How Trump's loathing for wind turbines started with a Scottish court battle

Donald Trump's strong dislike for wind turbines began with a legal fight in Scotland. In 2012, Trump appeared before the Scottish Parliament, claiming to be an expert on green energy. He argued that wind turbines were hurting tourism in Scotland and said, 'I am the evidence. ' This was five years before he became the US president, but his opposition to wind energy has only grown since then. The main reason for his anger was a plan to build 11 wind turbines near his golf course in Aberdeenshire. Trump bought the Menie estate in 2006, promising to create the world's greatest golf course. However, he soon learned about the plan to build an offshore wind farm nearby. He called the turbines 'windmills' and said they would ruin the beautiful view from his course. The Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm was built in 2018 and had some of the most powerful turbines in the world at the time. These turbines can generate enough electricity to power up to 80,000 homes. The wind farm was also used to test new technology. Trump fought against the wind farm in Scottish courts and even appealed to the UK's Supreme Court, but he lost. The turbines were built, and Trump has been critical of wind power ever since. Before his recent visit to Scotland, Trump told the UK to 'get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil. ' When he landed at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, he repeated his dislike for wind turbines, saying they were ruining Europe's fields and valleys. When he arrived at his golf resort, his helicopter flew close to the turbines. Trump keeps calling them 'windmills,' even though windmills are used to grind grain, not make electricity. He uses this word to make wind turbines seem old-fashioned and less valuable. Removing wind turbines or stopping new ones from being built would be very expensive for Scotland. The country has a project called ScotWind, which has approved 20 new wind farms. These projects are expected to bring in about 30 billion pounds of investment over the next decade. Right now, wind farms on land produce more electricity than those at sea, but offshore wind farms are expected to grow much faster in the coming years. The Scottish government is planning to increase offshore wind power by 40 gigawatts by 2040, enough to power 45 million homes. The renewable energy sector already supports about 42,000 jobs in Scotland, while oil and gas support about 84,000 jobs. However, jobs in oil and gas have been decreasing because the North Sea oil fields are running out. The oil boom in the North Sea peaked in 1999, and production has been declining ever since. This is not because of government policy, but simply because there is less oil left to extract. Despite this, Trump continues to promote oil drilling in the UK. He posted online that the UK should 'incentivize the drillers, FAST' and said there was a 'vast fortune to be made' from oil. Trump has also criticized the UK's taxes on oil and gas, saying they are too high. In the US, taxes on oil and gas are lower, and there are more tax breaks for the industry. Trump also introduced a bill that removes incentives for renewable energy projects. Another argument Trump makes against wind farms is that they are dangerous for birds. He has claimed that wind turbines kill hundreds of birds, but a two-year study at the Aberdeenshire site found no evidence of birds being killed by the turbines. The study used cameras to track birds, and it was done with the help of the British Trust for Ornithology. More research is being done around the world to understand how birds interact with wind turbines. Despite the evidence, Trump continues to call wind energy 'very expensive, very ugly energy. ' He is often seen at his golf course, wearing a white cap and surrounded by his family and supporters, but his dislike for wind turbines remains strong.