Aside from all the issues mentioned above, one of the biggest problems with wind turbines (and solar) is that they don't really reduce our requirement for 'traditional' power stations. We still need to be able to produce the same amount of electricity when there's no wind so we'll end up with lots of power stations that will keep being turned on and off all the time which makes them much less efficient and more prone to breaking down. It's similar to the current issue we have with peak demand periods but at least they are fairly predictable.
Sadly the government just seems to be worried about its media perception and so has jumped on the things that the general public know about - wind and solar - whether or not they are the best solution is irrelevant. It would be far better spending it on getting people to reduce their energy needs - to me this seems easier to achieve, 'using and wasting less electricity will save you money' can't be too hard to get across? And what about more efficient energy production like the combined heat and power waste incinerator in Sheffield that is at least 30% more efficient than standard power stations.
Wind turbines might be part of the jigsaw but it's a far far smaller piece than is being sold to us by the government and the media.
