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The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
March '04 News |
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Welcome to the new Committee
By Ricky Knight
AGM’s be scary things – one false move and you are elected Fundraiser for life. This and that nagging fear that you’ll be the only one to turn up, tend to mitigate against the sort of event that might otherwise change your life.
The fact that the NDGP has managed to survive intact for so many years, with neither internal disruption nor constitutional crisis, is no small testament to the few individuals involved, to the quality of the ideal we all aspire to and to, let’s face it, good fortune. Perhaps another ingredient, albeit not entirely self-congratulatory, is that we have never tried – or succeeded!- to take on too much. We’ve kept within our means. And we’re still just about solvent. So it was that a brave few made it to Bideford on a cold night last November and everyone there was fortunate enough to get elected without too many qualms. And without too much opposition.
Roland Gold, our legally essential Electoral Returning Officer (and Lynton Town Councillor into the bargain) might well maintain that he was hoodwinked into thinking this position was a doddle, whereas it is potentially fiendish – but “we all have complete confidence in him”. However, it is true to say that he now needs a whole avalanche of local election candidates to really test his mettle. Mike Harrison did indeed fail to prevent his unanimous election as Campaigns’ Officer, to be ably assisted by Miranda Cox as Press Officer, already an old hand at getting her incisive letters past the NDJ Thought Police. L’Anne Knight steps in to take the post of Membership secretary from Cathrine Simmons, who remains our Treasurer, as does Peter Christie, our nominal Co-ordinator, who retains his legendary status as one of the UK’s most effective and longest-serving Green politicians. The arrival of Rosemary Brian to the area and her subsequent approach to us has resulted in her now being our secretary, a gift from the Gods. Jon Hooper remains as our Webmaster, as do I, as Local Party Contact.
A Committee of nine – your local party is in good hands. And it couldn’t come at a more crucial time, with the Euro Elections looming, the Westminster ones after that and a whole raft of County, District and Town/Parish elections to consider, not to mention the usual plethora of environmental causes to champion. Our ambition is that every committee member represents at least ten paid-up members of the North Devon Green Party. Does that mean you?
North Devon Green Party AGM 2003
By Ricky Knight
This year's AGM is at the Joiner's Arms in Bideford - great venue! There'll be food to share and, I tell you what, the Treasurer will buy you a drink! Sorry, folks, AGM's are not sexy, to coin an apposite phrase from the media - but they are essential and we would cease to exist as a local party if we did not have them. I only hope that you're not reading this for the first time after the event because this comes to you quite late.
Business will be relatively brief - our first constitution will be voted through, together with one or two other straight-forward motions and strategies. The committee will stand down and probably stand up again. It's certainly not democratic to be on the committee for ever but it ends up being pragmatic - but oh, OH! how our hearts would soar if some new blood would come forward and energise us, indeed new and old faces would be just fantastic - we are just two steps away from not existing, you know - step one, take away the newsletter; step two stop the meetings. Yet there are thousands of supporters out there in North Devon, even if too many vote tactically, who really need to know we exist.
We have to have a co-ordinator, a treasurer and a membership secretary - I'm optimistic with those positions. What has been and still is a nightmare for us is that we legally have to have an Elections Returning Officer too. Those four posts are obligatory and the last one needs a name to it. We also need - desperately - someone to do Press and Media work. I would, er, rejoice if we could fill those two positions. Unfortunately, just mentioning posts that need to be filled may well be enough to ensure that some won't turn up just in case they get voted on while out at the bar, purchasing another Lucozade.
Please support your only local Green Party - look upon it as the political wing of all your other environmental concerns and commitments - whatever your sense of outrage about politics, politicians and politicking, there is still a massive role that can be played by the Green Party, locally, nationally and internationally. PLEASE COME, at the very least.
On shore wind turbines– tomorrow’s slag heaps?
By Rosemary Brian
Wind turbines are a cornerstone of the green movement’s energy policy. They are viewed as the most viable source of renewable, non-polluting and environmentally friendly energy. The campaign for the protection of rural England [CPRE] stands alone among conservation groups in opposing the widespread introduction of on-shore turbines, particularly in rural areas where the otherwise unspoilt landscape is a valued amenity to the local population. I support the CPRE’s position and would like the green party to take a more selective approach in its support for wind turbines.
Off-shore turbines appear to offer what the green movement is seeking i.e. they are a source of renewable, non polluting energy. They do not compromise the aesthetic of the landscape as their onshore cousins do. The royal society for the protection of birds [RSPB] has warned that flocks of migrating birds could collide with the blades of the off-shore turbines inflicting considerable damage to the migrating flocks. The RSPB apart, who else cares about the fate of flocks of migrating terns? No one it seems. Bad luck you terns.
Some clusters of wind-turbines are being built in urban areas or in areas which have previously been the site of industrial development. It is reported that the former FORD site at Dagenham in Essex will be the site of a cluster of turbines, built by Renewable Energy Services Ltd. This seems to me to be a perfectly sensible location for turbines, as they can cause no further degradation to the environment, [which as anyone who knows Dagenham will appreciate] is already despoiled beyond recovery.
So why is it important not to compromise the quality of our landscape for this particular energy source? Landscape is of immense value particularly in an age where work related stress is affecting huge numbers of our population. It is important that there are places, lots of places, large tracks of places to which people can retreat to get away from man and his artefacts. We must have places to go, which are not affected by any form of industrialisation. Otherwise more and more of us will all succumb to stress related mental health problems over time.
I would argue (as an LSE trained economist) that the Green movement is approaching the energy debate from the wrong direction. We approach from a ‘supply side’ direction, when it should be seeking a ‘demand led’ solution. We start with the conventional assumption that the current levels of energy consumption are ‘about right’ or at least are not seriously open to challenge. Hence we feel that the onus is on us, if we don’t want nuclear or any other polluting energy source, to define where the substitute sources of energy should come from. There is something almost biblical in our willingness to sacrifice that which is most precious to us, our environment, on the altar of the high levels of electricity which our modern wasteful society consumes. We don’t need to use as much street lighting, in our towns and cities, on our urban roads as we do (much of which is turned upwards and serves no practical purpose, save to blot out the night sky, and make the stars invisible to most of our urban population). We don’t need to have our shops lit up all night, or our car parks. We could probably use a quarter less electricity without anyone being inconvenienced. We probably wouldn’t even notice.
The Greens should come to this argument from the direction of the way we waste energy, and of the insufficient use we make of solar energy. We don’t need to despoil the Devon countryside in order to light up an empty overnight town centre car park, elsewhere in the region. It’s just too valuable for that. If massive investment in wind turbines does take place in Devon, in ten years time we will be regretting greatly the amenity we will have lost.
I predict we will dismantle the turbines, rather like the slag heaps of South Wales were flattened when coal was no longer viable. On- shore turbines in valuable landscape areas will have become yesterday’s energy source.
Bideford’s Lost Trees
By Jon Hooper
I'd first heard of the issue of the trees being cut down at Bideford to make way for a new Quay at a NDGP Committee meeting quite some time ago. More recently, I heard it was taken onboard as an official local issue to campaign on. Still I didn't quite know what I personally thought about it, or what I could do about it. Indeed, knowing that Peter Christie would be having some part in the decision making process made me feel confident that the "Green" perspective would be sufficiently represented. This was, in retrospect, a cop-out on my part.
Recently, a local campaigner Vernon Adams contacted me and probably the whole of the committee, to enlist our support and to prompt us to ask some questions for ourselves. I felt that I needed to take a more active interest in the issue, so I spent some time talking to other committee members, and visited the trees myself. I still really couldn't decide whether it was an environmental "crime" to cut down such well-established trees, or whether it was being blown out of proportion.
I'm a Bonsai artist, and I personally see trees as friends, and as a mixture of raw material and artistic inspiration.
I'm all in favour of using wood as a natural crop, replacing where possible
our everyday use of plastics, oil, coal, uranium, metal and concrete.
Of course there's the ecosystems to think of as well, so it's important
to promote diversity of species and ages of trees, and also to leave
plenty of dead wood on the trees and on the ground. When I chose my current
house, I was influenced by a resplendently gnarly weeping ash in the
adjoining field. Recently, I arrived home to find the ancient tree had
been felled, with no warning. I now know how the people of Bideford will
feel.
It's been finally decided by the officials in charge that all (but one) of
the older trees should be cut, but the young trees should be transplanted.
At a committee meeting shortly after the decision, Vernon and Peter kindly
spend a long time informing us of all the convolutions which lead to this decision.
It was sad that the discussion was by then only a post-mortem, and not a call
to action.
I feel that there is the potential for much to be done now, and that we've got a responsibility to follow through on some of the issues. One issue is that the trees had protection orders on them, yet were still cut down. Does this decision render such protection orders impotent, and set a precedent for them to be overlooked? Another issue which Peter raised is that whereas the campaign to "save all the trees on the Quay" failed, a campaign to save some of the trees may have been taken more seriously. At least one tree was found to be 90% dead. Future campaigns could compromise slightly in order to win more support and also to give Councillors a realistic green option to vote for. We're the Green Party, not the Black and White Party! Vernon raised the point that many of the young trees are now supposed to be transplanted, yet it's a difficult task, and care will need to be taken for the transplants to be successful. He worries that a pathetic attempt to dig them out will be made, and they'll be pronounced dead and just dumped. Vernon is going to attempt to be present to film the digging of the trees, to make sure every effort is made for their survival, and I'm sure he'd welcome some help in his vigilance. Another more internal issue is, speaking for myself, that of a certain amount of apathy. I often talk about policies and issues, but how often do I do something productive about them? It's too late for the trees of Bideford Quay, but there'll be more campaigns in the future: just how much will I be prepared to do about them?
Inserts
By Ricky Knight
There’s quite a few in this edition – representing physical hard labour!
Huge apologies to that one reader who spotted last edition’s intentional error – namely, reference to inserts that were not there. So, here they are again, this time – the promised Green Bond form (somewhat overtaken by events, it’s true, in that we have “easily” covered our deposit – that’s not the problem! Anyway, it’s still a good idea, in that it unashamedly expects you to underwrite the campaign to the tune of ….you name it – and then you forget to reclaim it after the election! Sound economics, if you ask me).
Also, the promised sales pitch from Unit[e], a well-recommended source of environmentally friendly electricity, which will also benefit our Party financially, if you sign up – I have and so far so good, the light switches seem to function. Only problem is, the bills do have a habit of arriving. There are the ballot paper and candidate statements for you to respond to, although it’s true, you’re gonna have to find an envelope, address it AND buy a stamp.
Here’s another disclaimer: in the last issue, I all but named and shamed those who receive this newsletter, yet who steadfastly refuse to render
unto us what is rightfully ours; namely, a relatively small sum of money,
a fiver for local membership will do nicely, a bit more for formal national
membership (see small insert, with GP ethos on
one side) – well, at the AGM, it was generally agreed that sending these
miscreants newsletters was a small price to pay on the off-chance that they
would vote Green at every available opportunity. So, you will continue to receive
them until you let us know you don’t want them.
Finally, there’s an A4 sheet to wade through, which may well serve to concentrate the mind on the forthcoming European Elections and the Westminster Elections thereafter – essentially, it asks of you, not what we can do for you but what you can do for us. The SW GP has bought in several thousand pounds worth of Euro-Election stuff, from Manifestos to little green windmills: the idea is that supporters get hold of info, posters, leaflets etc from us and spread the Green Word. How are you able to help – that’s where the sheet comes in – please give it some thought, fill one in and send it off to the guy at the bottom of the form – me.
Conference on Community Initiated Renewable Energy Projects
Monday 22nd March, Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe
Trans-Send, a community group promoting renewable energy and sustainable living in Ilfracombe, are to host an important conference on community initiated renewable energy projects. The conference, which is open to everyone, will take place on 22 March at Ilfracombe’s Landmark Theatre. It will feature a range of expert speakers from all over the country, including Dan McCallum who spoke for the Awel Aman Tawe project in Johannesburg last year, and is thought to be the first event of its kind nationally.
The conference will assist communities to recognise the opportunities that are available to them at the moment as well as helping them to take the first steps in a project, and to be aware of the funding options. Lisa Sture said: “ This is very exciting for North Devon. It is important for our future that renewable energy comes on line quickly – and I would like to see people taking a proactive part in making this happen. That’s what this conference is about.”
Trans-Send has been promoting renewable energy in Ilfracombe for almost four years through community projects and its High Street Centre, which is mainly funded by the Social, Economic and Environmental Development (SEED) Programme, which distributes National Lottery money on behalf of the New Opportunities Fund, under its Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities funding programme.. The conference has been made possible through financial support from the SEED Programme, North Devon District Council and the Exmoor National Park Authority.
In the last year the Government has signalled support for renewable energies
by making considerable grants available for installing renewable energy technology.
Also, County and District Councils have tough CO2 reduction targets for both
2010 and 2020. Renewable energy projects are a way that
communities can be proactive and say which methods of production are acceptable
in their locality and can potentially have considerable benefits returning
into their neighbourhoods.
There has been some opposition to the introduction of wind turbines
in Devon. Yet the opponents say they support renewable energy, without
saying positively what they would like. Frank Pearson said “rapid
manmade Climate Change is now recognised as a reality; however, it is
not too late for western society to change the way we live so that we
act in balance with our planet and seek to lessen the future problems
we are creating for our children.” This conference will outline
many possibilities and help positive steps forward to be made.
Community renewable energy schemes are sometimes wholly owned by a community,
and other times they are schemes that local people have supported. The more
direct ownership of a scheme the community has, the more financial benefit
will be available to be fed into the community. So schemes such as these can
have a social and regenerative aspect.
As we realise the effect we are having on our climate, many people feel helpless to do anything about it, and this conference is about looking at opportunities we all now have to make a difference. Tim Cox of Trans-Send said, “By 2050, within the lifespan of our children, and of the buildings we are now erecting, our use of fossil fuel will have to be cut by at least 60%. Currently our fuel use is still increasing at an alarming rate.”
Representatives from Councils, including Councillors and Council Officers, schools, community workers, local groups and churches as well as interested community members will be attending.
Refreshments and light lunch will be provided. The conference is free to residents of North Devon District, £10 for other Exmoor residents and £20 for anyone else who would like to attend.
If you would like to book a place at the conference, call 01271 862781 or go to www.trans-send.org.uk for a booking form, agenda and posters.
Website designed by Jon Hooper
Published and promoted by Jon Hooper, 3 Elizabeth Court, Well Street, Torrington EX38 8EP on behalf of the North Devon Green Party, 1 Taw View Terrace, Bishops Tawton, EX32 0AW
PLEASE NOTE: Not all of the material presented on this site is necessarily Green Party Policy or endorsed by The Green Party.