Countryside under Assault

Land at Stoneton/ Wormleighton, to be destroyed if the plan goes ahead.

The tiny and historic village of Wormleighton is under assault, and with a population of 80 they do not have many voices to protest about the destruction of their environment, firstly by the HS2 Train-line and secondly by plans for 13 x 120 m high turbines. This plan is being proposed by the Spencer Trust who own the surrounding land, and EDF, the French Energy Group.

More to follow on this, later today, but if you care about South Warwickshire and Northants, and want to object at once, you can go to this link:

http://apps.stratford.gov.uk/eplanning/AppDetail.aspx?appkey=LIYZ5CPM00E00

You can look at associated documents to see what others have written.

The Gadarene Swine

How else can you describe our three party leaders - along with Chris Huhne - as they drag us all over the cliffs?

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6987273/in-englands-green-and-pleasant-land.thtml

Britain running out of wind?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/8545306/Wind-farms-Britain-is-running-out-of-wind.html

What good will all these wind farms be, when there is no wind?

Also:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/3867232/Promoters-overstated-the-environmental-benefit-of-wind-farms.html

Great Torrington

This video was made last Sunday, when visiting Torrington with a friend. Only two turbines appear to have been working in the last few days. What a good thing it is that we are not yet reliant on wind... would a third of the "homes supplied" have to go to work without their morning cups of tea?

Sian Lloyd speaks out

http://itvwalesblog.com/2011/05/26/guest-blog-sian-lloyd-wind-farms-in-wales-would-be-vandalism/

Sian Lloyd was one of the speakers at Tuesday's protest - and let us hope that the politicians inside the Assembly buildings heard the crowd roaring in approval of everything that she said.

You can see videos of some of the speeches given on the Assembly steps on the Conservation of Upland Powys Facebook page.

And here is a link to a report about the protest - and if you look closely at the video you can see artist Jenny Keal (red jacket) holding a placard saying "Windfarms = No Lights" near the end of the item.

David Bellamy's Blog

http://davidbellamyart.blogspot.com/

He has written a wonderful description of what it was like to be at the Protest on Tuesday.... and he didn't forget to mention that the W.I. were there, too. What more can we ask for, than to have the W.I. on our side?

Myfanwy Alexander speaks in front of the Welsh Assembly building

This and other videos and photographs from yesterday's protest can be found on the Conservation of Upland Powys Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=10150257382570663

Outside the Welsh Assembly yesterday

Great speeches by Russell George (Welsh Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire) Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire MP) and Sian LLoyd among others (more details about these speakers on this page about earlier protest)

Matthew Sinclair: Clegg's crony capitalism, cash for Climate Change Capital

On today's ConservativeHome.

As he says (about offshore wind and other green investments):

"People don't invest in frightening things like that, so the plan is to transfer the risk to the poor old taxpayer, who is going to have to bear the cost of the subsidies and be saddled with the risk if they don't turn out well."

First short video

It wasn't too easy to hold a camera, and a placard, especially when it was windy!
More to come, probably later today.

Cardiff today

Just one of many more photos from a fantastic day - more to come.

March on Cardiff tomorrow

Mynydd y Gwair, from Lliw Reservoir, painted by David Bellamy at the 2005 Paint it while its there day in Wales.

David has this to say about tomorrow's event:
"Let's hope it will light the flame of resistance against these politicians who want to trash our landscapes for the benefit of the corporations. Never in living memory have I witnessed such governmental vandalism and total disregard for the feelings, lives and economic welfare of British country folk for so little.

Artists Against Wind Farms will be there in strength with Featured artists David Bellamy, Jenny Keal and Christine Lovelock, Featured photographer Tom Hutton, and of course, Angel;a Kelly, Chairman of Country Guardian. Also coming we hope is playwright Henry Lewis ("The Wind Thing".)

If any of the other artists who have shown work on our website come to Cardiff, please look out for us, we'd love to see you. Some of us will have placards so we hope we will be easy to spot. Most of all, of course, we all hope to show our support for everyone involved in the wonderful protest organised by Conservation of Upland Powys.

Wind farms proposal could be blown away by SNP council

Important news from Scotland:

Sunday's Herald:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/business/corporate-sme/wind-farms-proposal-could-be-blown-away-by-snp-council-1.1102797

We're all saying it - wind farms aren't Green

http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/all/6954843/a-green-dark-age.thtml


http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100088906/wales-is-in-danger-why-isnt-the-prince-of-wales-saving-it/


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8528083/Wales-in-revolt-over-mammoth-wind-farm-scheme.html


And of course:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConservationofUplandPowys

Con with the Wind

As Chris Huhne is so much in the news at the moment, we thought it might be interesting to show this trailer for Nigel Spence's film, "Con with the wind" again.

Save Mid Wales!

Photograph taken at the 2009 Nant-y-Moch protest.

If you care about Wales, please sign this petition:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-the-industrialisation-of-mid-wales.html

And if you want to learn more first about why you should do this, please go to this website page link below, and just move your cursor:

http://www.cambrian-mountains.co.uk/nantymoch-windfarm-photo-montage-index.htm

Andrew Orlanski

Three very interesting articles:


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/13/downing_cambridge_climate_conference/


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/09/cccomm_renewable_energy_report/


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/22/wind_abnormal_fail/

BBC Spotlight (South West)

Spotlight today...

Fullabrook Down Wind Farm, plus Christine Lovelock (Artists against wind farms) with some paintings of the landscape before the wind farm was built.

Here is the link to the programme on iplayer...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006pfr1

It may not be online for very long. The item is at about 17 minutes into the programme.

"How to get cheap energy and clean air" by Anton Howes

Here's a quote from his blogpost on the Adam Smith Institute website:

"Even supposed environmentalists may oppose the introduction of new fuel alternatives: the renewables they have invested in are heavily reliant on subsidy, so the arrival of an energy source that is actually cost-efficient and clean is a threat. Government involvement therefore means the consumers again suffer from higher prices, and the environment is damned along with them too!"

Read it in full:

http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/environment/how-to-get-cheap-energy-and-clean-air/

Wheeler's Cross

At the very moment that the giant Fullabrook turbines are going up on the North Devon Downs, other parts of Devon are under threat as well.

A meeting is being held in Bradworthy Village Hall on Saturday 21st May, at 2 pm, concerning the proposal for 6 x 86 metres turbines at Wheeler's Cross.

There are some details about Wheeler's Cross on this page of our website, and we will post any other information that we learn about the proposal as we receive it.

If there are any other proposals that you would like us to mention on this blog, don't hesitate to contact us.

Contact details are on the www.artistsagainstwindfarms.com website.

U.K. Urged to Abolish Renewable Goals, Spend Less to Cut CO2

"The U.K.’s commitment to meeting the EU’s renewable energy target is actually damaging the goal of global carbon reduction.”

Read more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-04/u-k-urged-to-abolish-renewable-goals-spend-less-to-cut-carbon.html

Noise

Thanks to a campaigner for this link.

When will the wind energy companies finally admit that noise can be a problem?

When some people make so much money out of wind power, why is there no compensation for its victims - why is there no justice?

Between Instow and Yelland

This photograph (using the zoom on my camera) was taken this morning from the Tarka Trail in the Taw Estuary, between Instow and Yelland, looking across at the first five turbines on the hills opposite. Because they are so big, they confuse your sense of scale. They are in fact several miles behind the white houses on the first ridge.

In Wales and Scotland, of course, people are fighting against proposals for hundreds of turbines, not just 22. They are much larger as well - the Nant y Moch and Druim-ba turbines would be about 500 ft high.

Windfarm Wars

If you didn't watch it,
watch it on iplayer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00zn463/Windfarm_Wars_Episode_1/

Gallery in North West Devon

We heard this weekend from a Gallery in the small village of West Putford.

Do look at their website:

http://www.westgallery.co.uk

An application for 6 x 86 m turbines has gone in to Torridge District Council at Wheeler's Cross, nearby.

MP says wind farms would destroy mid-Wales

"Not even the enemies of Britain over the centuries have wrought such wanton destruction on this wondrous part of the United Kingdom”

End Quote Glyn Davies MP

What a wonderful quote!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-13346245

Mid Wales Pylons & Hub Crisis - HD - PVPTV news

Watch this PVPTV video right to the end, where you can see protesters gathering as MP Glyn Davies(Montgomeryshire) speaks out.

A WAKE FOR THE WILD: Tuesday 17th May 2011.

Please go to this link: if you have any feelings for the wilderness it will bring tears to your eyes.


alan sloman's big walk: A WAKE FOR THE WILD: Tuesday 17th May 2011.


Alan says:

"On Tuesday 17th May, a few friends and I will be walking peacefully the few miles into the Monadhliath, carrying a coffin; a symbol of the death of Scotland’s Wild Places. We will be passing Dunmaglass Lodge itself and carrying the coffin up to the point of the highest turbine, about 2,500 feet up in the beautiful, wild Monadhliath Mountains."

He also gives a link that enables you to track the daily movements of Cullen, a young female Golden Eagle's daily movements. Sigrid Rausing, the owner of nearby Coignafearn has been encouraging Scotland's Golden Eagles to make their home in these mountains - now their lives are under threat.

Today in Barnstaple, Devon

Today in Barnstaple, by the new Taw Bridge. Yet another convoy of turbine blades....
Incidentally, for anyone living in North Devon who hasn't seen them yet, the first few turbines are already visible from the road between Instow and Yelland, on the south side of the Taw Estuary (the white cottage in the photograph heading this blog is on the northern side of the Estuary, opposite Yelland)
To see more of the effects the Fullabrook Down Wind farm is having on once secluded Devon hills, go to this link on the artistsagainstwindfarms.com website

Russel George wins

Congratulations to Russel George who has won a seat in the Welsh Assembly Elections!

This is a quote from his website (April 19th)

"I do not believe that we should convert our uplands into an industrial landscape, by allowing another 800 wind turbines, a 20 acre substation and a line of 150′ high steel pylons all the way to mid-Shropshire. – all driven by the Assembly Government’s Technical Advice Note 8 (outlining it’s renewable energy policy)..."

Read more:

http://russellgeorge.com/2011/04/19/the-only-sure-way-to-stop-the-pylons-is-to-stop-building-windfarms/

Pressure on Politicians

Pressure on politicians is mounting in Wales, as over 3000 people have signed a petition against the industrialisation of Mid-Wales.

Go to the Conservation of Upland Powys Facebook Page for daily updates.

And if you live in Wales, ask your AM candidate what his position of this issue is, and vote accordingly! In Meifod, for example, we hear, Conservative and Labour candidates supported the petition, Plaid Cymru and Lib Dem did not. It may be different elsewhere - on this single issue we need to be careful how we vote...

Having said that - one thing is pretty certain, wherever you live, don't vote "Green" because the Green Party does not any longer deserve its name, which implies a love of the natural environment. Let us hope that they do not pick up too many protest votes in council elections, mainly from people who do not realise this.

Windfarm operators paid to stop producing electricity

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13253876

And for this they want to destroy Scotland?

www.driumba-sayno.com

And Devon (latest on Fullabrook here)

And so many beautiful and much loved places all over the world.