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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Lewis and Harris » Sleeping Beauty |
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pixie1948 171 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 17:08
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I don't know if this is true but I just picked it up on Britarch posted by Rob Burns Elaine Subject: Sleeping Beauty mountain on Lewis - threat alert! Hi everyone. Many of you will know of the 'Sleeping Beauty' or Sleeping Mother' or 'Sleeping Goddess' mountain, as it is variously called, on the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. This amazing mountain (called in Gaelic 'na Mointeach = the Old Woman of the Moors) forms the profile of a sleeping woman when viewed from the Callanish stone circle. At the major southern standstill of the moon (every 18.6 years - next one due in 2006) the moon appears to rise out of Her legs, creep low along her body, silhouetting first one part and then another, hang low over her breasts, and then disappear behind a hillock, only to reappear inside the circle of stones at the foot of the tallest central one and at the head of the burial cairn. This spectacular sight is pure megalithic magic: a perfect blending of astronomy, ritual, landscape and Goddess. Now the mountain is under threat - from a proposed wind farm, which if it goes ahead will permanently disfigure the 'Goddess' shape of the hills. An application has been made to the *****ish Ministers by Beinn Mhor Power Ltd of 39 Castle Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 3BH to construct a 133 turbine windfarm on the top of the peaks that constitute the 'Sleeping Beauty'. Irrespective of the value of windfarms as renewable energy, the proposed location for these wind turbines will directly affect the appearance of the Sleeping Beauty mountain and the sight of the standstill of the moon. Objections to the siting of the turbines can be made to the *****ish Executive - but action must be taken immediately. We have only until 13th January to object. If you feel strongly about this please e-mail your objections and representations to paul.smith@s... (the Consents & Emergency Planning Unit of the *****ish Executive in Glasgow) stating that you are objecting to the specific location of the wind turbines, and the adverse effect this may have on the appearance of the hills and the local economy of Lewis, which attracts thousands of visitors to Callanish and to view the Standstill. (No, I don't know what those '****' are supposed to be either).
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treaclechops 378 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 17:52
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A quick Google produces this:- http://www.proact-campaigns.net/windfarmsandbirds/amec_and_lewis.html which might offer a few clues. This is a map of the proposed sites: http://www.proact-campaigns.net/windfarmsandbirds/lewis_wf_map.html Certainly looks like they want to bollox up this fabulous arrangement. Protest by writing to (borrowed from website): "Please write to the Scottish Executive, Scotland's regional governing body, and register your objection to the proposal. Please write to or send an email to Ms Lesley Thompson The Scottish Executive Consents and Emergency Planning Unit 2nd Floor Meridian Court 5 Cadogan Street Glasgow G2 6AT at the Scottish Executive (SE) with copy to the Western Isles Council (CNES) before 13th December 2004. (link immediately below): Mail to SE and CNES In clear: To: [email protected], [email protected], Bcc.: [email protected] A draft text is provided below or you can compose your own using the following main points: Say that you object to Amec/British Energy's wind farm development application because of the risk to the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection/RAMSAR Area and to the Golden Eagle and ask for a public inquiry. (Note: letters that are different, not copies of a model used by other campaigners, have more impact). DEADLINE: DECEMBER 13TH 2004 DRAFT TEXT Subject: LARGE SCALE WIND TURBINE DEVELOPMENT ON A SITE DESIGNATED UNDER NATURA 2000 AND THE RAMSAR CONVENTION By electronic mail to Ms Lesley Thompson, Scottish Executive Dear Ms Thompson, We wish to register an objection to the proposals lodged by Amec and British Energy for a 234-turbine wind farm on the Isle of Lewis in the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area (SPA), Isle of Lewis, Scotland, a site also designated under the RAMSAR Convention. This consortium has chosen to ignore consistent and repeated advice from concerned individual conservationists and organisations to avoid developing on areas designated for their wildlife value. The proposed wind farm is of a scale, and in a location, where the damage it will do will harm this important area - legally protected for its important birds and rare peatland habitat. This is part of a network of the very best sites for bird life in Europe, protected under European law. Any proposal for development on any of these EU protected sites has to pass a number of tests, the most fundamental being that any development should not damage the integrity of that site. The other factors which have to be considered are whether there are any alternatives to the proposed location for the development and whether or not there is over-riding public interest in the development going ahead. We believe that the Amec and British Energy proposal would damage the site, that there are suitable alternatives and that the public have a greater interest in maintaining the moor as a wild place than in allowing industrial development on it. A development on a special site like this should be for the benefit of the environment and our future generations, not to their cost. As for the threat to birds, the Golden Eagle is well known to be highly susceptible to turbine blade strike (more than 1000 eagles have been killed in Altamont, California, over the last 20 years) and there are sufficient other significant threats (e.g.: persecution, poisoning) to the Scottish and European populations. Other bird populations and important habitats are, as you are aware, at risk of destruction or despoilation. This is a matter which causes grave concern to UK and European conservationists and we join them in requiring that you turn down Amec/British Energy's application. Failing this, at the very least, we urge you to demonstrate your accountability and initiate urgently a public inquiry. Yours sincerely, (Name and address) " Don't suppose they'll mind me borrowing this from the website - spread the word and all that . . . One for HA? treaclechops x
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treaclechops 378 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 17:53
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Am finishing off the New Year champers, hence the poor layout. Sorry. Hic. :o}
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FourWinds 10943 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 19:53
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Wind Farms? Personally I think the Mother would approve! Let's think. A clean, secure environment for future generations or a nice sight once every 18 years? Hmmm .... tough one that. Some folks will campaign to stop anything!
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Pete G 3506 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 20:00
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>before 13th December 2004. bit late now innit? PeteG
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suave harv 704 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 20:01
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This thread's gonna run & run. . . . I'm going to register a vote against the wind farm, simply because I've been there, enjoyed looking at 'her' and think it would be a shame to spoil the view. Selfish perhaps, and I know the arguments for the wind-farms, and I even like to watch them (have got pictures of both Cornish & Scottish wind-farms in my 2004 album). But I'm going with my knee-jerk reaction here. I just don't want to see a wind-farm on Sleeping Beauty's dial!
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 20:14
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"Some folks will campaign to stop anything!" I'm sure they will. Or might. ;) But it's a question of whether certain locations are just too special isn't it? We need gravel -but from Thornborough? And we need wind power - but from Callanish? If we're willing to screw those two up, where isn't expendable?
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smallblueplanet 472 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 20:28
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One post, from many about wind farms, on BirdForum.net "After California, Spain, Germany and Australia, news of eagles being killed by wind turbines are coming to us from Japan. It is all the more worrying because white-tailed sea eagles are involved, of which that country has only 150. But there is more: a windfarm is to be built on a migration route used by half the world population of these magnificent birds, which are bigger than the golden eagle. We already knew that windfarms killed white-tailed sea eagles: 14 bodies have been recovered in Germany, in addition to those of 41 red kites, plus a number of buzzards, harriers, falcons, hawks, geese, swans, storks etc. And we were worried about the cumulative effect this would have on the European population, for in addition to Germany, windfarms are being built on sea eagle territories in Scandinavia and Scotland. But now, we learn that the species itself may become extinct because of our rush-to-wind policies. And it is not the only one: elsewhere, wind turbines are a threat to at least 6 different eagle species, the rare Bonelli's eagle being one of them. And so it is with storks, bustards, cranes etc. The sad truth is that, by siting their windfarms in sparsely populated areas, where opponents can be counted in mere hundreds, and where community compensation packages come that much cheaper, the wind industry ends up erecting its bird killing machines where it impacts wildlife most." Here's a thread about the Lewis Wind Farm proposals http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=26715&highlight=wind+farm "Wind Farms? Personally I think the Mother would approve!" Perhaps you should do some research before asking why people would object to such "environmentally" friendly energy sources. Personally I think the Mother would be crying at the loss of her fabulous "children".
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 20:36
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On the other hand, it would be a pity if this turned into a pro/anti wind farm thread. It's THAT windfarm in THAT location that's the point at issue. I'm sure every other type of power generation has killed more of nature's children than windfarms have. And is it beyond the wit of man to design a way to stop birds being hurt by them?
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smallblueplanet 472 posts |
Jan 01, 2005, 20:50
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"I'm sure every other type of power generation has killed more of nature's children than windfarms have." Oh, so that makes it okay.... "And is it beyond the wit of man to design a way to stop birds being hurt by them?" Apparently it is at the moment, and thats the point......not just where they're sited. If they recognised the importance of Sea Eagles at Isbister, its seems typical of this generation that their importance is no longer recognised, they're part of our heritage too. Here's what the RSPB say - http://www.rspb.org.uk/scotland/policy/lewisproposal.asp
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