ATTENBOROUGH LAUNCHES GLYNDEBOURNE WIND TURBINE

Sir David Attenborough launched Glyndebourne’s wind turbine endorsing the opera house as an environmental innovator in the arts community

There were cheers as Glyndebourne Opera House turbine, towering 67 metres above the South Downs, was switched on by veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough.  At the launch on Friday, Sir David said, ‘It is great to be involved with something that is working with nature.’  The opera house says the project will provide Glyndebourne with an almost total supply of renewable energy.

Sir David, who has been going to Glyndebourne for 50 years said, ‘Through the ingenuity of science we have created something that, in my eyes, is a thing of beauty, like Concorde.  For most of my lifetime most power came from burning coal, which killed hundreds underground and thousands overground from breathing in fumes and, in my memory, caused smogs where you could not see your hand in front of your face.  I always have respect for the future – and this is the future. We are facing a power crisis and this is a step forward.’

Construction of the turbine took place in October, after it was delivered in sections on a convoy of five lorries from Purfleet in Essex.  The opera house in Lewes, East Sussex, said it was the only UK arts organisation to generate its own power using a large-scale wind turbine.  ‘This is a ground-breaking development and an important step for ensuring sustainability for Glyndebourne and the arts.’


 

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