Thursday, June 30, 2011

Some news from the North and West of Britain

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/cumbria-council-boss-wants-government-windfarm-policy-rethink-1.853135?referrerPath=news


Concerned about the number of wind farm applications? Look at this map from Aberdeenshire: http://www.cawt.co.uk/index.php?page=map

Powys council unanimously supported a motion urging the Welsh Government to request a moratorium on all wind farm applications.

Read more at this link:
http://www.warmwell.com/windfarms.html

Friday, June 24, 2011

Last weekend for Art Trek











This is a great event, and a chance to visit artists in their studios. I was one of the first artists involved in the Art Trek, and after I organised it in the second year, Stella Levy took over from then until now. Several other Art Trek artists have been supportive of our campaigns, so if you live near one of our venues (or feel like a longer trek around some more) do come along. Many of us are doing tea and cakes as well. There is no pressure to buy - this is a friendly event, with free entry, and a chance to meet and talk with artists, usually in their own studios.
The North Devon Festival were also very supportive when I did my walk round Devon's wind farm sites back in 2006 and this is the last week of the Festival as well, which lights up June in North Devon even on a cold wet month like this one has been, so do please check out their website as well.
The campaigners in the South Molton area will be celebrating - at least for the moment, since the developers may appeal - but even more support is needed in the Torridge area, where the quiet and beautiful countryside around West Putford, Meddon, and the East Youldstone, close to Morwenstow across the Cornish border, is also under threat. So if you have the chance, do visit the West Gallery, to show your support - and see the work of Art Trek artist Rob Walker as well work by some other well-known artists.

Christine Lovelock

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Safe for now!

















Starlings settling in the field where Npower planned to put nine 103m high turbines, on a ridge with views of Exmoor close by, and Dartmoor to the South.

North Devon Council Planning Committee met yesterday at Bishops Nympton Village Hall to decide upon Npower's application for nine wind turbines at Batsworthy Cross. The hall was packed to overflowing with locals, and the meeting took many hours as local after local after local spoke against this proposal. One after another, they covered each relevant topic in detail, demonstrating a breadth and depth of knowledge that must have impressed the Councillors.
There was emotion too, as many spoke of their love for the countryside in which they live.
From an artistic perspective, an important point was by a well-known local artist about the way in which wind turbines affect our sense of scale when looking at a landscape.
No local people at all (as far as I know) spoke in support of the proposed wind farm. One interesting speaker said that he had been asked to speak in support of the Proposal (by the Green Party or the Developers, I am not quite sure) because of his expertise in renewables, but having looked at the proposal, he changed his mind and urged the Committee to refuse the application!

This article by Martin Hesp was in yesterday's Western Morning News:
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Today-decision-day-wind-farm-battle/story-12811375-detail/story.html

This article by Andy Keeble was in yesterdays' North Devon Gazette:
http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/decision_day_for_giant_wind_farm_1_928748

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Art Trek Reminder











A reminder - the Art Trek - a part of the North Devon Festival - is on for two more weeks.
Here is a link to Rob Walker's page:
http://northdevontheatres.org.uk/north-devon-festival-arttrek.asp?ID=306
His work is on show at the West Gallery in beautiful West Putford, in the quiet and rural area between Bideford and Holsworthy.
They are fighting proposals for numerous wind turbines in this are, the closest ones to the Gallery being at Wheeler's Cross.

And I will be open the next two weekends, here is my page:
http://northdevontheatres.org.uk/north-devon-festival-arttrek.asp?ID=293
Although luckily, because of the hill in between, you can't see it from the fields by my studio/home, the Fullabrook Down Wind Farm already dominates most of the scenery in the Barnstaple Braunton area.

Stella Levy, who organizes the Art Trek is also a supporter of Artists against wind farms. On her page there is a link to the Two Moors Campaign, fighting a proposal for 9 x 104m turbines at Batsworthy Cross - an area often called the Gateway to Devon, near Exmoor.

It would be great if more artists were prepared - in the words Martin Hesp used in his Western Morning News column last week - to "come out of the closet". I call it "putting your head above the parapet", and it isn't always easy, so I totally understand anyone who doesn't want to do so in public, but there comes a tipping point, and it is getting closer.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Time lapse of Turbine Erection (You Tube)


This was posted on Conservation of Upland Powys Facebook Page (by a contributor to our Facebook Page) and we just had to show it here too!
Think of the carbon emissions! And the harm to the land.

This is what is coming to so many places, to a small valley between North Tawton and Dartmoor, to Blackcraig Hill in Dumfries and Galloway if there isn't a miracle, to the D-day Beaches and Mont St.Michel, to Cornwall again in increased size, to the Yorkshire Wolds, the Lancashire Moors, and peaceful rural Warwickshire, to almost all of Poland if you look at the map on EPAW, to Canada and the States, to to Australia, and to many beautiful and secret parts of Torridge in Devon, as well as to Batsworthy Cross near Exmoor National Park, close to the wonderful Two Moors Way. We could go on, and the many places we have left out are just as special to those who love them, but it would take all day to itemise them, there are so many threatened locations.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Protest in Cardiff



Watch this great video on YouTube - hear Sian Lloyd give her "wind turbine weather forecast", listen to Mp Glyn Davies, AM Russell George and a lady from the W.I. among others speaking on the steps of the Welsh Assembly.
This is just the beginning of the People's Protest!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

More Madness!

As well as receiving £900,000 in April for switching off, we now hear that in May wind operators were paid £2.6 million for standing idle. You can read more at this link:

http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/12/wind-turbines-pick-up-2-6m-for-standing-idle/

Friday, June 10, 2011

Noise again

http://www.northern-times.co.uk/News/Exasperated-planners-shut-wind-farm-down-6934757.htm

Quote from the article in the Northern Times:

"THE LOCAL authority has forced Scottish and Southern Electricity to shut down a Sutherland wind farm after the company breached planning controls by failing to deal with excessive noise from the development.

People living close to the Achany wind farm near Rosehall are claiming their lives are being made a misery by the constant noise, and are angry that their complaints are being ignored."

One of the properties suffering from the noise was 2km from the wind farm.


James Lovelock wins Observer Lifetime Award



















"Christine watching Bob Deverill on his tractor, with Marleycombe Down behind"
Painting by James Lovelock, as shown on this page of the Artists against wind farms website (made during my walk round Devon's wind farm sites in 2006).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/10/james-lovelock-observer-lifetime-achievement-award?intcmp=122

A quote from the article by Colin Blakemore, in The Guardian:

"He is withering in his criticism of the "scam" of commercial exploitation of renewable technology"

Posted by Christine Lovelock

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Torrington couple speak out about turbine noise




















Darracott Daisies, by Christine Lovelock, painted after walking round Devon's wind farm sites in 2006. The turbines are in the field beside Darracott Reservoir.

Some sad news for a Torrington couple. Sometimes it's better not to show the turbines.

http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/our_sleepless_nights_with_the_wind_turbines_1_914875

Rising electricity bills

" 'Leccy price hike: Greens to blame as well as energy biz. Who's paying for your neighbour's solar panels? You are"

Article by Lewis Page on The Register.

Here's a quote:

"In essence the ROC scheme is a hidden tax on electricity which is used to subsidise renewables. But a flat tax like that - one which hits poorer people, to whom the electricity bill is a noticeable expense, disproportionately hard - would be politically difficult to implement, so the way it is kept off the government's books is particularly cunning."























Ecocide, by Josh at
www.cartoonsbyjosh.com

Sunday, June 5, 2011

China and Scotland

Thanks to a Scottish campaigner for these links:
http://www.renewablesinternational.net/china-leads-world-in-installed-wind-power/150/505/29965/

Installed doesn't mean producing electricity...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13634300

They are worried about rising electricity costs so they want to use a technology that makes electricity even more expensive (and hurts the poorest among us, like single mothers and those out of work, for example, most of all.)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Near Ilfracombe, North Devon


A beautiful morning on the hills near Ilfracombe. As we stood and watched these blades go by, we could see Wales across the sea, and the coastline towards Lynton, as well as the hills of Exmoor. How could anyone have dreamt that such industrialisation would be forced upon rural Devon - in the name of environmentalism?
And just by the way, for anyone who has watched Windfarm Wars, the blades coming to the Denbrook Valley near Dartmoor will be bigger than these ones. All the better to be seen from Yes Tor, of course.