "does not imply ownership" of Scotland.

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Donald Trump has told Scottish MSPs that wind turbines are "one of the most serious problems Scotland has had, or will ever have". The American billionaire, who is building a golf course in Scotla...
Donald Trump has told Scottish MSPs that wind turbines are "one of the most serious problems Scotland has had, or will ever have". The American billionaire, who is building a golf course in Scotla...
 
 
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Totto
"Not 'Noise' One Round: *Music*
8855 Fans
11:07 PM on 04/27/2012
Since Trump manufactures his own from two orifices, a wind turbine generator ought to be placed in his proximity.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
follygirl
Obama/Biden 2012
315 Fans
02:53 PM on 04/26/2012
No, Trump will destroy Scotland if given the opportunity.
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Mickey Mouse 1
There are no lies or deceit on a chess board.
180 Fans
12:34 PM on 04/26/2012
The Nats found out to their surprise in Edinburgh that a lot of people are against windfarms, particulary those who have in live around them!
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Auld Bob
30 Fans
11:04 AM on 04/28/2012
Sorry to tell you this Mr Mouse, but the Scottish government found out exactly the opposite. A poll last week showed the Scottish public over 70% in favour. Also a survey of tourists showed the turbines did not influance their choice to visit Scotland. This is born out by the fact Scottish tourism had a bumper year last year. Further, there is increased visitor numbers at wind farm iinformation centres. As usual you talk utter unsubstantiated rubbish.
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Mickey Mouse 1
There are no lies or deceit on a chess board.
180 Fans
01:07 PM on 04/30/2012
The poll that you are on about consisted of a majority of English respondents, but don't let the truth get in the way of a good story. Did you see the demonstration against wind farms when Donald Trump attending the Scottish government hearing. This was Scottish people protesting about wind farms. The brainwashed Nats appear to think that no one else is allowed to have their say and if the Scottish government support it, then so should the rest of Scotland. Well, I have got news for you. Outwith SNP Disneyland filled with political activists, there are people out there who are prepared to tell the truth and they will be shouting it at the top of their lungs in the run up to the election. People can decide for themselves who to vote for, they don't need you to tell them a lot of SNP rubbish.. The people are likely to vote with their pockets, so, get ready to gloss over increased taxation to pay for independence etc.
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fred cavanagh
87 Fans
07:32 PM on 05/02/2012
Bob, as supplyed by Scottish Goverment Expenditure and Revenues for 2010/2011.
per capita.
Scotland Rest of UK

2006/2007 £9.838 £8.621
2007/2008 £10.380 £9.089
2008/2009 £10.920 £9.813
2009/2010 £11.426 £10.390
2010/2011 £11.785 £10.663

Now bob, you answer us where you got the stupid figure of the UK NATIONAL DEBT being £3 trillion, and how much Scotland would have to pay every year to service there part of the debt. people like you and the snp only here their own voices amd no one elses. I wont hold my breathe for a straight answer.
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oobuc5
12 Fans
09:49 AM on 04/26/2012
NO JUST THE PIECE YOU BOUGHT !
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dougie184
2 Fans
11:40 PM on 04/25/2012
I am actually more in favour of tidal power, but wind is a reasonable interim measure.
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Auld Bob
30 Fans
11:10 AM on 04/28/2012
It is not just a reasonable interim measure but the Scottish government backed wind turbine research centre at Methik in Fife has an up and running system that uses off-peak wing generated electricity to split water by electrolosys and store the Hydrogen component on site. It already provides 100% heating and electric power for the site.
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racehorses22
6 Fans
11:26 PM on 04/25/2012
Mr Trump expects us to believe that he was hoodwinked by Mr Salmond to spend millions on a golf course an then dump a wind farm in his lap ,sounds like he is a bit of a duner head nothing in writing oh yes witnesses who he pays ,surprised he hasnt been taken for all his money , roll up roll up mug for the taking .
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Auld Bob
30 Fans
11:19 AM on 04/28/2012
The truth is far more simple. Trump assumed his golf course, (and it is really good), would be immediately on the venues for top World golf tournaments. The Golf authorities have informed him it will NOT because all new golf courses take years to settle down properly. Trump then posponed the hotels and other facillities that depended on his course being on the World circuit. The wind turbine test site, (it's not a wind farm), is a convenient sidetrack to hide the fact he had made a basic grave error of judgement all by himself.
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SimonBao
373 Fans
05:32 PM on 04/25/2012
Just FYI, there's no evidence that Trump is a billionaire.

In 2005, Deutsche Bank valued Trump's net worth at $788 million, and Trump has lost money since then. There's also good reason to believe that Deutsche Bank seriously over-valued Trump's worth.

And Trump doesn't behave like a billionaire. Do you know of any billionaires who engage in games and schemes to hold out for for money as host of The Apprentice?

Do you know ANY billionaires who are reality TV stars?
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rabidrightwatch
Green lefty & active environmentalist
2953 Fans
03:57 PM on 04/25/2012
Donald Trump, now let me see... the king of the comb-over and a laughing stock in the States, ah yes, that's him...

Inconveniently, Mr. Trump fails to realise that the majority of foreign tourists visiting Scotland come from either Western or Northern Europe, where there are significantly more wind turbines than planned to be in Scotland.

Yes, North Americans goes there too, but they're unlikely to be put off by turbines; my experience is that there are quite a few sensible ones around.

Tourists come despite social deprivation on a massive scale in some Scottish cities and the vista of industrial wastelands, after all.
The Scottish government will make up its own mind, regardless of what the owner of yet another golf course has to say, after consultation with the electorate.

With a target of 50% energy generation from renewables, wind power will play its part, and I hope they achieve and exceed their expectations..

They could, of course, locate an array of turbines downstream of Mr. Trump to harness the hot air that constantly and reliably emanates from such people... at least he could make a useful contribution.
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hawkayethenu
19 Fans
02:20 PM on 04/28/2012
No you couldn't locate an array of turbines downstream of The Donald's golf course because at next door at Blackdog you have the sewage works and the council's waist landfill site.
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gogsrule
57 Fans
03:45 PM on 04/25/2012
.. and his carbuncle on the coastline will entertain the idle rich with cheap labour tugging their forelocks to their masters.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ben Wilson
What's the story mourning Tories?
290 Fans
 
03:04 PM on 04/25/2012
Fart joke overload, so i'll opt for....A wind farm should be set up around him to capture all that hot air.
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delboy246
24 Fans
04:52 PM on 04/25/2012
It plays havoc with the small dead mammal on his head.
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jmmcmkn
214 Fans
06:45 PM on 04/25/2012
delboy246
That's a truely bizarre place to wear a sporran?
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hawkayethenu
19 Fans
02:21 PM on 04/28/2012
Ivana Trump? priceless!
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stephan67
Eternity and a day
471 Fans
01:10 PM on 04/25/2012
Trump is the laughing stock of USA . Nobody cares what he says.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jerzygurl
785 Fans
 
12:53 PM on 04/25/2012
Does anyone remember the ambitious plan to put the windmills off the coast of Cape Cod?
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LeftLeanWing
Ah.. I said..Ah Said I said... Proceed Guv'nah
3448 Fans
11:17 AM on 04/26/2012
No...........

But we are dying for you to tell us ALL About it......
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Lftrsuk
5 Fans
12:18 PM on 04/25/2012
Does Alex Salmond's 'ownership of Scotland' give him the right to imply to the Scottish electorate that all you do is plant a 'windmill seed' and a 100 metre high wind turbine sprouts, without any impact on the environment? Wind turbines are anything but green - their capacity factors are so abysmal, that for every useful kWh of energy they generate, their construction and installation uses 54 X more steel and concrete than the same energy from breeder reactors. See: http://lftrsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-green-is-wind-turbine-in-my-valley.html
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Alexicon
59 Fans
02:35 PM on 04/25/2012
So I take it nuclear power stations is your preferred option?
I hope you remove all the low wattage light bulbs from your home. Every little helps you know.
I'm a Scottish electorate and I don't see Alex Salmond as the owner of Scotland.
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Lftrsuk
5 Fans
03:26 PM on 04/25/2012
Well he could certainly find a better way of spending your hard earned taxes, in his endeavours to create green jobs, if only you could get him to watch this video: http://finance.senate.gov/hearings/watch/?id=f408dd68-5056-a032-52c6-fa004e4a1b02

An energy economics expert will show Alex a supremely efficient way of creating green jobs, which could mean that full employment in Scotland is just around the corner. At 36:54, he says: - "The Green Jobs Rationale borders on the preposterous". To paraphrase: Governments should outlaw the use of heavy equipment for digging ditches and mandate the use of an army of workers using spoons...."There is no analytic difference between inefficient ditch digging and inefficient power generation as tools with which to pursue increased employment"
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Auld Bob
30 Fans
11:31 AM on 04/28/2012
Absolute bull! First up Salmond is only the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament. His party were elected by the people of Scotland and his Parliamentary MSPs elected him First Minister and his SNP party members elected him Leader of the party. That does not make him a dictator. Secondly your supposed information about wind turbines is tosh. Obviously written by those with no real idea of engineering, science or the electricity grid system. Here are just three real facts. Nuclear is a dirty fuel, it is the most subsidised and ALL generation types are paid to go off-line at off-peak load shedding.
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ThinkCreeps
Seriously, it's time.
2521 Fans
11:49 AM on 04/25/2012
Building faux-gold-plated golf courses and hiring ukrainian prostitutes is so environmentally responsible, after all.
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