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UPDATED July 4th 2009    SITE HITS SINCE NOV 2005 14,468

Wind power-for a truly sustainable energy future

******BREAKING NEWS******

Information on all of these can be found on "national news in brief" further down the page.....

 Wind can "revolutionise UK power" - Poyry Report July 2nd 2009

UK expands wind power potential  June 25th 2009

Climate change budget tops £300 million in Wales June 25th 2009

SEA activists ascend Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis summits to display pro wind banners June 20th 2009

UK wind week 13th - 21st June 2009 further information on  www.embracewind.com

Turbine contracts signed for Lindhurst Wind farm May 27th 2009

New nuclear plants will cost every family £3,000 -  

Climate activists plan action against Radcliffe-On-Soar coal fired plant in Notts....

         Save Our Scenery (SOS), the campaign group that has opposed the consented Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm have publicly announced that they have "given up" in their bid to stop the wind farm being built.....See recent news

         SEA have campaigned for almost four years in support of the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm and in that time have taken the campaign to the summit of Snowdon, the Houses of Parliament and The Welsh Assembly Government, we have lobbied politicians / media at a local and national level and spent countless days engaging with the general public in Llandudno and across the north Wales Coast. With help from Friends of The Earth Cymru in 2008, we have collected close to 5000 letters of support for the project and submitted over 1100 signatures to Conwy County Borough  Council urging them to support the wind farm.

       Heartfelt thanks must go to all those that have worked with us and supported our campaign  for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm, we believe that it will become an icon of positive change and a real step forward for a truly sustainable energy future here in Wales - Thank you, without you it would have not have been possible.

              Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA) was founded in May 2005 and is based in  North Wales. It is a coalition of environmentalists who believe that the threats of climate change are so  serious that renewable forms of energy  and especially that of wind power,  should be adopted as soon as  possible. The environmental group believe that wind power, both on and offshore , must and will play a key role in our energy mix, along with other renewables, decentralised energy and energy efficiency. SEA is against new build nuclear power stations and further construction of coal fired power plants.                                 

                                 SEA has always found that  when the general public are given the opportunity and provided with substantiated and factually correct information, the vast majority are fully in support of wind power

                                   The group has been campaigning in support of the proposed Gwynt y Mor  offshore wind farm for three years now. This wind farm will be sited some nine miles north of Llandudno and if built will meet the demands of 500,000 households ( 41% of homes in Wales). SEA  have always  found that the vast  majority of local people and visitors to the area are in favour of the proposal and that the small but vocal opposition group have grossly exaggerated the visual effect of the wind farm and completely misjudged the likely effect on tourism (see some myths).

                                      Man-made climate change is the greatest global threat that we face today and  the evidence is now compelling. Urgent action must be taken to address it and lesson the severe impacts that it will bring to all of our lives..

 The following quote from Lord Rees of Ludlow neatly summarises the dramatic situation we are faced with:

"Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide are rising at an unprecedented rate. They were higher in 2005 than they have been for at least 420,000 years, and probably 20 million years, due to the burning of fossil fuels. This in itself would be   grounds for concern even if there were not yet evidence for associated global warming. However, that evidence is now compelling"

Lord Rees of Ludlow
President, The Royal Society

And from David Attenborough on the threat from man-made climate change...

"I am  80 now. It's not that I think, like any old man, that change is wrong. I recognise that the world has always changed, I know that. But the point is, it's changing more extremely and swiftly than at anytime in the past several million years and one of the things I don't want to do is look at my grandchildren and hear them say. "Grandfather, you knew it was happening and did nothing."

And David Attenborough on a wind farm application in Sussex - Times online February 26th 2008

" Having visited the proposed site, I noticed that it is close to a place where not long ago, a windmill once stood. I suspect that were that windmill still in existence, many of us would regard it as a  welcome feature in the essentially domesticated Sussex landscape and would speak passionately in favour of its protection. That, surely, is because most of us have a care and affection for the past. I certainly have."

"But I also have a care and affection for the future. A wind turbine , with its graceful lines, collecting energy from the environment without causing any materials damage, is a marvellous demonstration of the way we can minimise our pollution of the atmosphere, if we wish to do so. It would help protect not only the countryside we have know for centuries but also the wider world beyond."

And from Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC " If you see the extent to which human activities are influencing the climate system, then the mitigation objections should be seen in a totally different light...We are doing things that have not happened in 650,000 years, based on the scientific evidence that will be placed before you".

Some facts on wind power...

According to the Sustainable Development Commission ( SDC)  wind energy is projected to be the cheapest form of electricity by 2020

The UK has 40% of the European wind energy resource and it is  common sense to make the best use of it  - www.bwea.com  and on average the UK's wind farms are twice as efficient as those in Europe.

There are at present (April 2008) 1966 wind turbines in the UK, generating electricity for 1,358,897 homes and reducing CO2 emissions by 5,492,661 tonnes per year

The average wind turbine operates between wind speeds of 8 mph to 48 mph ( force  9) measured at hub height and produces electricity for up to 85% of the time

In terms of wind power, the UK has some catching up to do, in 2007 the USA installed 12 times more wind capacity than Britain, Spain 8 times, China 8 times, India 4 times, Germany 4 times and India double. - Germany has reaped the rewards of going for wind power, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs 7.4 billion Euros in wind energy exports and lower electricity prices as a result.

Bird Kills -The threat to birds from wind farms is exceptionally low. At worst, avian mortalities per turbine, per year is equivalent to 1-2 birds, but is often much lower. By comparison, 57 million birds die in collisions with cars, 1.25 million in collisions with tall structures, 97.5 million in collisions with plate glass and 100 million are killed by pet cats in the USA each year. It is thought that 10 million birds are killed each year in the UK in collisions with vehicles.

House prices - A report by the Royal Institute of Charted Surveyors and the Oxford Brookes University  ( May 2007) found no clear relationship between property prices and the proximity of wind farms.

Noise -  The Scottish Executive published results of a public opinion survey which found that "before construction of Scottish wind farms studied, 12% of the people living near the sites thought that the turbines would cause a noise nuisance, but after construction, only 1% thought they were noisy".

Studies into noise from wind farms and how it may affect local residents have been carried out by the UK Government. In August 2007, the UK's most comprehensive study into sound created by wind farms concluded that, despite arguments to the contrary, the incidence about noise is low. Acoustics researchers at Salford University investigated complaints of the noise created by aerodynamic modulation (AM) a phenomenon sometimes compared to the sound of a distant train. It was discovered that the number of complaints about noise from wind turbines is relatively insignificant compared with complaints about other noise sources. The study found that 239 formal complaints over a 15 year period (an average of just 16 each year), for the whole of the UK, were made in respect of wind turbines. This compares with the national average of more than 300,000 per single year for noise complaints in general.

  Based on the University's findings, the Department for Business,  Enterprise Regulatory Reform ( DBERR) considers this matter not to be an is sue for the UK's wind farm fleet and nor does it consider that there is a compelling case for more  work on AM at this time.

The Salford University report followed another study concluded in 2006, also commissioned  by the DTI ( now DBERR), known as the Hayes Mackenzie Report. This concluded that that there was no evidence of health effects arising from low frequency noise or infrasound generated by wind turbines.

Tourism -  In 2002, a MORI poll in the Argyll area of Scotland found that "80% of tourists said that they would be interested in visiting a wind farm if it were open to the public with a visitor centre, while 91% of respondents said they would not be put off from visiting and area because of the presence of wind farms".

And on climate change...

Arctic ice has diminished by 40% over the last 40 years 

Carbon Dioxide levels are 27% higher now than at any time in the last 650,000 years

National news in brief - 

Wind " can revolutionise UK power" July 3rd 2009

Wind has the ability to revolutionise the UK's electricity industry, according to a study published on July 1st. Research from analysts Poyry says that the UK can massively expand wind power by 2030 without suffering power cuts or a melt - down of the National Grid.

When it is windy, power will be so cheap that other forms of generation will be unable to compete, the report says.

If it is accepted by government, these key findings could strongly influence the UK's future energy supplies

The study was done for National Grid, Centr4ica and others, the research reviewed 2.5 million hourly weather reports on wind speeds all around the UK. The report amplifies a recent paper from National Grid itself, stating that a move towards wind power would not necessitate widespread investment in expensive backup power plants fuelled by gas or coal. This is  a key finding which helps remove one of the main barriers to the advance of wind, the authors of a report by the Royal Society in the same week made the same point.

China unveils $140 bn plan to build giant wind farms by 2020   July 1st 2009

The Chinese government this week announced plans for a $140bn ( £80bn) wind farm building programme that will see seven giant wind farms, each with an minimum  installed capacity of 10GW, built by 2020.

Once completed, the seven farms will have a combined capacity  of around 120 GW, accounting for approximately eight percent of the country's expected  total power capacity of 1,500 GW in 2020.

UK expands wind power potential  June 25th 2009 

The UK Government has moved to clear a path for a quarter of the nations electricity to be powered by wind. Ministers on Wednesday approved new wind power sites for the Crown Estate around the UK's coastline. They also began the tender process for a £15bn contract for the new cabling need to bring the power onshore.

The government is relying heavily on wind power to meet its European commitments  to provide 15% of all energy by renewables by 2020. A major obstacle to wind was demolished when a study from National Grid last week concluded that that the electricity distribution grid could cope with on-off wind energy without spending a lot on back-up fossil fuel power stations.

The conclusion countered a key argument used by opponents of wind power, who suggested that the UK would still need to maintain a number of big fossil fuel power stations in order to bridge the gap between demand and supply when the wind did not blow.

And the outlook is good too, a study by to be published next week, by consultants Poyry, will suggest that by 2030, wind will be the dominant source of electricity by 2030.

Climate change budget tops £300 million in Wales June 25th 2009  Wales is to spend £300 million cutting carbon emissions as part of its commitment to tackling climate change, Environment Minister Jane Davidson has said. She is to set out a plan on how to greenhouse gas emissions  It includes help for green energy, micro generation and a pilot scheme to lower cities carbon footprints.

Last week a Met Office report claimed that temperatures across Wales would rise by 2.3 degrees C by 2050

SEA activists ascend the three highest summits in England, Wales and Scotland June 20th 2009

 Activists from SEA and supporters of wind power on Saturday June 20th reached the summits of Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike to simultaneously unfurl banners saying "Yes To Wind", in support of wind power in the UK. SEA is calling for the UK Government, Scottish Government and Welsh Assembly Government to actively support wind power, not just in words but actions, as a way of reducing carbon emissions and addressing man-made climate change. We believe that far too many wind farm applications are being turned down and the planning process itself is often too lengthy.

Press releases  were sent out before and after the event with the follow up press release containing photographs from each summit.

The weather on each of the mountains was very poor, however this did not stop the climbers from making the summits at midday to unfurl the banners.

The activity coincided with European wind week

Many thanks must go to all those that took part in the event, in the planning and working with the media.  It was a  day that will be long remembered !!

Photographs can be seen at www.sea-photographs.synthasite.com

UK must plan for a warmer future June 18th 2009

The UK has to plan now for a future that is hotter and will bring greater extremes of flood and drought says environmental secretary Hillary Benn

Launching the UK climate Predictions 2009 Report ( UKCP09) MR Benn told MP's "that the UK climate will change , even with a global deal on emissions. By 2080 London will be between 2 and 6 degrees hotter than it is now, every part of the UK is likely to be wetter in the Winter and drier in the Summer according to predictions" he said..

Three Key NGO's endorse wind week 2009 June 12th 2009

    A  number of NGO's gave an emphatic thumbs up to wind week 2009, which started on Saturday June 13th and will last until Sunday June 21st. The World Wide Fund for nature ( WWF) said "WWF supports wind week 2009 and encourages everyone to get along to their nearest  wind farm event to learn about this clean, non-polluting energy source." GREENPEACE stated " GREENPEACE  is fully behind wind week 2009. Tackling climate change is urgent and wind power has so much potential as the most mature, easy to scale up renewable energy technology, it's time to get moving on wind now." Friends of the Earth said "FOE is backing wind week, the UK has one of the largest potentials for wind energy in the whole of Europe. Urgently harnessing this power will slash emissions, create thousands of green jobs and make the UK a world leader in developing a clan, safe and sustainable future."

For further information on UK wind week go to www.embracewind.com

Turbine contracts signed for the Lindhurst wind farm May 27th 2009

RWE Npower renewables has signed a contract with wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, to supply five turbines for its wind farm at Lindhurst, to the south of Mansfield, Notts. The wind farm was given the green light by Newark and Sherwood district council in September 2007 SEA campaigned for over a year in support of the wind farm and collected in excess of 3000 letters from local people, as well as lobbying the local media and politicians.

It is expected that construction activities will start on site towards the end of this year, with the  wind farm expected to be completed and generating electricity by the end of 2010. The turbines will be the Vestas V90 model, each with a generating capacity of 1.8MW and a tip height of 125 metres. Once operational, the wind farm will have an installed capacity of 9MW, the annual generation expected at the site would be equivalent to the domestic needs of up to 5400 average UK households.

SEA is delighted that at last construction of this wind farm will shortly begin, we believe  that it will be a real land mark for the town and will show that Nottinghamshire is serious about its commitment to addressing man-made climate change by supporting carbon free sustainable energy. We hope that this wind farm is the first of many in the county.

Wales plans for energy self-sufficiency with renewables in 20 years May 23rd 2009

Wales, today laid out radical plans to make it one of the most energy and resource countries in the world within a generation. The government development plans which are legally binding are far in advance of anything planned for England or Scotland and would see it become energy self sufficient in using renewable electricity generation within 20 years and reduce waste to zero by 2050. The proposals would make Wales one of only three countries in the World legally bound to develop "sustainably".

"We intend to reduce by 80-90% our use of carbon based energy, resulting in a similar reduction in our greenhouse gas generation," said Jane Davidson, the Welsh environment minister, launching the sustainable development scheme at the Guardian's Hay Festival. " We are committed to making annual 3% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from 2011," she added

Largest onshore wind farm to be expanded May 21st 2009 

Europe's largest onshore wind farm is to be expanded further, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has announced. Mr Salmond was speaking as he officially switched on the 140 turbine Whitelee wind farm on Eaglesham Moor in East Renfrewshire. He said developers, Scottishpower Renewables had been given permission to add a further 36 turbines to the site, that would allow the £300m wind farm to power 250,000 homes.

Each turbine at Whitelee, which started producing electricity in January 2008, stands at 110m at tip height, the Scottish Government's approval of the wind farm would give the wind farm an installed capacity of 452MW.  The First Minister said " Whitelee in it's current form is already flying the flag for onshore wind power in Europe and the planned expansion, which I am delighted to announce today, will enable the wind farm to harness its comparative and competitive advantage in wind generated energy within Europe."

A £2m visitor centre is also planned at Whitelee and the wind farm is due to be fully opened to the public, walkers, cyclists and ramblers in the Summer.

Keith Anderson of Scottishpower Renewables said " this is now the first over 300MW wind farm in the United Kingdom and we believe others will follow."

Wind industry gives thumbs- up to Budget package April 23rd 2009

                     UK renewables industry leaders have today welcomed Alistair Darling's Budget announcement of a package of measures to build a low carbon economy and further decarbonise electricity generation. The proposals include a potential £525m of new money through a review of the support mechanism for offshore wind. The Chancellor also announced a new deal with the European Investment Bank to provide a package of up to £4 Billion for investment in renewable infrastructure projects, as well as a one year across the board doubling of capital allowances from 2o% to 40%

                 Adam Bruce, BWEA Chairman said " This package of measures deserves a welcome from our industry and is line with proposals that we have been working through with the government. It addresses the short term economic hurdles we faced due to the fall of the pound against the Euro and the post-Lehman collapse in project finance."

           He added " It also restates the government's long-term commitment to the renewable energy sector, and should enable us to unlock up to £10 Bn of private sector investment in wind and marine energy projects over the coming few years."

Richard Mardon, Managing Director of Your Energy Ltd, a leading UK onshore wind energy developer said of the Budget " The UK has 9 GW of wind energy projects on and offshore with planning consent or in construction, a much as 5GW of which could be completed within the next two to three years. Sorting out funding issues at this stage is crucial if we are to make a decisive step towards reaching our 2020 targets on renewable energy."

New nuclear plants will cost every family £3,000 April 15th 2009

                     Every family faces a bill of at least £3,000 to pay to clean up the waste produced by a new generation of nuclear power stations it has been claimed. As ministers on April 14th  unveiled details of 11 locations  where plants could be built, campaigners warned that the cost of removing dangerous waste will be borne by the tax payer.

                   Nine of the proposed plants are near existing power stations, including Dungeness in Kent, while two further plants could be constructed  near to Sellafield in Cumbria, the UK's largest nuclear facility. Ministers hope that the first of the replacement plants will be open as early as 2018 - They insist that the cost will be met by the private sector, but Neil Crumpton of Friends of the Earth, said that taxpayers have already been stuck with a £75 billion bill - or £3,000 per family - to dispose of the current nuclear waste. He added that " The figure has crept up dramatically over the years, it is quite reasonable to expect that it will double with the new waste."

                Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrats spokesman for energy and climate change said "We know that never in British history has the nuclear industry not needed to be bailed out by the taxpayer." - Source - The Daily Mail April 16th 2009

Climate activists planned action at Radcliffe-On-Soar power station  April 13th 2009

                Over 100 climate activists were arrested at a Nottinghamshire school on Monday. A police spokesman said the group were believed to targeting Radcliffe-On-Soar coal fired power station nearby. He added "information  received during the operation indicates that a number of those arrested maybe linked to a group of climate change protesters who have set up climate camps - This group have previously staged demonstrations at Drax power station in North Yorkshire, Heathrow Airport and Kingsnorth Power station in Kent."

               The plant at Radcliffe-On-Soar, which is run by the energy company Eon, has seen protests by environmental campaigners in the past, including members Eastside Climate Action. However speaking on behalf of the group, Bob Andrews said " we don't know anything about the arrests - it wasn't us and we don't know who has been arrested, but if people were planning to shut the plant down, like we did two years ago, then that is great news." He added " we would fully support people taking sage and responsible action to stop carbon emissions, Radcliffe is the third biggest source of CO2 in the country; it has to be closed down if we are serious about climate change."

             Meanwhile, the Camp for Climate Action, which has previously protested at Drax, Heathrow, Kingsnorth and the recent G20 Summit in London - refused to comment on the arrests.  Source BBC News

British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) is moving   April 3rd 2009      

                The British Wind Energy Association ( BWEA) on Monday April 6th 2009 is moving address - It will be BWEA, Greencoat House, Francis Street, London SW1P 1DH. Tel 0207 901 3000 . E-mail info@bwea.com Website www.bwea.com  - SEA wishes them good luck in the new office !

Work to resume on Rhyl Flats offshore wind farm   April 3rd 2009

          Npower Renewables has announced that it will resume the offshore installation works at its Rhyl Flats wind farm. The offshore wind farm is located some 5 miles off the north Wales coast. Once fully  operational, it will generate enough power to meet the demands of around 61,000 homes.

         The company has  said  that the construction of the first 25 wind turbines will commence when the jack-up barge Lisa A has been loaded  with components at the Port of Mostyn, from where it will sail to the wind farm site.

         Sustainable Energy Alliance supported the application by lobbying local media and politicians.

RSPB call for more onshore wind farms -   March 24th 2009

         There should be a significant  increase in the number of  wind farms built onshore in the UK the RSPB has said. It called for an end to the "needles delays that beset wind farm projects, after a study said that more turbines could be built  without harming wildlife.

         It would be "disastrous"  if  the vast potential for wind power in the UK was wasted, the charity added

 GREENPEACE Take action in Brussels - March 10th 2009

                      GREENPEACE activists, including two from north Wales ( Jonathan Lincoln and Caroline Yan-Man-Shing)  were among 340 volunteers, from some 20 countries who took direct  action in Brussels when they surrounded  the European Council Building, a number of activists also chained themselves to the gates of the building. They were trying to prevent the European finance ministers from leaving the building until they agreed to pledge significant funding so that developing countries could address climate. All of the activists were arrested and were later interview by Police before being released. Caroline said " I am here to make sure my government take the steps to get us out of this economic and climate crisis that can give people long term jobs in sustainable industries", she added "some European countries are complaining that they can't afford to take action on climate change, but I say they can't afford not to - if this planet was a bank, they would have saved it by now."

                     GREENPEACE said, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the UK government should be stimulating the economy with investment in sustainable technologies and industries that would create long term work that is less vulnerable to future economic crises.

                    Caroline said " leading climate scientists say we only have 92 months to start reducing, rather than increasing our emissions, politicians don't seem to be listening and certainly don't seem to represent me, so now is the time for me to take a stand and take action against climate change." She added, "Non-violent direct action and solidarity with other people makes you feel that change is really possible - to be equal to the task, politicians need to be equal to the task and set serious emission reduction targets. They need to take action to save rainforest and give cash for developing countries to adapt to the climate change that is already happening."

Scientists: act now or face climate catastrophe March 13th

                 The worlds leading scientists issued a desperate plea to politicians to act on climate change yesterday, amid warnings that without action the world faces decades of social unrest and war. In what was described as a watershed moment, more than 2,500 leading environmental scientists agreed a statement that called on governments to act before the planet become unrecognisable and in places an  impossible place to live.

               At en emergency climate summit in Copenhagen, scientists agreed that " worse case scenarios were already becoming a reality and unless drastic action was taken soon " dangerous climate change" was imminent.

               In a strongly worded message, that unusually for academics, appealed directly to politicians , they said there was "no excuse for inaction "and that "weak" and "ineffective" governments must stand up to big businesses and vested interests

              Steps should be "vigorously and widely implemented", they said to reduce greenhouse gases. Failure to do so would result in "significant risk" of "irreversible climate shifts", the statement added.

Consent given for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm project !Dec 3rd 2008

After campaigning for the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm, SEA has welcomed  the news that consent has at last been given by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Jonathan Lincoln the UK coordinator for SEA said "we are obviously delighted with the outcome and wish to thank the planning authority for giving the wind farm the "green light", they must be applauded for their forward thinking and belief in wind power as a way of addressing climate change".

He added " this is a fantastic day for Wales and the UK,  and the wind farm will be a real icon for the country. If we are serious about tackling man-made climate change then we have to take action to address it, this must include the way we generate electricity. Wind power must and will play a key role in our energy mix alongside other renewables and energy efficiency. The building of this wind farm is a big step forward for a truly sustainable energy future in the UK."

Many, many thanks must go to everyone that has worked so very hard in supporting the wind farm over the last three and a half years, and to all those that have backed us, we have collected close to 5000 letters of support and spent many weekends engaging with the public in Llandudno, and discussing the issues about the project.

DECC Secretary Ed Milliband said "the 750 MW development will create a powerhouse for renewable energy off the north Wales coast."

 "The UK must clean up its energy supply to fight the damaging effects of climate change and more wind power will help us to do this" he said.

He added " the UK is leading the world in offshore wind and the developments off north Wales will keep us as front runners."

A spokesperson for the British Wind Energy Association ( BWEA) said " the development was fantastic news" adding " Gwynt-y-Mor is a landmark project both for Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole."

Miliband opts for 80% emissions target and feed in tariffs Oct 16th 2008

The new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change , Ed Miliband has confirmed that the UK will now aim for an 80% emission reduction by 2050. In his first speech to Parliament he announced that the amendments will be added to the Energy Bill to introduce a feed-in tariff  to support small scale renewable energy.

 He said "the environmental impacts of climate change, like melting sea ice in the Arctic, was now worse than it had been expected when the 60% target had been set." He added " the government accepts all of the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change, we will amend the Climate Change Bill to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and that target will be binding in law."

The Secretary of State also confirmed his intent  to press for Europe  to stick to its proposed 20% emissions cut by 2020 and 20% renewable energy target, and press for a 30% emissions target if a new global agreement is reached at Copenhagen next year.

 Department of Energy and Climate Change created Oct 6th 2008

The UK government has announced the creation of a department of energy and climate change, the move which has for the first time brought together an arm of government explicitly uniting climate and energy has been welcomed by the renewables industry and the environmental movement. The new department, which will be headed by Ed Miliband will assume responsibilities previously covered by two departments - DEFRA AND DBERR.

       Greenpeace  executive director John Sauven said " for the last ten years the government has dithered on climate change, offering us inspiring rhetoric but little in the way of action." He added " bringing energy and climate together at last reflects the urgency of the threat we face from climate change."

      Study eases fear about wind farm threat to birds - Oct 1st 2008

Wind farms do not drive birds from surrounding areas, British researches said today, in findings which could make it easier to build more wind farms - see full story on the news page...

          Norfolk anti wind farm campaign slammed Sept 10th 2008

                Claims that a wind farm in Norfolk would make nearby homes worthless and ruin peoples lives  were exaggerated , misleading and untruthful, the advertising watchdog the ASA has ruled. In the adjudication the ASA upheld five complaints against Fenland Landscape Against Turbines ( FLAT)  and found nine breaches of its code of conduct concerning truthfulness and substantiation .

       An ASA spokesman said " protesters may feel strongly about what they are doing, but it is important that people realise that there are standards in all advertising, including leaflets, and there  needs to be evidence behind any claims made."

Green light given to Duddon Sands Offshore wind farm Sept 4th 2008

                       The  Duddon Sands Offshore wind farm has this week been given consent DBERR, one of the three largest offshore wind farms approved in the UK so far. The project  is proposed by Morecombe wind ltd, a consortium Scottish Power, Eurus Energy and DONG Energy                                                            

                      The wind farm could number up to 139 turbines, depending the on the individual type of turbine used and could generate up to 1.75 TWh per year, equivalent to the electricity needs of 30% of Lancashire homes.

                      John Hutton also gave the go ahead to a revised planning application for the 30 turbine Ormonde wind farm near to the west of the Duddon Sands wind farm .          

                       John Hutton, commenting on the two wind farms said " These wind two farms demonstrate our commitment to dramatically increase the amount of energy we generate from renewable sources helping to cut the UK's carbon emissions and secure our energy supplies." 

                       He went on to say " West of Duddon Sands will be one of the largest wind farms approved to date and will help provide a significant contribution towards our renewable energy targets - Companies want to build here because we have made the UK one of the most attractive places to invest in offshore wind."

            China puts UK out of top five - September 2nd 2008

China displaced the UK in the top five most attractive countries for investment in renewable energy for the first time in the indices five year history. This is according to the latest Earnst and Young renewables energy attractiveness indices which track and score global investment in renewable energy. The UK dropped from fourth to sixth in the all renewables index and from second to fifth place in the long term wind index. The report shows that China is diversifying its energy supply by incorporating more sustainable sources into its rapidly expanding energy generation mix.

       Jonathan John's, head of renewable energy at Earnst and Young said " the Chinese success story has been driven in part by the governments renewable energy policy which aims to generate 15% of the countries energy from non carbon sources by 2020." He added, " Investment in China has been boosted by the governments energy policy, which secures renewable energy as a vital and important part of the countries energy mix."

       China is also  likely to become a significant exporter of wind turbine equipment in a few years, adding to its already strong presence in the solar industry.

 Denmark's largest offshore wind farm approved Sept 3rd 2008

                Denmark's largest offshore wind farm has been approved by the Danish Parliament on Tuesday August 26th. The wind farm will be sited in the Kattegat Straight in the North Sea. The wind farm will be capable of producing 400 MW of energy, enough to meet the demands each year of up to 400,000 homes according to the Climate and Energy Minister. The offshore wind farm will number between 100 and 175 turbines, depending on the size of the turbines installed.

             Jakob Lau Holst, the acting Director of the Danish Wind Industry Association ( DWIA) said " the new construction will help Denmark it its bid to reach the European  Commission's goal of generation 30% of energy by wind by 2020." He added " at the same time it is also important that we don't rest on our laurels, we need to continuously build at sea and land  over the coming years to reach the goal and send an international message that we are serious about reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,"

           According to the latest figures from the  DWIA, Denmark has 5267 wind turbines of which nearly 70% are sited on Jutland (in 2006) offshore wind power produced 22% of Danish wind energy.

           SEA would like to congratulate the Danish government and the Climate and Energy Minister for their support and belief in wind  power as a way of addressing man-made climate change. We believe that consent for the this offshore wind farm clearly shows Denmark's faith in wind power

Ofcom rules on The Great Global Warming Swindle - July 21st 2008

A controversial Channel 4 film on Global warming broke Ofcom rules, the media regulator says, The Great Global warming Swindle attracted various complaints, including claims that it mislead contributors. In a long awaited judgement, Ofcom says Channel 4 did not fulfil obligations to be impartial and to reflect a range of views on controversial issues - Full story on the news page...

UK's blueprint for green revolution - June 26th 2008 ..

                    One in four UK homes could be fitted with solar heating equipment and 3500 wind turbines could be erected across Britain within twelve years as part of a green energy  revolution to be proposed by the government this week. The UK could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20% and reduce its dependency on oil by 7% within 12 years if it conducts the massive overhaul of energy production and consumption outlined in the strategy document according to the government. Although the proposals are contained in a consultation document, the government  has committed to hitting the 15% renewable energy  target and ministers accept that many of the measures in the report  will have to be introduced, one of these measures includes a 30 fold increase in offshore wind power generation. SEA welcomes the consultation document and hopes that the proposals outlined become a reality.

                  John Sauven, director of GREENPEACE said, "if this plan becomes a reality, Britain will be a better, safer and more prosperous country. We'll create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and use less gas, and in the long run our power bills will come down."

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rules against another anti wind farm group

              The Advertising Standards Authority ( ASA) the independent body which policies the rules laid down in the advertising codes", has upheld four of the six complaints made by the wind farm developer Acciona against the anti wind farm group "Save Trannon Moor Action Group" (STAG) as it was believed that claims made by the group in opposing the Trefeglws wind farm application were misleading. In conclusion the ASA told STAG to remove  the claims from their published materials... "inefficient - produces only 28% of capacity on average", "Will devastate wildlife - birds, bats and other mammals will all suffer". Will threaten the health of local residents - noise, vibration and blade flicker " and  "Will waste money - subsidies will be charged to everyone's electricity bills..." The ASA advised them to consult the CAP Copy Advice team before advertising in the future. To see the full adjudication, go to www.asa.org.uk for the complaint published on May 28th 2008.

                   Slovenia nuclear alert after leak - June 4th 2008

                      A leak of water has prompted Slovenia to shut down the reactor at its only nuclear power plant. The European Commission issued an EU-wide alert under its Ecurie early warning system for nuclear emergencies, the AFP news agency reported. A safe shut down was in progress at the Krsko nuclear plant the report added.

  Over 3000 say "NO" to the Heathrow expansion - May 31st 2008

          Over 3000 climate campaigners and environmentalists  from across the UK attended the Heathrow Carnival to say a unequivocal " NO"  to the planned Heathrow expansion. The fun  started  at the Hatton Cross tube station and the procession  made its way to Sipson - the village that will be destroyed if a third runway goes ahead. At Sipson the environmentalists  spelt  out a giant human "NO" to expansion at Heathrow that was clearly visible  from the air. Activists from SEA attended  the event and travelled to the event in  a minibus along with another green group. .

 Nuclear and coal fired plants fail causing blackouts - May 28th 08

                Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across London, Cheshire, Merseyside and East Anglia were yesterday hit by power blackouts as both the Sizewell B nuclear plant  in Suffolk and the Longannet coal fired station in Scotland went offline within minutes of each other.

              News was released today that the cost of cleaning up the UK's ageing nuclear facilities, including some dangerous sites looks set to rise above £73 Bn. A senior official from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said the bill would rise by billions of pounds. Nineteen sites across the country, some dating from the1950's are due to be dismantled over the coming decades.

European wind day June 15th 2008 - The European Wind Energy Association ( EWEA) is organising a second pan European day to highlight the benefits of wind energy. 18 countries have already confirmed their participation in this years wind day and will organise hundreds of activities across European regions and cities. These will include wind farm inaugurations  and open days, concerts, conferences, information days with schools, debates, races, contests and much more ! Further information can be found at www.ewea.org

           Chernobyl 22 year anniversary - April 26th 2008 marked the 22nd anniversary of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl.  Up to   500,000 people may have died out of the two million who were officially classed as victims of the accident according to new estimates collated by researches commissioned by European parliamentary groups, GREENPEACE International  and medical foundations in Britain, Ukraine, Scandinavia and elsewhere.  Some seven million people were affected by the accident and today Chernobyl is still a ghost town.

    Stern warns that climate change is far worse than 2006 estimate

Lord Stern, the economist whose report on climate change helped galvanise world leaders behind the green energy movement when it was published some 18 months ago, has admitted is far worse than the assumptions made in the ground breaking report. "We badly underestimated the degree and risks of climate change" he said in a speech in London on April 16th, "all the links in the chain are on average worse than we thought a couple of years ago". 

          Study warns of wildlife losers - April 14th 2008 - Wildlife will increasingly be divided into winners and  losers as the impacts of climate change is felt along the UK coast, the National Trust has warned. The habitats of numerous plants and animals will be damaged by rising sea levels, coastal erosion and flooding. Wading birds, the grey seal and Sandhill rustic moth could suffer.

          Conference tackle climate issues - April 14th 2008 -  The challenge of tackling climate change in Wales is being debated at a conference over the next two days. "Climate change, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" in Llandrindod Wells, Powys will ask whether Wales has "woken up" to the issue. Other subjects include the response to issues in Wales and beyond, and whether people need to act sooner, differently or more effectively" Wales environment minister Jane Davidson AM will open the conference.

         The Welsh Assembly Government has highlighted its commitment to renewable energy, when on February 19th. Minister for the environment, Jane Davidson AM launched the renewable energy map for Wales. Ms Davidson announced that by 2025 , it was feasible that Wales could produce around 33 terawatt hours of electricity per year from renewable sources ( current consumption in Wales is some 24 terawatt hours) with a third coming from wind power.

NEW !

Climb to the top of the Swaffham wind turbine on YouTube           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwmalCmwtFU    

and check out these climate / wind farm videos !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzjOcOcQ9U Climate challenge 2' 01"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBoLqds-Bg   Animation 1' 59"  

We are presently campaigning or have worked on the following wind farms -

Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm - North Wales     www.npower-renewables.com/gwyntymor  Consented

Lindhurst wind farm - Near Mansfield Notts            www.npower-renewables.com/lindhurst  Consented

Langham wind farm - Anderby,  Lincolnshire         www.npower-renewables.com/langham

Rhyl Flats offshore wind farm - North Wales          www.npower-renewables.com/rhylflats   Consented           

Thacksons Well wind farm - Lincolnshire               www.thacksonswellwindfarm.co.uk     --           

 Refused - watch this space !!!

Further details for these on "support the alliance" page

You can help support SEA by buying some of our merchandise ! Go to "support the Alliance" page.

COMMENTS OF THE WEEK....                  

" Wind power blows away the opposition "  P Kench  - Llandudno 

" Time to start thinking about our children's future" S. Dastiagir - Croydon

" I support this wholeheartedly " D. Williams - Anglesey

If you have any pro wind comments and would like to add them to our Website, please e-mail them to Jonathan - jon@leafandstream.fsnet.co.uk

Further comments on our "Quotes" page

 FORTHCOMING EVENTS... Watch this space !!

    June 15th marks this years Global Wind Day -  The Global Wind Day is an awareness campaign for the promotion of wind energy worldwide. On this day, thousands of public events will be organised around the world and the public will have the opportunity to see  that wind power works as a way of addressing climate change and as a solution to energy dependence to fossil fuels and as a wise investment. SEA is planning an event in this week to mark Global Wind Day...

RECENT NEWS...

April 18th 2009 - SEA has commissioned three new t-shirt designs, they will feature the single wind turbine on all three and one of the following lines - "GOOD DAY FOR A WIND FARM", "WIND FARMS ROCK" or " WINDY NIMBYS BLOW THIS" Just in time for some summer campaigning !!

March 5th 2009 -Save Our Scenery (SOS), the campaign group that have opposed the consented Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm have accepted  defeat in their campaign by publicly announcing that they have "given up". The group claim that they do not have the funds to continue with a legal challenge to the wind farm despite their claim of "support" from 5000 members of the public. We believe that it is more likely that they have come to realise that their cause is a lost one and that no amount of funds would prevent the inevitable construction of the wind farm. The fact that, Conwy County Borough  Council after taking legal advice decided not to pursue a legal challenge in to the application in January of this year appeared not to matter to SOS. Gwynt-y-Mor, the worlds second largest offshore wind farm will now be built......

January 29th 2009 - Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC)  decide NOT to  pursue a Judicial Review into the consented Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm after legal advice stated  that any action would be unlikely to succeed. Conwy's cabinet, in a second meeting agreed with the recommendation of the council, and  to take "no further action in relation to a Judicial Review with regard to the proposed wind farm."

SEA is pleased with the outcome as it has long believed that a Judicial Review was totally unnecessary as we  think that all proper procedures were followed and the planning application was given fair and appropriate  consideration by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), we further believe that a legal challenge would have been costly and would have served only to delay the inevitable construction of the wind farm.

Jonathan gave interviews with the Daily Post, BBC Radio Wales and issued  press releases to the Weekly News and Pioneer.

January 26th 2009 - SEA write to all of the councillors prior to the planned full council meeting on January 29th,  urging them not to take any further legal action against the consented Gwynt-y-Mor offshore wind farm.

January  15th 2009  - SEA contacted the Advertising Standards Authority ( ASA) further to the formal complaint made by SEA against SOS and a number of their materials ( all six complaints including a photomontage, which was described as both "crude and misleading" were upheld by the ASA).  SOS refused to accept the ruling made in November 2006, resulting in the ASA sending in a compliance team, SOS did not sign the assurance of compliance and as a result, the CAP compliance team issued an alert to the industry advising them not to accept advertisements from SOS before consulting CAP.      

The full ASA ruling can be see on their site www.asa.org.uk

 - archive page, dated Nov 30th 2006

Given Save Our Scenery's inability or indeed unwillingness to provide substantiated and accurate  information to back up any claims made in their published material, when asked to do so, can we actually trust  or have faith in  anything they actually say.. The blatant  refusal to accept the ruling by the ASA an (independent body )surely must bring into question  the integrity of the group and further the validity of any claims made by the group in opposing the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm. 

January 14th  2009 - Jonathan writes to Ed Miliband and DECC to thank them for the decision to grant consent for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm on December 3rd

January 12th 2009 - SEA commission a new campaign t-shirt which includes the words "GWYNT-Y-MOR -CONSENTED Dec 3rd 2008

January 13th 2009 - SEA contacted Redcar  and Cleveland  Borough Council re the cost of their failed High Court bid - This was for £117,000

 January 7th 2009 - activists from SEA alongside  FOE Cymru supporters attend the CCBC special meeting in Conwy. The full council decided to seek  legal advice with a view to pursuing a legal challenge into the Gwynt-Y-Mor consent decision. After the legal advice is reviewed the council will then make a decision as to whether to proceed. SEA understands that the cost to the council and to the local tax payer could be in excess of £100,000, in fact in  a similar action that failed last year, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council were handed a bill fro £117,000, this was for a High Court hearing that lasted just two days. Jonathan gave interviews to three local papers, BBC Radio Wales and local TV. An interview was also given on Champion radio.

December 29th 2008 - SEA issue press releases to the local media  re our  lobbying of the councillors urging them not to pursue a Judicial Review at  the  special meeting by Conwy County Borough Council ( CCBC). SEA believes that the Judicial Review is wholly unnecessary as in our opinion all proper procedures were followed and the application was given fair and appropriate consideration by the consenting authority. Furthermore a Judicial review would also be costly to the council and would only serve to delay the construction of the wind farm. In July of this year, in a similar action, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council suffered a defeat in it's High Court bid against a wind farm just one and a half miles off the north east coast' after a costly two day High Court  hearing, Mr Justice Sullivan  dismissed the councils Judicial Review challenge against the wind farm. He said " I am fundamentally of the view that that this application must be rejected. The mere assertion that a wind farm may spoil the outlook generally and may effect the value of property is not a sufficient basis on which a challenge can be based. In this case, the principle issue, visual impact is very much a matter of judgement and whether that visual impact by national energy policy." 

 December 6th 2008 -  SEA activists and supporters of the group took part in the National Climate March -  on Saturday December 6th in London. We took part alongside other green groups and climate campaigners  in  a global day of climate protest ( further details at  www.globalclimatecampaign.org joining  people from all around the world to demand action now to prevent the catastrophe that threatens to engulf us all. Also see www.campaigncc.org. It was a long and tiring day but to be part of the event was important to us, shame that we didn't see anyone from Save Our Scenery on the day...

December 4th 2008 - SEA issue press releases to all of the media in Wales following the Gwynt-Y-Mor consent decision.

December 3rd 2008 - Jonathan took part in a live interview with a member of Save Our Scenery on BBC Radio Wales, discussing the consent decision of the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm.

November 12th 2008 - SEA activists in London called at officers for The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform ( now known as Department for Energy and Climate Change DECC) and enquired as to the  progress for the Gwynt-Y-Mor planning application.

November 12th 2008 - Activists from SEA took part in the Parliamentary event on the Planning Bill at the House of Commons. Over 40 MP's had expressed an interest as well as individuals and representatives from groups with campaigns such as supporting wind farm development, opposing airport expansion and nuclear power new build. There was a strong presence  from Friends of The Earth. The day was most successful for SEA, as well as lobbying politicians and discussing  the need for wind power in the UK, specifically consent for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application, we were also able to network with other environmental campaign groups.

November 11th 2008 SEA attended to a wind farm inauguration in Yorkshire, the event was well attended by other supporters of wind power and local people

October 18th 2008 - Activists from SEA and supporters of the group were busy on the high street again in Bangor, talking to members of the public  about the proposed Gwynt-y-mor wind farm and providing them with the opportunity to support the application. The full Environmental Statement ( ES)  which included a number of photomontages and in depth information about any possible environmental impacts  was on display along with copies of the Non Technical Summary (NTS). SEA believe that it is important that factually correct and substantiated information is made available. so that the public can make an informed decision based on that information as to whether to support the application or not.

October 11th 2008 -SEA were out campaigning for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm on the streets of Bangor, as always the support for the offshore wind farm was overwhelming. All of the letters collected will be sent to DBERR, urging the consenting authority to give the project consent.

October 6th 2008 - SEA writes to Ed Milliband and Peter Mandelson asking for support for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application. 

September 23rd 2008 - SEA activists and other anti nuclear campaigners attending the public meeting in Caernarfon,  which asked the question - Climate change : Is nuclear power the answer ?  Speakers included Dylan Morgan from PAWB and Neil Crumpton from Friends of the Earth Cymru. More information about PAWB can be found at www.stop-wylfa.org/index.html.cy

September 12th 2008 - Signs of climate change found in Llandudno. Ecologists have found signs of climate change on Llandudno's rocky shore as species migrate north. The national Shore Thing survey has teamed marine experts with schools to study behavioural changes in marine life on rock shores.

Project officer, Fiona Crouch at the Marine Biological Association explained: "We have been looking for 22 climate change indicator species on shores around the UK, five of which we found in Llandudno in July. Leading scientists have predicted that sea temperatures will rise by 2 degrees Centigrade by 2050 if we don't do anything to change our carbon reliant ways. As sea temperatures rise, many marine  species are moving north from what we would consider their normal bio-geographical ranges. The changes are still subtle, but finding species in Llandudno that have traditionally lived further south is significant

August 26th 2008 - SEA write to Nick Clegg to thank him for his recent support for renewable energy and particularly that of wind power as a way of addressing climate change.

August 24th 2008 - Friends of The Earth Cymru publish "Wind Power 20 myths blown away" . This is designed to set straight many of the claims used by the anti wind farm lobby. The environmental group says that "Wind power offers a clean; safe and efficient source of energy. Yet the opponents of our most advanced renewable technology seemed determined to mislead and misinform."  The full version of the publication can be downloaded at www.foecymru.co.uk

July 24th 2008 - SEA commission the making of 100 mugs, these will have the SEA logo on one side and the outline of a turbine with the words "Love it" beneath it on the opposite side. A great way to show your support for SEA / wind power and enjoy your early morning tea !!

July 23rd 2008 The Advertising Standards Authority ( ASA) the independent body that polices the rules laid down in the advertising  codes published the ruling on the formal complaint made by SEA against Belvoir Locals Opposed to Turbines (BLOT), the group who opposed the Thacksons Well wind farm application. - See the news page for the full story...

July 12th 2008 - SEA along side FOE Cymru were busy  again engaging with the public regarding the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm, this time on the high street in Bangor....Again the support for the application was overwhelming, with people queuing at times to put pen to paper in support. Many thanks to all those that helped on the day and to a "high street Bank" for the free photocopying......

June 28th 2008 - SEA activists were busy once again on the high Street  in Llandudno engaging with the  public, both tourists and locals, we even had visitors from Italy, Slovenia and Spain giving their support for the wind farm by completing a letter. Despite one of the group members of the "anti group" taking a number of photographs ( without our consent )  of us and our materials ( they must think we are great), the day once again was very successful ! Many thanks to all those that helped - the campaign to win consent for the wind farm goes on.......

June 26th 2008 - SEA contact the head of the Great Yarmouth Tourist Board concerning any possible impact from the Scroby Sands offshore wind farm on tourism - see news page !!

June 26th 2008 - SEA writes again to John Hutton following the release of the Renewable Energy Strategy consultation document  calling on him to grant consent for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application, press releases are also issued to the local media advising them of this. SEA welcome the report and hope that the promises become reality.

June 25th 2008 - Jonathan is interviewed by the team from Manchester University re their impartial research in to opinions on the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm.

June 19th 2008 -  Press release regarding  the UK wind energy weekend  and SEA public engagement work on June 14th in Llandudno  published  in the north Wales Weekly News.

June 14th 2008 marked the UK wind energy weekend with twenty wind farms open to members of the public and some 20,000 people expected to attend events across the UK. The wind energy weekend coincides with the European wind day on June 15th, where around 100,000 people are expected at events in 18 countries across Europe. To highlight the day activists from SEA were again on the high street in Llandudno engaging with the public and providing them with the opportunity to support the proposed Gwynt-y-Mor wind offshore farm . SEA have also issued a press release following the weekends activities to the local media.

June 12th 2008 - SEA writes to the following  Assembly Members - Alun Davies, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Nerys Evans and Joyce Watson, calling to them to give their support for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application.

June 5th 2008 - Mike Pritchard ( representing Save Our Scenery - the small, but vociferous  group opposing the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm) wrote to the North Wales Weekly News, claiming that Npower Renewables has funded Manchester University research into public opinion in Llandudno on the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application. This has subsequently been shown to be untrue as funding for the research is solely by the Higher Education Funding councils and is impartial. The University has written to the paper correcting Mike Pritchard's misleading claim. SEA wrote to the paper asking if Mr Pritchard would accept that he was wrong and offer and apology for misleading the people of Llandudno. As yet ( July 28th) we are still waiting...

May  31st 2008 - Activists from SEA along with another green group from north Wales travelled to London and took part in the peaceful protest against the planned  third runway at Heathrow airport. Over 3000 climate campaigners and environmentalists from all over the UK  took part and made it clear to the government that airport expansion will only add to the threat of man-made climate change. It was fantastic for SEA to be represented at the event and to work alongside other green groups. Many thanks to all those that took part in the activity.

 May 24th 2008 - SEA, FOE and the Green Party took to the high street in Llandudno talking to the public about the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm.

May 20th 2008 - SEA writes to Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Nick Bourne and Rhodri Morgan calling on them to give their backing to the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application.

May 17th 2008 - SEA again were on the streets of Llandudno engaging with members of the public and providing them with the opportunity to support the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm application - Thank you to all those that helped !

May 16th 2008 Friends of the Earth and People and Planet were busy on the high street in Bangor providing  the public there the opportunity to support the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm, the response as  in Llandudno was overwhelming in support of the application. Many thanks to all those that helped on the day.

May 7th 2008 - SEA has letters published in the north Wales Journal and the Pioneer.

May 8th 2008 - SEA has now transferred most of its funds to the Triodes Bank www.triodos.co.uk , who work with a variety of organisations, from small cooperatives to international businesses, organic farms, renewables energy projects and charities. SEA receives no funding from business, central or local government, our only income is from the sale of merchandise and donations from the public. All funds raised are to be used for climate campaigning activities and the supporting of wind farm applications across the UK.

May 8th 2008 - SEA anniversary - This date marks the founding of SEA, three years ago in Llandudno, looking back we have come along way and achieved  many successes in that time. Many thanks to all those that have played a part in all that we have done ! Here's to the next three years !

May 7th 2008 - SEA returned to Llandudno again engaging with the public and giving them the opportunity to give their support for the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application, a decision by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform ( DBERR) is expected in the next two months.

May 3rd 2008 - Representatives from SEA, FOE Cymru and the local Green Party were busy again in Llandudno talking to members of the public and giving them the opportunity to give their support for the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm project. Activists were busy on the promenade where the ship constructing the Rhyl Flats offshore wind farm could clearly be seen, this was pointed out to people who were writing letters of support. Once again backing  for Gwynt-Y-Mor project was overwhelming from locals and visitors alike. Many thank to all those that helped on the day !

April 26th 2008 - SEA activists alongside campaigners from Friends of the Earth (FOE), were busy engaging with members of the public on the high street in Llandudno and providing them with the opportunity to give their support for the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm application. Photomontages of how the wind farm would look as well as the full Environmental Statement ( ES) and Non Technical Summaries ( NTS's) were on display, so that people could make an informed decision as to whether or not  to give their backing. The response was overwhelmingly in support and at times people were queuing at the table to put pen to paper. Many thanks to Friends of the Earth for their time and energy !!

April 17th - SEA letters appeared in the north Wales Pioneer.

April 16th 2008 - Jonathan attended a workshop in Llandudno run by the Countryside Council for Wales ( CCW) to discuss a process for the selection for highly protected marine reserves in Wales. Coastal development has led to the loss of coastal habitats and changes to natural sediment movement. Greenhouse gas emissions are resulting in climate change and ocean acidification. It was a productive day for SEA with some useful networking with a number of campaign groups present..

April 5th 2008 - SEA activists took part in the Welsh Assembly Governments climate change community  event at Venue Cymru in Llandudno. The day consisted of a range of workshops and a climate change action market place with information stands and one to one advisors. Jane Davidson WAG AM Minister for the environment, gave a keynote speech on climate change and the need to address it. For SEA it was a very productive day and a fantastic opportunity to network with other climate groups and discuss the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application with representatives from the  WAG, their support and interest in the scheme was very encouraging and many proudly wore SEA badges and took  the new pro wind car sticker. All in all the day was a great success, Many thanks to all those from SEA who gave their time ! It was reported that Jane Davidson was to have commented later that it was "great to see a pro wind stall".

April 3rd 2008 -  The Government has published its long awaited Marine Bill and part of the Bill pledges better management of inshore fisheries and measures to speed up the approval process for offshore wind farms by about a year.

March 19th 2008 - Some GOOD news ! The main offshore construction works to build Rhyl Flats offshore wind farm are due to start in early April 2008. The 25 turbine project  will make a significant contribution towards the Welsh Assembly Governments renewable energy and carbon reduction targets. Once fully operational the 90 MW offshore    wind farm will provide enough clean and truly sustainable energy to meet the energy needs  of around 61.000 homes. The project will be sited some 5 miles off the north Wales coast, between Abergele and Pensarn. Construction of the project should be fully completed by July 2009. SEA is looking forward very much to seeing the wind farm up and   running !!!

March 26th 2008 - The SEA letter re Save Our Scenery and support for nuclear power appeared in the Pioneer.

March 20th 2008 - SEA has a letter published in the North Wales Pioneer following the disclosure from the chairperson of Save Our Scenery ( SOS) that he supports nuclear power.

March 21st 2008 - SEA sent a letter by post and e-mail to the 17 local councillors expressing our disappointment at their decision not to approve the application. We believe that they were taken in my the often factually incorrect and  misleading arguments used by BLOT, the group opposing the scheme.

March 18th 2008 - Jonathan took part in a live interview on a local radio station in Llandudno re the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application

March 17th 2008 - A press release was issued to the local media in Grantham, stating that though SEA is     "disappointed and surprised" by the planning authorities decision not to grant consent for Thacksons Well wind farm, the campaign group would continue to support the project.

March 11th 2008 - SEA activists and supporters of the Thacksons Well wind farm application attended the planning meeting in Grantham. The meeting lasted for over four hours and was  a total and utter farce. The room was full to  capacity with angry nimbys, who jeered and stamped their feet like children. The planning authority seemed to have made up their minds before the meeting had taken place as to which way to vote. The group opposing the application made a number of lengthy presentations which were often factually incorrect and misleading, unfortunately, their word was taken as the truth and the 1000 plus letters gathered in support, many of these from local people meant little. In the end the authority made a decision that they were "minded to refuse consent for the application, despite the chief planning officer  advising them to give it the green light. The developer has made it clear that they will take this to appeal - SEA will remain committed to the project - This is not over.........

March 5th 2008 - Press releases are issued to the local media advising them of the complaint by SEA against BLOT

March 4th 2008 - All of the local South Kesteven Councillors are written to again, advising them of SEA's formal  complaint to the ASA against BLOT.

March 3rd 2008 - SEA make a formal complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority ( ASA) - the independent body which polices the rules laid down in the advertising code - against Belvoir Local Oppose Turbines (BLOT) - the group opposing the Thacksons Well wind farm. SEA believes that  a number of materials used by BLOT to gain support in opposing the application are misleading and factually incorrect . SEA further believes that the claims made must bring into question the validity of the argument against the scheme and that any support gained by BLOT, based on this  material and subsequent petitions submitted to the planning authority should be deemed as inadmissible, as the signatories were clearly mislead. SEA believe that the vast majority of the general public, when given the opportunity    and provided with substantiated, factual information, fully support wind power as a means of addressing climate     change. 

February 22nd 2008 - All of the local councillors on the South Kesteven council are written to, advising them that SEA are backing the application and urging them to give the project the green light.

February 19th 2008 - SEA activists and supporters take to the streets of Grantham with a 5ft hour glass highlighting the fact that time is running out to address man-made climate change and that wind power must play a key role in    addressing it. The group also displayed  pro wind banners and spoke to the people of the town about the Thacksons   Well wind farm project. The Grantham Journal attended and took a photograph - press releases were also issued with photographs of the day to other local media.

February 9th 2008 - SEA activists and supporters of the Thacksons Well wind farm application made a site visit on the farm and displayed banners supporting the application. A press release was sent  along with photographs of the day to the local media

January 29th 2008 - SEA has decided to give its full backing to the Thacksons Well wind farm application near Long Bennington, Lincolnshire. The project will number 10 turbines and have an installed capacity of up to 23MW, meeting    the demands of 12,800 homes each year. After looking at the proposal we believe that this is an application that deserves to be given consent - The local authority are set to meet on  March 11th  2008 to decide as to whether or not to grant consent. SEA also would also like to welcome Bryan Widdowson as the new local contact for the application ! Watch  this space for updates.

January 27th 2008 - Jonathan spoke at length with Robert Lilly ( Renewables Consents Manager) for the Department     for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform ( DBERR) regarding the Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore application. Jonathan  said that SEA "believed that a public enquiry would be unnecessary as  the application has been comprehensive in every aspect, and  the enquiry would be costly in terms of finance and time. 

January 4th 2008 - SEA activists and supporters of the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm made their voices heard at   the Conwy Council planning meeting for the project - see news page...

December 20th - SEA are added to the latest edition of the Whole Guide magazine -

December 17th 2007 - Consent given for the Milton Keynes wind farm application !

December 14th 2007 - Press releases issued  to the media in North Wales re the recent council planning meeting.

December 14th 2007 - Jonathan gave an interview for the North Wales weekly News and with a school in Llandudno.

December 12th 2007 - SEA activists and supporters of the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm application were out in numbers  at the Conwy County Planning Meeting, urging the authority to give the offshore project the green light. One supporter was dressed as King Canute, representing those that are actively opposing the wind farm and think that they can stop the rising sea levels that global warming will bring. Pairs of Wellington boots were also being offered to the nimbys with the message " if you continue to campaign against projects such as Gwynt-Y-Mor, you may find these useful !".The council has softened its opposition to the project - more details to follow.....

December 10th 2007 - SEA took part in a south Wales university study to the attitudes to wind power. 127 students were polled and the results were 5 opposed and 122 in favour - clearly showing what we have known all along, the vast majority of the public say YES to wind !

December 10th 2007 - Jonathan gave an interview to the north Wales Pioneer re Gwynt-Y-Mor and the plans for   offshore wind farm development.

December 7th 2007 - Huge expansion for wind turbines - see the news page.

December 8th 2007 - Despite poor weather conditions, supporters of SEA attended both the climate march in Bangor and London. The idea of the march was to highlight the threat of climate change and demand action to address it. Marches took place across the globe in a day of action. Many thanks to those that made if from SEA

November 21st-22nd - SEA activists visit Llandudno again to campaign for Gwynt-Y-Mor ! Over just six days two SEA activists managed to collect 1601 support letters in the town, clearly showing the level of support for the project.

November 17th 2007 - Climate experts warn of abrupt warming - After talks in Valencia, scientists have agreed on a document which they hope will shape the debate on the next phase on the fight against climate change. It declared the fact of global warming "unequivocal" and said it may bring "abrupt and irreversible" impacts. Full story on the news page

October - SEA takes action by the way of public engagement in Llandudno on Oct 3rd/4th and Oct 24th/25th....... Again the support we found was overwhelming ! When the general public are given the opportunity and presented with    accurate and factually correct information about the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm,  the vast majority have been  shown to be fully behind it. Please go to the "quotes page" to see just a few of the positive comments given ! Many of these are local people from Llandudno, this totally blows away the myth put around by the group opposing the    application that the majority of local people are against the project.

October 19th - Jonathan gave a radio interview on Heart FM in Notts re the consented Lindhurst wind farm.

October 11th - SEA article in the North Wales weekly News re our work supporting the Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farm.

October  10th - Lindhurst consent news article appears on the GREENPEACE yes2wind site www.yes2wind.org

Consent given for the Lindhurst wind farm application !

After a year of campaigning in Nottinghamshire ( collecting in excess of 3000 letters of support from local people) lobbying MP's, councillors and media work, the decision as to whether or not to grant consent was decided by Newark and Sherwood Planning Authority on Tuesday Sept 18th. SEA activists attended the meeting and had to wait  while the planning officer read her report ( of recommendation)  and then the issue was debated by the local councillors. After   what  seemed like forever a vote was made and it was 8 for and 3 against ( despite the best efforts of the nimbys) So it is a fantastic result !! This is Nottinghamshire's first wind farm and will be a real  icon for the county. Many, many thanks  must go to all those that put so much time and energy into supporting the application, it is much appreciated -  especially Bryan and Beth who have been  total stars !

Prior to the meeting, Jonathan wrote to local MP's and the councillors on the planning committee urging them to back    the application. Press advisories were issued to local media, advising them of the 3000 letters of support which were submitted to the planning authority. Interviews were given to Mansfield FM and Radio Nottingham before the meeting   and Mansfield FM, Radio Nottingham, Heart FM  and The Chad afterwards. Press advisories were also issued after the ruling.

Photocopies of the 3000 letters were submitted to Mansfield District Council, who had earlier opposed the application.

And now for Gwynt-Y-Mor consent......

We need supporters of the revised Gwynt-y-Mor wind farm application to write to the consenting authority, urging them   to give the application the green light ! Please write to .....

The Secretary of the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR)  C/O Offshore Renewables Consents Unit, Bay 2117, 1 Victoria Street, London. SW1H 0ET   Or you can e-mail offshore.renewables@berr.gsi.gov.uk

Please also ask your friends to do the same !

September 24th 2007, 700 further letters of support were submitted to the planning authority, taking the total to a   massive 3000 plus !!!

August 24th 2007 - Alan Meale MP and Paddy MP, were both written to, urging them to back the Lindhurst application.

August 6th 2007 - New environmental information including  revised turbine layout designs for the proposed          Gwynt-y-Mor offshore wind farm have been submitted to the Government and other relevant organisations by the       project manager npower renewables. Further design work has reduced the area within the area  which the turbines   would be built by  16%. It is hoped that the decision by the consenting authority as to whether or not to grant consent  will be given later  this year.

For further information about the changes, go to www.npower-renewables.com/gwyntymor 

July 12th 2007  - Jonathan gave an interview on Mansfield 103 radio re Lindhurst

July 10th 2007 - Npower Renewables, the company behind the Rhyl Flats offshore wind farm issued a press release stating that it had signed a major contract with Siemens to supply and install the turbines- The wind farm will consist of  25 wind turbines, compared to 30 at North Hoyle, it will have an installed capacity of 90 MW and is expected to generate 50% more clean electricity than North Hoyle, enough to supply 61,000 homes. Offshore foundation construction will start this month with the installation of scour protection and the installation of the foundation piles will commence in  April 2008, making the start of the main offshore works period. The first turbines are expected to start generating in  November 2008, with the project completion anticipated in July 2009. This really is fantastic news, SEA has been backing the project and lobbying MP's and councillors to support it. 

July 2nd - Activists from SEA and local people were busy in Skegness  talking to local people and giving them the opportunity to support the Langham application - more dates to follow.

May 30th - Jonathan gave a live interview on BBC Radio Nottingham re Lindhurst.

May 26th and May 27th -  Lindhurst wind farm  campaign stalls in Newark and the Nottingham Green Festival resulted    in a further 327 letters being collected.....despite raining all day on Sunday ! Many thanks to all of those that gave their    time, thanks also to everyone that has helped with the campaign, the determination date is expected at the end of June....  watch this space !

May 24th - Jonathan gave an interview for Trent FM re the Lindhurst wind farm.

May 23rd - Press advisories were issued to radio stations in Notts re campaigning for the bank holiday weekend

May 21st  - Press advisories were issued to newspapers in Nottinghamshire regarding SEA activities for the weekend in the county.

May 21st - Press advisories were issued to the Skegness Standard, Target  series and Lincs FM, advising them that SEA are  now backing the Langham wind farm application.

May 12th - The DTI,  WAG and a  number of MP's, AM's and North Wales councils were written to advising them of   SEA's backing of the already consented offshore wind farm Rhyl Flats.

May 5th - SEA on the streets of Newark.... activists from SEA were once again campaigning for Lindhurst and managed to collect a further 204 letters of support.

May 2nd - All of the councillors for the Newark and Sherwood  Planning  Authority were e-mailed and also written to, advising them of the numbers of letters backing the wind farm submitted so far and urging them to back the Lindhurst  wind farm application.

May 1st -  SEA have another article published on the GREENPEACE Yes2wind site ( www.yes2wind.com) 

April  2007 weather set to break record.....The UK Met Office has released figures showing that this month is likely to be the warmest April since records began  some 300 years ago

SEA have given their full backing to the already consented Rhyl Flats offshore wind farm ( North Wales), this is despite claims made by the group opposing the wind farm, that the public were mislead with the application. We believe that  the public were in no way mislead, the building of Rhyl Flats and Gwynt-Y-Mor wind farms are vital if we are to moves towards a sustainable energy future here in Wales. Press releases to the media in North Wales were issued.

Jonathan took part in  debate with a nimby on BBC Radio Wales with regard to  the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor wind offshore farm. This was aired on April 23rd.

Jonathan gave an interview in the Daily Post on April 18th.

The DTI commissioned an NOP poll on views on wind farms and found that 81% of the general public were in favour of wind power ! This  result  is no surprise to us as we always have found a great deal of support.

Cathy Mackle ( regional coordinator for the west midlands) has moved house and is no longer able to hold that post for SEA but will still be involved in some capacity  - Many thanks to Cathy for all that she has done ! We would like to say thank you and welcome to new coordinator for the west midlands - Becky Lees !

The pro wind group skill share at The Centre for Alternative Technology ( CAT) organised by SEA was a huge success and the weekend finished on a high by visiting a local wind farm on the Sunday - see news page. We have just placed  an order for two further campaign banners, which will soon be in action...

Jonathan gave interviews on Radio Nottingham, Radio Trent FM and Mansfield 103 on March 2nd, these were as a result of press releases issued on Feb 26th re SEA work in Notts and the proposed Lindhurst wind farm. The Nottingham Evening Post also ran with the press release.

SEA out on the streets of Newark again  on February 17th  and March 3rd,collecting  a further 450  letters of support- see news page.

Lewis wind farm - Western Isles Council have voted by 18 votes to 8 in support of the proposed 181 turbine wind farm  on the Island ! More on the news page

Jonathan gave interviews (one live) on Radio Nottingham and Mansfield 103 regarding the IPCC Report and the Lindhurst wind farm application

This major UN climate change study has prompted fresh calls for political action to head off soaring temperatures and rising sea levels. Without action, global warming will deliver catastrophic change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC)   released  its report on global warming. The report said that temperatures were probably going to increase by 1.8 -4 degrees Centigrade by the end of the century. It is also projected that sea levels were projected to rise by 28-43  cm and global warming was likely to influence the intensity of tropical storms. The summary of the report is available at http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

Clearly, action must be taken now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support must be given to renewable technologies along with  energy conservation. Of all of the renewables, wind power is the most developed and able to deliver energy on a large scale.

Environment Secretary, David Milliband described the report as a blow for " climate change deniers".

A new  "pro renewables" campaign group " Renewable Energy Foundation" (REF) has recently been set up, however it is not what it seems ! The groups chair Noel Edmunds has long been known  to hold anti wind farm views and the group has a blatant anti wind policy ! Though they do appear to support offshore -

Two big offshore wind farms, The Thames Array and Thanet, both of the South East of England have been given the "green light " by the DTI - Fantastic News !!

More about these two wind farms on the news page

Save Our Scenery  (SOS) the nimby group opposing the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm, north of Llandudno, continue to use photomontages on their Website, despite the ruling by the ASA, which described the main image produced by the group as both crude and misleading !

The ASA make another ruling against a second anti wind farm group - see news page

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) recently  announced it is upholding all six of the complaints made against  wind farm opposition group, Save Our Scenery (SOS) and materials they have been using to oppose the proposed Gwynt-Y-Mor offshore wind farm.

This is excellent news for us - see the news page for the full story !

The MoD drop their objection to the Lindhurst wind farm

SEA now have six articles on the GREENPEACE Yes2wind Website www.yes2wind.com - archive pages, check it out !

We have sold over 100 of our "Wind Farms Rock!" T-shirts and they are being proudly worn in places around the world, such as the USA, Australia and South Africa! They are a great way to campaign and show support for wind power - Check them out on the supporting the Alliance page.

SEA visit the North Hoyle wind farm

More information on the news page

SEA activists ascend Snowdon and show "Yes to Gwynt y Mor" banner. Click here for images and story!