Scientists go to war with their funding council

A war broke out between researchers and executives of the main body donor who decides to support projects - and how

If you thought scientists were quiet guys who threw their coats over their heads at the first whiff of confrontation, try saying aloud five letters at a university near you this summer - EPSRC. The main chemical, physical and mathematical are at war with its main sponsor, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. They accuse the council of being disconnected from reality and experience arrogant, ignorant of science and promote science poor.

With public spending review is expected next year, and academics near Westminster warning that science can not be expected that the cushioning was given in Resolution 2010, rebellion is the origin of gravity waves. Ministers are said to be exasperated that exploded on the public scene and influential personalities, including Nobel laureate Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, fighting behind the scenes to encourage resolution.

The rector of the university research summarizes the wrath of a sector: .. "The EPSRC is a disaster, it is quite reasonable to have to take measures to cope with reduced funding is a concern, but much broader than lost contact with scientists. Aware of several examples Board staff saying that something is too important to be left to academics. "

It is not small. The advice given about 950 million pounds of funding for basic research chemists, physicists, mathematicians and engineers per year, becoming the biggest player in this field in the United Kingdom.

In the center of the controversy is the EPSRC development capacity ", which aims to redirect budget council in areas of excellence and national importance. In total, 14 of the 113 subjects of municipal funds were characterized by reduced funding, including synthetic organic chemistry and mathematical physics, with 17 areas marked for growth.

community was quick to mobilize their big guns when the first cuts were announced last summer. David Cameron has received a letter of 25 famous mathematicians slamming the "quango irresponsible", followed closely by other major names of 100 chemicals. In May this year, a group of academics from a hearse parked outside of parliament, to mourn the death of science in the hands of the EPSRC. And more protests on the cards.

However, they insist that it is not simple flouncing with reduced budgets.

Professor Tony Barrett, head of synthetic chemistry at Imperial College London and the head of the protest group science for the future, said that "unqualified" servants exercising Swindon business advice too much power. He is angry that no scientific societies adequately consulted on policy changes. "People who are happy to tell you that evaluators working for bureaucrats generally EPSRC seconds," he added.

Professor Tom Simpson, a senior chemist at the University of Bristol, agrees: "My feeling is that the board does not have much of an understanding of what actually happens at Research Why Why not ask the scientists.? have this term, "we informed the community." This means that "we have made a decision and then told everyone." It is not that consultation. "

Meanwhile, the head of a major university EPSRC describes how the staff tried to tell scientists very high level of what can be done in your search. "This is ridiculous, because they have no experience"

• Nurse, 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, is more diplomatic than many of his peers have on society EPSRC. But he agrees that the body needs to prove that he is really listening to the researchers. "Valuing individual scientists in the coal mine is how to deliver what the public needs. Overall, I think you should leave the decisions on what to fund scientific practice rather than officials or senior people, like me, you've found it quite beyond. "
• Until now, there has been very little in the way of reconciliation EPSRC public. However, it is hoped that the new president, former Chief Executive Paul Golby energy company, may have a serious chance to unite the divided parts. Although sources close to Golby said he had no idea of ??how the conflict was cut when he accepted the position, sleeves rolled up and get stuck in.

As David Delpy, chief executive of the embattled board Golby said that a certain amount of pain was inevitable. "We are in a very difficult economic situation," he said, "and some people will always be resistant to change." But he said the board has done all things well. And was quietly going according to his key people - including some of the most vocal critics of the Council -. Trying to understand the problems in the laboratory

"You do not get to that level of noise without a few questions you need to watch," he said. "That original misunderstanding or problem is that I'm find out. "

a bone of contention is the Council's request that all scientists must demonstrate the potential impact of their research funding. While the research councils are theoretically independent of politicians, this follows a strong bull Treasury, which wants evidence of value for money. Gordon Brown urged the administration of this program is and is not canceled by the coalition.

Professor Christopher Moody, a chemical that leads to the University of Nottingham, said: "I have no problem with being held accountable, but we are asked to look into a crystal ball and say what the impact of this will be in 50 years. "It is not only reasonable. I worry about how much weight is on the actual quality of the science proposed against the declarations of national and economic impact."
Barrett is more explicit: "The impact obsession lead EPSRC to fund things that are weak and progressive, because you can not predict the outcome of basic research Either that or it will lead some scientists . simply telling lies. "

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What does London 2012 say about British racial attitudes?

The optimists say that Britain is

finally comfortable with diversity, but skeptics suggest stereotypes back after the Olympics

wore their hearts on their sleeves at Jamaica House, south London base, created for Jamaicans and whoever wishes may encourage Olympians of the largest Caribbean island.

no doubt they wanted Usain Bolt won another gold medal in the 100 meters to break the world record, to humiliate their American competitors. And if the gods conspired against this certainty wanted Yohan Blake, his fellow Jamaican be to usurp the king. In his dreams, given the presence of Asafa Powell in the final, pending Jamaica first, second and third.

Powell stopped short, so it does not happen. But what happened in the two hours before the big race was instructive. Whenever a Jamaican appeared on the screen, the 900 people in the room hooted, applauded and stomped warmly enough to endanger the structure.

When an American is in sight, they booed and hissed like crazy in the crowd panto. And when British athletes appeared - Dwain Chambers, James Dasaolu, Gemili Adam, Jessica Ennis, Christine Ohuruogu and in particular hero Mo Farah 10.000 m - they cheered and shouted for them with a slightly lower intensity which was reserved for Jamaicans

Farah, Somalia-born British won the prize for the best. Said in a loud voice: "All you need now is to grow an afro."

There was something in this dark room who spoke integration in Britain and the extent to which the country's progress can be helped by the success of the multiracial and multicultural reality of British team.

a snapshot, but it is interesting to consider that there is no longer a crowd like that - occurring in the Caribbean and roots in Britain - would have had much more difficulty with the calibration needed to encourage a hero of Jamaica, without missing a beat, proud of the achievement of a black British compete in the same competition. Black cricketers played against the West Indies, once should stick case. But now there is a dynamic change.

This fact of life in some parts of Britain in the 21st century seems to be the antithesis of Norman Tebbit Test cricket, which required migrants abandon all previous baggage or be considered those who were not fully integrated. In real life, the equation is more complex, but it can work and it seems to work in the night from Sunday to Jamaica House.

In fact, some argue that the 2012 Olympics has the potential to make all sorts of future benefits to the way we look at each other and live together. Barbara Roche, former Immigration Minister and Chairman of a draft migration museum said the Games, starting with the opening ceremony of Danny Boyle lifted the veil on the high level of diversity that exists in many parts of Great Britain. "Team GB seems Britain. Thing to note is that there was very little mention. There is a level of comfort. People say athletes who see British athletes."

preolímpico about in the tabloids about some minority athletes who do not deserve the full recognition of British officials, British Plastic calls. But as athletes of color have had success with the public, critics were forced to join the chorus of praise.

In any case, said Roche, the public looked beyond such crude differentiation. "People feel a huge buzz, and not just think it is something in London. Humour seems too positive outside London, people talk and you can pick up the thread. Guests enjoy a communal experience.

"You do not want to be complacent, but the fact is that we are a country of immigrants. Initially there was nobody here. People came and the only difference is the time . A Doesn do not like over-analyze, but I think we are gradually accepting the facts of what we are. "

• Maybe we are making progress. For the most part, analysts have chosen not to think about the race and ethnicity of those who attended. What is, perhaps, why he had such a stir on Twitter when Allan Wells, the 100-meter champion in 1980, said from the couch studio the BBC he was "the last white man" to win.

But with the constant and unprecedented success of the British team, there are some areas attempts to discern a level of significance. This is an adventure story Saturday in the Olympic Park, as described in the Sun "was 46 minutes or when three young Britons showed the world that we see a guy with ginger Milton Keynes, beauty Métis Sheffield., ethnic Somalis gave refuge to these shores of his country ravaged by war. This is what Britain is like today. "

is important not to exaggerate what appears to be the case, there will certainly be more horror stories on stock shop business migrants in the Sun "profiteers" and excessive immigration . But now there is something there and paper bestseller Britain tried to think. Certainly a change in a publication whose former CEO is accused of the famous joked with his colleagues at the office of "Negroes" who descend from the trees.

But if our reaction to the minority interest in the British team did show a growing maturity, will last longer than the Games? Lord Ouseley, the former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality chairman of Kick It Out, the group against racism in football, is skeptical.

"I think games are games of glory," he said. "Everyone will bask in the glory and people will be proud to succeed. But we must remember that when the harsh reality into action is likely to be back to square one."

Ouseley said, it is reasonable to distinguish between public opinion outrageously talented individuals and communities as a whole. "There will be a sense of well-being. Athletes black and ethnic minorities continue to thrive because they are forced to show their individual skills. But the harsh reality is that the regular black and minority Britons still found in poorly on the job market, the housing market and other areas.

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Financial crisis: 25 people at the heart of the meltdown - where are they now?

In 2009, the Guardian has identified 25 people - bankers, economists, central bankers and politicians - whose work has led the world into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. On the fifth anniversary of the credit crunch, what do they do?
Central bankers

Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve 1987-2006

A disciple of Ayn Rand libertarian icon, now Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan just in time to save the world economy since the 1987 stock market crash is a catastrophe. He continued to preside over the boom years of the 90s and bring the U.S. economy following the September 11 attacks and has been widely cited as an "oracle" and "master".

But Greenspan interest rates super-low and constant opposition to the regulation of derivatives market multitrillion dollars are widely blamed for causing the credit crisis. Under the direction of the derivatives market that Greenspan was a record in the industry of $ 500 billion, despite the billionaire investor Warren Buffett warned they were "financial weapons of mass destruction."

their very low prices encouraged Americans to support debt to buy homes, even when he had no savings, no income and no job prospects.

-called subprime borrowers were cannon fodder for the biggest boom and bust in U.S. history. The housing collapse brought the global economy to its knees.

was given the honor of knighthood in 2002 for his "contribution to global economic stability," but in 2008, during a congressional hearing investigating the causes of the financial crisis, Greenspan has finally admitted that "erred in assuming" that financial firms could be resolved.

"You find that your vision of the world, your ideology was not right, it did not work?" Henry Waxman, chairman of the commission, said.

"Absolutely, precisely," Greenspan. 'You know, this is precisely the reason I was shocked, because I've been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it works exceptionally well. "

After leaving the Fed in 2006, Greenspan joined Pimco, the largest bond investor, as a special adviser. Co-founder of Pimco, Bill Gross, said Greenspan had contributed to the company "billions of dollars'' in its advisory role.

Gross

Greenspan said: "brilliance" is a saver of "a lot of money for us.'' 'He created and saved billions of dollars for Pimco and'' Gross said in 2008 . He also advised Deutsche Bank and hedge fund billionaire John Paulson.

Greenspan has also found time to criticize the program's current Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke, quantitative easing. "I stayed away from commenting on the Fed's policy," said U.S. television earlier this month. "Let me say this, however, the data show that the expansion of assets has had little impact on economy, for an important reason, we have created a significant increase in the assets of the Fed's balance sheet and a large billion and an average increase in excess reserves. "

Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England

At its first meeting, the Chair of the Bank's monetary policy committee of the rate of interest (MPC) fell to a record low of 3.5% after the war. King's ambition as governor was to make the Bank "boring". If only this was the case.

been slow to respond to the crisis and initially refused to follow Greenspan to inject money into the system. The Treasury Select Committee (TSC) told me I should have known that the housing bubble to become unstable and should have been "more proactive" to moisten.

just two weeks, the King finally admitted that the financial crisis is the result of "big mistakes" politicians and not just because of the greed of bankers.

investment in Government Conference International in London in preparation for the Olympics, said: "We saw the beginning of the crisis, we met at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but nothing to solve collectively, and do not think it was a problem that could be solved individually. "

More recently, the king facing the TSC to explain why the bank failed to identify the scandal Libor rate setting which is prior to the credit crisis and Bob Diamond last month resigned as Barclays CEO after King Diamond did not know and have confidence in the Bank.

In the reorganization of the regulatory response to the financial crisis, the Governor of the Bank of England has emerged stronger than ever. However, the king will retire next summer, with the former Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell and Lieutenant Governor Paul Tucker favorites to replace him.

policy

Bill Clinton, former U.S. President

current politicians plan to help prevent another crisis ringfence bank financial "risk" divisions "casino banking departments of the bank street more pedestrian. Clinton 13 years ago repealed the Glass-Steagall who had done exactly that. Clinton Movement, which came after a fierce lobbying by bankers, announced the birth of superbanks and the risk of pump priming high.

also signed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which exempted credit default swaps from regulation. Around the same time Clinton has also increased in 1977, President Carter Community Reinvestment Act - forcing lenders to take a more holistic approach to poor borrowers who try to enter the housing ladder

Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister

extravaganza Brown as Chancellor was that there was "deleted Tory boom and bust." He did not. His first term was spent ministerial chair largest raid since the Great Depression.

In his last speech before becoming a great Prime Minister just before the start of the crisis the bankers praised for his role in the creation of a "new golden age for the city of London."

To encourage foreign bankers working in the city fell low tax rate for non-freedom and "light-touch" regulation that meant they could get away with much more elsewhere in London.

Brown is currently working on projects to improve the levels of child poverty and education worldwide, with organizations like the United Nations.

George W. Bush, former U.S. President

The collapse occurred in the Bush administration. While Clinton started the ball rolling with subprime, Bush has failed to provide much stricter regulations, the bar of the Sarbanes-Oxley introduced after the Enron scandal. And do not do much to stop the increase in loans to "Ninjas" [no income, no job seekers].

Nouriel Roubini, the economist who earned the nickname Dr Doom for his prediction that the crisis was about to hit, blame Bush. Obama "inherited a mess," said Roubini. "We're lucky that this Great Recession does not turn into another Great Depression."

Bush politics in self-imposed exile and has stood by its absence in the campaign of Mitt Romney to become the next president. "He enjoys his life in Texas. It does not seek the limelight. Y is strongly concentrated in the center of Bush, "recently said his spokesman. He" did not intend to adopt, at least not right now, "added the spokesman.

The former president wrote a book, Decision Points, the 14 most important decisions of his presidential race. The former president has received $ 7 million to 1.5 million copies.

Senator Phil Gramm

"Some people consider subprime lending and see evil. Subprime loans I look and see the American dream in action," Gramm during a debate in the Senate in 2001.

Another quote dynamite. "When I am on Wall Street and I realize that it is the nerve center of American capitalism and I realize that capitalism has done for American workers, for me, it is a holy place."

was Gramm who had fought hard for deregulation, and contributed to the drafting of the law that allowed the creation of financial giants like Citigroup and Bank of America.

He remains unrepentant. Just a few weeks ago Gramm, who went to work for UBS Investment Bank in Switzerland until earlier this year and is now a visiting professor at the American Enterprise Institute, said: "I see no evidence that allowing them to join through holdings had something to do with the financial crisis and no one has ever presented any evidence to suggest that did. "

Sandy Weill, however, a man with hands on experience in managing a large too fail, the bank and the former chairman and CEO of Citigroup, begs to differ . Last week, Weill said, "I probably should do is go and investment banking separate banking, banks must deposit institutions, banks made loans and commercial real estate loans and banks do something will not risk taxpayers' money, which is not too big to fail. "

Weill added. "The world has changed with the collapse of the housing market and real estate bubble ... so I do not think it is a little more (for large investment and retail combined) "

Wall Street / Banks

Abby Cohen, Goldman Sachs strategist Home

bear market? Cohen seems to have heard of the term.

She made a name for itself in the 1990s as bullest bulls during the Internet bubble, and it is hard to remember when it was on the rise since.

It remains today a bull. "If we were to look only at the estimated fair value during the next year to three years, we believe yields are about 8-10% in the stock market are reasonable," he told Bloomberg last week.

Kathleen Corbet

, former CEO of Standard & Poor

credit rating agencies

, which S & P is the largest, a triple-A ratings to mortgage-backed securities that proved toxic and have been accused of conflict of interest because the issuers of obligations are paid by assessments. As an analyst at S & P, wrote in an email: "[A bond] could be structured by cows and we would."

Another analyst emailed to a colleague. "Hopefully we are all wealthy and retired by the time this house of cards falters"

Corbet resigned after a wave of criticism in 2007. Since then, he has created a company to invest in technology, energy and of course, financial services companies. She has a tumblr, but it's still really blog.

Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, former CEO of AIG insurance group

Although AIG bailout took a multibillion dollar U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve after his massive credit default turned sour, 100 executives of AIG, where spending $ 444,000 on a golf course and spa in California. "Have you heard of anything more outrageous?" Said Elijah Cummings, a Democrat said. "They were getting their manicures, pedicures, facials, their, massages, while the American people are paying the bill."

Greenberg, now 87, began - and is running CV Starr & Co., a private equity firm named after the founder of AIG Cornelius Vander Starr. Son of Hank Scott is helping to seize sovereign wealth funds and the super-rich money to buy good plans should last decade.

Andy Hornby

, former head of HBOS

Former child prodigy British company that became the top of its 800-strong class at Harvard and became chairman of Asda at the age of 32 years was the man running HBOS when he had to be rescued by Lloyds. His reputation took a blow to the FSA, the regulator seeks HBOS guilty of "serious misconduct" in the context of their taxpayer bailout and rescue by Lloyds. But there is a very busy man. After the demise of HBOS was installed as CEO of Alliance Boots (who resigned last year without reward) and is currently Executive Director of Coral bookmakers and Executive Chairman of online and mail order pharmacy pharmacy2U business.

Fred Goodwin, former head of RBS

Fred "less" was stripped of his knighthood earlier this year that public anger over its role in the onset of the financial crisis has reached the boiling point. Goodwin, who has been called "the world's worst banker", Royal Bank of Scotland brought to its knees by a series of ambitious acquisitions too. A series of 20 shots RBS become a world leader, but Goodwin was not satisfied and just before the financial crisis hit led an acquisition of $ 100 billion of the Dutch bank ABN Amro.

RBS reported the largest annual loss in UK corporate history and had to be rescued by the government worth £ 45.5bn. Currently, 82% of state property.

Goodwin again made headlines recently when he was accused of a crisis in the largest law firm in Scotland, architect, RMJM, where he served as an advisor. Approximately 80 employees have left the company after a battle over unpaid fees.

Steve Crawshaw, former B & B boss

• What
• fiction Messrs. Bradford and Bingley say? The two gentlemen in bowler hat was the good old conservative bank. The fall of the B & B may be due to a moment of hubris in 1995, when we spend more than £ 1,000 for Stan Laurel melon to show its headquarters.
• Steven Crawshaw
• bought the specialist mortgage lender Lloyds TSB Express, which is aimed at self-employed, those seeking a second home and finances buy-to-let mortgages. Ready won "loans liars" nickname because the plaintiff did not prove that they had a regular income. When the stock market crashed in bulk, as well as B & B, because it could not fund loans. Finally, B & B was nationalized, just weeks after Crawshaw resigned for heart problems. He left with a pension worth £ 105,318 per year.

apparently retired to the Yorkshire countryside, and his public role seems to chair the Advisory Board of the School of Management at the University of Bradford.

Adam Applegarth

, the former boss of Northern Rock
Applegarth

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Syria unrest: Assad forces continue onslaught in Aleppo

Battle

the second largest city of Syria intensifies as the Assad regime claims to have eradicated rebel attack in Damascus

anti-regime guerillas fought to prevent an attack by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on Sunday as the government said it had defeated a rebel attack on Damascus.

Despite days of clashes in the south-west of the second largest city of Syria, a decisive battle is about to begin. The rebels are in control of a crescent-shaped area of ??the east, south and focused on suburban Salahedine.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has created a network of checkpoints in neighborhoods controlled by young activists, many of whom are very nervous. It is planted in a large part of the country, north of the city, which came on July 20, and the troops to be used against the peoples of regime in these areas reinforcements in Aleppo.

Many residents fled the city by Turkey of the rebel advance. Many of those who fled to Damascus when fighting peaked over a week back yet, the citizens most affected areas, including Qabboun and Midan told the Guardian on Sunday evening. "He is not back to normal, not even close," said a man. "This Ramadan is the worst ever. Again all afraid to rejoice."

Monday morning, reported the Reuters news agency that the regime claimed to have recovered parts of Aleppo. "Complete control was Salahedine [recovered] these mercenary killers" unidentified military officer allegedly told Syrian state television. "In a few days, security will return to the city of Aleppo."

Reuters said it could not confirm the report and the Observatory of the opposition pro-Syrian Human Rights said fighting continued in Salahuddin.

• Syrian forces were collecting weapons and troops on the outskirts of Aleppo, many parts of which are expected to remain loyal to the regime. The Foreign Minister Walid Moualem said Sunday the rebel fighters had been expelled from the suburbs of Damascus had been maintained for more than 10 days. During a visit to Iran, said rebel campaign Moualem: ".. Then they moved to Aleppo I assure their plots will fail"

The next battle is considered by both parties as a crucial step in the uprising. The rebels have progressed without heavy weapons had been begging, apparently trying to capitalize on the momentum gained during the attack in Damascus attacked a government intelligence center that killed four generals who had organized the regime's repression .

A rebel commander military province of Aleppo Boustan Alkasr said shelling continued throughout the week. The commander, who declined to be identified, was pessimistic about the chances of FSA repel repeated attacks. "The FSA has hundreds of troops stationed in Aleppo and across a major force in the area of ??about 2,000," he said. "Regime has 100 tanks, specifications, and about 400 troop carriers and other armored vehicles. they also 43 bus Shabiha [militants] were conducted in Aleppo, with about 1,500 soldiers. helicopters and the regime. "

The commander said that if the opposition could have access to heavy weapons be "two or three years" to defeat the military machine Assad. He did not believe that Damascus led a frontal attack on a large scale in Aleppo, but bomb the areas controlled by the rebels of the sky. He added that the warplanes flew over the city government, not to launch rockets, but to frighten the residents -. Tens of thousands of them fled

rebel groups in the city have difficulty communicating. They have walkie-talkies, but the regime has cut off communications with the Internet and other erratic.

In Aleppo, the dwellers FSA said support Syrian uprising, but complained of a lack of fuel and bread, and were terrified by the constant presence of helicopters.

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US pair lift off in attempt to break cluster balloon flight record

United States

Kent Couch and Iraqi winger Lafta Fareed put off Oregon in chairs attached to helium balloons

Two men sitting on chairs attached to a group of 350 helium balloons lifted skyward Oregon Saturday in an attempt to beat the Guinness world record for the longest two men in a balloon cluster .

An estimated crowd of over 1,000 spectators attended Kent Couch and his wingman Fareed Lafta in Iraq took off from the parking lot of the Stop & Go Couch Mini Mart in Bend, Oregon.

They pulled into a clear sky with light winds. Half an hour later, they were a little red dot, white and blue in the northeast of the curve, the drift towards Idaho. The couple has a parachute.

"is a pre-flight for our trip to Iraq to bring more awareness to orphans," Couch said before the flight.

Lafta said contacted him a year ago and asked him to accompany a group balloon ride to raise money for children orphaned by the war in Iraq.

Couch, who hopes to Montana on the flight Lafta asked to choose a comfortable chair and join him.

"Many people have contacted me over the years about the plane, but Fareed was by far the most sincere," said Couch.

• "I went to the orphanage with him and I saw the children there. Fareed And it also has a lot of experience skydiving. Now I have someone with whom share my experiences in flight. "

Flights Couch previous
have up to 235 miles in 2008. He hopes GO 500 miles on Saturday and save the feat with Guinness World Record.

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While Colorado burns, Washington fiddles | Bill McKibben

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George Osborne demands massive cuts to windfarm subsidies

greenest government PM "Never argue undermined by the decision of the chancellor, which adjusts the pressure Conservatives

plans to reduce public subsidies for onshore wind farms are being developed by the Treasury, in a move that seriously undermines the request of David Cameron to run "the greenest government ever" .

The

Observer

learned that George Osborne require 25% reductions of subsidies, reduction of the industry called "kill dead" development wind sites. The position of the Treasury has the Chancellor disagrees with the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey Energy Secretary, whose party supports renewable energy.

Osborne, whose reputation took a dive after his widely criticized budget and a subsequent series of U-turns, has been strong pressure from Conservative MPs to reduce the billions of dollars spent on green commitments.

In February more than 100 Conservative backbenchers wrote to the Prime Minister demanding reductions of 400 million pounds per year of public subsidies for wind farms they see as a test of Lib Dem too much influence on coalition politics. A prominent opponent of onshore wind is the Duke of Edinburgh, who had described the turbines unnecessary and I think it will never work.

Tim Yeo, Conservative chairman of the all-party energy and climate change select committee, said the Treasury and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), directed by Davey fulfill different objectives. "This is an example of attempts to stimulate renewable energy DECC are hampered by the intervention of the Treasury," he said. "The way to deal with it - and savings on the Treasury wants to achieve - is to have more renewable energy on earth, requiring subsidy levels, and the Mar Menor, which requires more We need to change balance. ".

Critics accuse the Chancellor foot please Conservatives who do not want turbines constructed in their constituencies, saying it could harm their chances of reelection. They argue that the cuts did not make economic sense, because there are alternatives, such as the location of offshore wind would be much more expensive. "This is an irresponsible act of political opportunism by a chancellor willing to increase their popularity among backbenchers," said Juliet Davenport, CEO of renewable energy electricity supplier good.

However, Chris Heaton-Harris, a Conservative MP who led the campaign for cuts without portfolio, said he was very busy. "I see a dramatic cut," he said, arguing that onshore wind was expensive compared to gas and fuel shortages increase.

However, proponents of wind energy at the point of rising gas prices and air pollution and climate change benefits of renewable energy technologies, including onshore wind is cheaper.

"cookie is dead to kill the deployment of renewable energy technologies cheaper if you are really concerned about the cost," said Gordon Edge, director of policy for the industry group RenewableUK. Sources to one of the six major energy companies in the UK, said: "It is perverse - renewable energy is obtained less for your money only makes sense that if you do not like wind farms in their neighborhood." .

• After becoming party leader in 2005, Cameron has adopted the slogan "vote blue, go green", as did the environment a central part of his campaign to modernize the Conservatives. Shortly after entering into a coalition with the Liberal Democrats who promised to lead the "greenest government ever", adding that "nowhere in the longer term decisions that really needed in the areas of energy and climate change and the environment. "
• But Osborne has made it clear he does not believe that the green agenda can remain a priority when money is short and the deficit must be reduced. With his own political fortunes in the slide, the Conservatives believe they may have to support their fight against the green countryside. This year, the government angry environmentalists by announcing plans to reduce subsidies for solar energy, a move strongly condemned the industry.

There are more than 3,000 wind turbines in the countryside in the UK and the debate has become increasingly polarized over the past two years, with a tripling of local opposition. However, a large majority of the population is in favor of wind energy, even if you put a few miles from his home.

The Treasury declined to comment, but a spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which administers the grant program, said: "It is vital that our support for electricity renewable simultaneously stimulates investment and represents value for money for consumers. The government has published new levels of support soon. "

According to some sources, the decision was delayed by the Treasury "drag" the new rates proposed by Davey.

Decc initial proposal in October, delayed by disputes, it was for a reduction of 10% in favor of onshore wind under a program called "renewables obligation" ., but the
Observer

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