MORE INFORMATION AND OBJECTION FORM >>> http://www.a1surf.com/wave-hub.html
'URGENT! - Time is running out...
Artists impression of the Wave Hub installation
I know our webmaster (JB) has been carrying out a campaign against the Wave Hub, and I've only just started reading up about it, but now that I am I'm beginning to get a little worried. What they've got planned for the next year or so is just a trial, but they're planning on expanding this to cover our coastline. Please have a read of the article on our homepage in the meantime - time is running out as the deadline is only a few days away now for something that could affect future generations of surfing.
The more people that are aware of it and read about it the better, whether or not they fall on one side of the fence or the other...
CLICK HERE for more info. Thanks, SJ
From JB:
On a recent visit to the north coast of Cornwall, we have spoken to a number of surf shop owners, hotel owners and individual surfers, and have been very surprised that none of them seem have heard about the proposed 'Wave Hub' and its implications for the future of surfing and the 'surf-economy' in Cornwall.
The deadline for making any objections to the proposals to the Secretary of State is as soon as 11th August 2006, and although this is the peak of the holiday season and most people are very busy, we recommend that you click the following link to find out more about the project, and if you wish to protest using our online form.
British Surfing Association Statement against Wave Hub
'Dated Tuesday 8th August
BSA protests on Wave Hub
British Surfing Association - Ben Farwagi:
Just want to make these points quickly in support of the educated minority!!!
I have been working on this for over 1 year and have talked to everyone involved, so do know quite a bit.
Oh yeah, who am I.....my name is Ben Farwagi, and I sit on the Executive Committee of the British Surfing Association, and am the Chair of the BSA's Environmental Committee.
PLEASE read the points "carefully", if you feel you need to contact me, you can through the e-mail below.
The following comments are always evolving and may change, but are good to go today!
- Ben Farwagi
js3012@hotmail.com
"We approve of the Wave Hub and the technology in principle, but remain fearful of near shore surface devices. Extensive farms we believe could have broader effects than we can envisage at this time. Putting devices in an active Coastal Environment could very well have far reaching and damaging effects that may be very difficult to reverse."
"Ideally we would like to see any proposed devices 50 miles offshore, and serviced in a similar fashion to oil rigs. Thus giving the waves time to reform in height and not have a bad effect on the coastal environment."
"However, we fail to understand the need to have them in the South West of England at all, when it is the West Coast of Scotland that in fact has a far better wave energy potential. Connecting to the National Grid can be easily done in Scotland as the Isle of Lewis wind farm project: http://www.lewiswind.com will be connecting to the National Grid, so there is NO need for this project in the South West."
"If the data supplied by SWRegen and the RDA is correct, why are they so against an Independent Peer Review of their findings? For normal planning matters City Planners would expect to see independent reviews - why not in this case?"
"We are not simply concerned about these plans from a 'it's taking an inch off our waves' - as that is far too simplistic. Our concerns are in relation to the potential of increased coastal erosion, in areas outside of the farms, as they will be starved of sediment movement, that is naturally pushed up and down the coast by wave action. By disrupting mother nature's normal processes, we believe that anyone with property within 1/4 of a mile of the coast should be aware and worried about this issue."
"Surfing is worth £100 million plus to the economy of Cornwall - will SWRegen and the RDA fill the financial gap when these tourists fail to return? Having a detrimental effect on the environment, economy and a sport that we love and cherish, is not something that the BSA will standby and not fight to protect."
"A 13% reduction in wave height is a 'guesstimate' they have NO idea what the actual figure will be. If a commercial farm went ahead it would DEFINITELY be a much bigger figure, the wave hub itself could even have a 30% effect, who knows this has never been done before. On a small 1-2ft day, that would make it unrideable, on a 1-3ft day it would be pants and so on and so forth."
I suspect that the difference it makes will be negligible, there's a hell of a lot of energy in the sea and we won't be extracting more than a tiny fraction of it.
I'm sorry but for the sake of a hobby we should not go ahead with something that's likely to provide jobs in the future and address issues of renewable energies? :?
I think not. The reports I read stated that the wave reduction would be less than 10% and it won't affect beaches like Newquay. If it does mean a reduction in surf in places like St Ives at least we can look forward to the possible closure of places Like Fat Fannies and all the hideously overpriced lifestyle shops. 100m loss of money? I doubt it.
Get a grip surfers, you won't be able to surf when the seas are boiling
I think all new houses should have to be built with Solar panels on the roof and there should be bigger grants to add them to existing properties. If all new houses could supply a fair chunk of their own power we wouldn't need to build new power stations (apart from when the fossil fuels run out). With economies of scale the price for installation would soon come down.
Something else that needs to be sorted is to make panels exempt from planning permission in conservation areas. I’d like panels but I think it would be a bugger to get permission.
Hmm, it looks like it'll cost a minimum of 4 grand. For that I'd want to be thanked by every dolphin on the planet at least once a month. I'll look into building one myself.
Google is your friend - lots of people have done this, some as easily as putting a grid of copper tubing in a box behind discarded double glazed windows!
[pedantic edit] Err, you'll need to do some welding, just putting bits of pipe in a box won't work...
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