Denbrook Public Inquiry

I went down from Barnstaple today to the second Denbrook Public Inquiry.

This is the view from the 118 bus somewhere between Torrington and Okehampton - a shame it doesn't show Dartmoor better, but you can just glimpse it above the hedge.



Go to the www.denbrookvalley.co.uk website for more information about the fight to stop a wind farm with 9 x 400 ft high turbines close to the little town of North Tawton.

New report ties wind turbine noise to potential health problems

“There can be no doubt that groups of industrial wind turbines (”wind farms”) generate sufficient noise to disturb the sleep and impair the health of those living nearby,” states Dr. Christopher Hanning in a recent report.... you can read more here on www.wind-watch.org

Tonight at 10.30 on BBC2

This news has just been passed on to us:

Adrian Snook of STOP THE SPIN

http://www.stopthespin.org.uk


will be head to head with Ed Miliband

on NEWSNIGHT

Wind power is a complete disaster

An article by Michael J. Trebilcock from Canada's National Post tells it all....
This is an excerpt:
"Denmark, the world’s most wind-intensive nation, with more than 6,000 turbines generating 19% of its electricity, has yet to close a single fossil-fuel plant..."

Read more...

Family photo

Back late tonight... here is a blurry but nice family photo taken at my father's 90th Birthday party...
Left to right:
Andrew Lovelock, Christine Lovelock, James Lovelock, Sandy Lovelock, John Lovelock, Jane Flynn (Lovelock), Acomo Lovelock

Happy Birthday Dad from Christine Lovelock

Today is my father James Lovelock's 90th Birthday, and Sandy, his second wife, has organised a very special party to mark the occasion. Along with my sister Jane and two brothers, Andrew and John, we will be there to wish him a very happy birthday, in the company of many friends, environmentalists and wind-warriors!

This is a photo of him when he was in his twenties.

More family photographs and memories on this page.

Link to a video about his latest book.

More to follow on Tuesday, if no blog on Monday.

Angela Kelly at Nant-y-Moch

Angela Kelly, Chairman of Country Guardian, came along to the Nant-y-Moch protest walk, organised by the Cambrian Mountains Society.

Here she is holding a poster that was made from painting by George West, an architect and artist who has submitted paintings to the Artists against wind farms website.

Angela is an artist herself, and you can read more about her on her page on the website here

Here is George's painting of the cliffs at Morwenstow, also threatened by turbines.

Interesting letters about renewable energy

As usual, www.warmwell.com has links to many interesting articles and letters, including one from the Special Professor in Sustainable Energy at Nottingham University (in this week's Independent)

First of two paintings by Phil Epp

Phil Epp has sent us two recent paintings that illustrate the scale of the turbines threatening the Flint Hills of Kansas. This is the first painting.

As mentioned last week, you can see his new book of Flint Hill photos at this link .

Second Denbrook Public Inquiry

A second Public Inquiry starts on Thursday into the proposal for 9 x 125m high turbines near the little town of North Tawton (close to Dartmoor)

This photograph shows the view towards Dartmoor, looking across the site of the proposed wind farm.


Website: www.denbrookvalley.co.uk/
This small group of local residents has been fighting - at great financial cost - since 2005. The struggle is even harder in the present financial climate, so any help will be greatly appreciated. Their fight may be local, but the beauty of this landscape matters to us all.

More details: Mid Devon Gazette.

Simon Jenkins in the Guardian

"Ecotowns and turbines are a political slap in the face of the landscape."

This is the title of an article by Simon Jenkins in last Thursday's Guardian. Read more...

Another article by Simon Jenkins some years ago was the inspiration behind the Artists against wind farms website, read it here...

Yet another excellent article, in The Sunday Times

"When wind power blows, jobs will fall."
This article by Dominic Lawson points out, for example, that while Germany has been subsidising wind power to the extent of almost €5 billion a year, this hasn't has led to a reduction of "a single gram of CO2 emitted on the continent of Europe."

Important article by Dieter Helm

Dieter Helm is Professor of Energy Policy at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of New College. Yesterday The Times published an article by him titled:

"Don’t blow our £100 billion on wind power

Instead of pouring money into renewable energy, we should invest in technology that will really tackle climate change..."

Read more...

Flint Hill Mustangs - new book by Phil Epp

Phil Epp from the Kansas Flint Hills has sent us news of his new book about the Flint Hill Mustangs.
Phil campaigns against the turbines that threaten to destroy the last remnant of America's Tall Grass Prairie, home to wild mustangs, bald eagles and the rare prairie chicken.
His page on the Artists Against Wind Farms website shows examples of his work, as well as photographs of the Flint Hills Landscape.

A Preview of his new book, Flint Hills Mustangs, can be seen here - do have a look, you can view the first 15 pages.

James Delingpole

Do read this!
Wind farms:the death of Britain

Worth reading too: Miliband's brilliant plan to stop climate change...

Ann West

Hear Ann West, Vice Chair of Country Guardian, take part in a debate about an application for a wind farm on Mattlock Moor.

Listen again, You and Yours, BBC Radio Four

The Bronte Sisters

Thanks to Angela Kelly of Country Guardian for sending a link to this article about the Yorkshire setting of the Bronte novels...
It describes the wind turbines as "the one discordant note..."

Leading Article in The Times

"Tilting at Wind Farms"

Today's leading article in The Times says government plans to concentrate on wind power ... "could prove to be a costly mistake..."
Read more...

Public Inquiry at South Molton

The Public Inquiry into the Proposals for 24 turbines close to the southern fringes of Exmoor is entering its last three days.
The timetable can be found on the North Devon Council website.

This is a view from Exmoor towards the turbine sites. Although it is not easy to spot it in this low resolution photograph, Knowstone Church was clearly visible to the naked eye, and 24 giant turbines would drastically change the rural nature of this landscape.

The lights will go out...

There is an important article on today's Conservativehome Blog by John Webley from Kent. Conservative Home often publishes sensible articles about energy policy, which may hopefully influence a possible future Conservative Government.

John Webley leads a campaign against windturbines in rural Kent.
Go to their excellent website for more about the beautiful landscape there, and some excellent articles about the economic insanity of the government's renewable energy strategy.

Another very useful website

Like www.wind-watch.org, the www.warmwell.com website is worth frequent visits, with links to many articles about wind farms, and other topics of interest such as Bluetongue. Today's news item on Warmwell begins...

"Families face a charge of up to £120 to fund thousands of wind turbines..."

go to Warmwell, and read more

CBE for Robert Plant

Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant awarded CBE by Prince of Wales.

(If you have missed earlier postings and wonder about the relevance of this, go to this link on www.wind-watch.org)

First Glyndebourne, now East Meon

Two 126.5 metres high turbines proposed for East Hampshire hills in what will be the new South Downs National Park

Read more in the Petersfield Post and go to the website of the Stop the East Meon Windfarm Action Group (SEMWF) for more information.

(Thanks to www.wind-watch.org for these links.)

Mynydd Llansadwrn Action Group

Henry Lewis, who came all the way up to Nant-y-Moch from London, by rail and taxi, to show his support for us that day, sent me the link to this site. Move your mouse across the picture of the hill to see what the turbines, would look like.

Wind Turbine struck by lightning

Go to EPAW for more about a wind turbine struck by lightning (turbine wing thrown 150m into neighbouring forest, breaking trees) Luckily no one was hurt, but several trees broken.

Areas of Natural Beauty

Ed Miliband has suggested that Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, like the Lake District national park could be the sites of new energy infrastructure including wind farms, according to article by Alice Cannet on politics.co.uk

This story was originally found on www.wind-watch.org Go to this site for daily updates of news from around the world.

Jupiter Birding

This is a highly recommended blog both for for birders, and anyone like me who simply loves birds. Enjoy their photographs on jupiterbirding.blogspot.com

Then read what they had to say about the RSPB and wind farms on their archive (scroll down to March 26th)

SILTON WINDFARM UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED

More wonderful news - go to www.saveoursilton.org to learn more about how this proposal for 120 metre turbines on the edge of the Cranborne Chase AONB was defeated. Well done to everyone involved in the fight to save this beautiful landscape!

Art critics in danger from wind turbines?

I had to put a link to this Daily Mail article on the blog, since we all care about birds, as well as art, and beauty, and endangered landscapes. Pigeons can apparently appreciate art, and they can even tell the difference between pastels and watercolours. Professor Shigeru Watanabe is quoted as saying "pigeons are able to acquire the ability to judge beauty similar to that of humans."
At least critics like Brian Sewell are not likely to be struck down by turbine blades when admiring a landscape.

Shetland Isles

Got to www.wind-watch.org, a daily source of news, for more about the 3600 name petition against a 150 turbine wind farm on the Shetlands. Presumably this is on a peat bog... haven't peat bogs been described as our "rain-forests?"

Latest on Chilla Moor, near Hatherleigh, Devon

Okehampton Times - Power company withdraw plans for windfarm. See also: Chilla Against Turbines

Wind farms in Montgomeryshire

Lembit Opik says Montgomeryshire is facing more than 700 enormous 450ft turbines.
Read more of what he said in the House of Commons, and the rest of the debate, on www.parliament.uk

Wall of Dolphins

BBC Wales-South West - "Superpod" of around 1500 dolphins seen off Pembrokeshire coast. This report includes a video and mentions concerns about wind farm developments.