WHO ARE THE NEW OWNERS OF CYMRU? IT'S TIME TO TAKE BACK OUR LAND!

Interesting to see that ‘Windpower Wales’, the windmill company of  Eryl ‘Del Boy’ Vaughan had a stand at the National Eisteddfod field this year. There, without any doubt, to ‘hoodwink’ more Cymry to support the growth of his portfolio of ‘next to useless’ Wind Farm projects and to bribe more Cymric communities, institutions and schools with our money.

The truth is that nobody would plant these ineffective wind turbines if there weren’t the ridiculously high subsidies to be had as an incentive for land owners and the renewables developers to plant them.

The Westminster government has pledged themselves (and us) at incredible cost to producing one third of their energy for renewable sources within the next ten years and although there is a variety of renewable sources that they could have chosen from in their endeavours to fulfil this aim, it seems that wind turbines is the preferred choice of the development companies as the planting of wind turbines is the easiest and cheapest way to collect the ROC’s (Renewable Obligation Certificates) that is the subsidy that is paid annually to all companies, and individuals, that produces energy by the means of wind power. This means that each turbine that can produce over 2MW, gets £123,000 before the profit that is made from the sale of the energy is taken into account and, on top of that, there’s a further subsidy to be had that’s equivalent to 100% of the saleable value of the energy produced. So, each of these turbines has got the capacity to earn £500,000 annually and this money comes out of our pockets partly in a hidden cost in our rising energy bills and the rest through taxation.

What other business would get such subsidies for producing and selling something that does not do what is promised on the box because, although the aforementioned turbines may have the capacity to produce £250,000 annually, they don’t produce any energy at all when there’s no wind – and it’s shameful that there are Cymry out there that are fully aware of the ineffectiveness of these metal monstrosities, but who are prepared to take advantage of the poverty of Cymric communities and the financial needs of cultural and other community groups by ‘hoodwinking’ and ‘bribing’ them to have Wind Farms in their communities without giving a ‘hoot’ about the effect of these Wind Farms on the communities or Cymru.

The way these Developers go about their ‘hoodwinking’ and ‘bribery’ is very cynical and underhanded to say the least. E.g. If one of these companies intend to plant a Wind Farm in a community, they have learnt from experience that its essential that they organise a public meeting in that community so that they can carry out their ‘hoodwinking’ exercise and as a means of putting the community off guard, they have found that it is worthwhile to have an ‘indigenous face’ and in Cymru’s case, a ‘Cymric traitor’ present to introduce a slide or film show that shows a few turbines against a blue sky background on a nice sunny day and a farmer in the foreground discussing the annual subsidy he will receive by having the turbines on his land. Then, a discussion will follow and the ‘trump card’ produced where a financial ‘ hand out’ will be offered (our money in reality) to finance a community project if the intended Wind Farm gets the necessary planning permission and licence – and there’s a better chance of this happening if the support of the community is won over of course.

No mention is made in these meetings regards the ‘chaos’ that will be created and that will exist for years on our public highways and the rural lanes of our countryside as these monstrosities are transported to communities throughout Cymru. No mention is made that, of course, roads will need to be widened, roundabouts changed and villages ripped apart to enable transportation. See the web site www.cambrian-mountain.co.uk for a detailed and honest account (that was given by one Development Company) as to what transporting these monstrosities to a site entails.

There is no mention given either of the gigantic holes that will need to be made on the land earmarked for them or of the tons of cement that will need to be poured into each hole so as to ensure a sound foundation for turbines that could be 600ft in height! And there’s no mention of the monotonous sound (which has been described as a cement mixer turning) that will be heard from the propellers as they turn on these turbines. I should imagine that having to listen to this night and day from one turbine would be enough to drive anyone insane so try and imagine the noise from an army of them! No mention will be given of the strobe lighting created on each propeller as the sun shines on them as they turn and that this, along with the unbearable noise, is known to have affected the health of some people. Also, no mention is given that it is estimated that around 350,000 bats as well as 31,000 birds of prey and millions of smaller birds have been slaughtered by the propellers of wind turbines and no mention is made of the fact that there will be a need to erect a pylon and cabling infrastructure throughout Cymru to carry this electricity to England’s national grid and how cases of cancer can increase in our communities as a result of this, and no mention as to how this madness, if allowed to continue, will transform Cymru from being a beautiful land to be envied to being a neglected non-productive wasteland of wind turbines that will, in time, as the subsidies dry up, be abandoned, to rot in their beds of concrete until they fall into the ground to poison our sacred Cymric earth.

But, in the meantime, because our ‘limp Assembly in Cardiff Bay has no say when it comes to planting wind turbines that produce over 50MW here in Cymru and because the Westminster government intends to plant a further 10,000 of these in the U.K. in the next few years – despite the fact that other European countries are abandoning this mad strategy, an army of global Eco-Capitalist companies have now seen their chance to raid the U.K funding available and have turned their attention to Cymru as one of the easiest small nations to ravage. So, we see companies such as RWE/npower renewables (that’s a branch of the German company RWE/Innology) now operating in Cymru. They already own the Taff Ely Wind Farm and have just won an appeal to plant a large Wind Farm on Mynydd y Gwair in the Swansea area. Then there’s Scottish and Southern Energy, a company that has every intention of planting a massive Wind Farm with 105 gigantic turbines on the Pumlumon mountain range, a stone throw away from the Battle of Hyddgen site where our greatest of warrior Prince, Owain Glyndŵr, won a victory over the enemy in 1401. Another Scottish renewables company which has an American Directorate and which has already planted a Wind Farm in Cefn Croes – despite a long 9 yr battle against it by the community, is ‘Scottish Power Renewables’ and they have now started work on the planting of a Wind Farm in the Dyfnant Forest of Powys. Again, in Owain Glyndŵr’s ancestral lands and the massive Norwegian company STRATKRAFT that’s already busily ravaging nations on a global scale has now bought out Catamount Cymru Cyf and are now the owners of Blaengwern and Alltwalis Wind Farms as well as the Rheidol Hydro Power Station after they won the latter on the stock market. And then, we come to United Utilities and FIM Sustainable Timber and Energy LP who have jointly just “purchased” the massive Efyrnwy estate.

The above is merely a taste of ‘who owns Cymru now’; the list could go on and will increase as more global scavengers come out of the shadows. There are already 36 Wind Farms planted in Wales and another 37 in the pipeline.

I am no clairvoyant but I can immediately predict that a large Wind farm is destined for the Efyrnwy estate if that “sale” is allowed to go through as Severn Trent has decided to “sell” the farmland on the estate to ‘United Utilities’ and the forestries to FIM SUSTAINABLE TIMBER and Energy LP. Both companies are English and England based and the latter is happy to boast that they have a global portfolio of forestries and Wind Farms so, no need to stretch the imagination to work out what their plans are concerning Efyrnwy.

United Utilities provides water to the North West of England so, here’s a classic example of one major utility company “selling” a big chunk of Cymru to another alien water utility company. Are Cymru and the Cymry going to benefit in any way at all from this “sale” Of course not, anymore than we did from Severn Trent; we pay the highest water rates in the U.K for our own water!

The “sold” land also includes vast nature reserves and the farms and homes of the local inhabitants who are extremely disappointed that the bid made by the outsiders was favoured to the bid made by Rhys Jones, a local businessman that was intent on keeping the land in Cymric hands and on developing it in a way that would provide long term employment and security for the community. The locals, naturally, are now worried about the future of their livelihood and their tenancies and, following the announcement that the estate had been “sold”, a public meeting was called to air the local concerns but neither Severn Trent or the two English companies concerned bothered to send any representatives to the meeting so, the local inhabitants remain in the dark in regards to their future. A taste of the insulting and non-caring treatment that the locals can expect, no doubt.

It is absolutely unbelievable that our elected politicians, the very people that have been elected to protect Cymru and her communities are allowing the above to happen without making any kind of a stand to stop it. What’s taking place is a serious matter of ‘out of control cheque book conquest’ and if our Cymric politicians and Cymric movements do not campaign and make a determined stand to end this great global sale of Cymric land and assets, we will end up being nothing but a small insignificant asset being tossed around from one portfolio to the next on the global stock market. There will be no need for a government in Cardiff Bay, no point in a Plaid Cymru nationalist party, Llais Gwynedd, Welsh Communist Party or for Cymric pressure movements such as (CYIG (The Welsh Language Society) Cymuned etc to exist.

The business of producing renewable energy is being manipulated by unscrupulous capitalist companies who have turned it into a massive business scam. These people are the ‘Renewables Mafiosi’ without a doubt and their activities are affecting communities and environments world wide as well as in Cymru.

To put the record straight, I am in favour of renewable energy as far as it is possible to generate through natural resources on a community level, by the community and for the overall benefit of every inhabitant of that community. What I’m opposed to is ‘daft’ capitalist ventures such as Wind Farms which are only going to benefit a few land owners and the capitalist Wind Farm developers who care nothing about the consequences of their actions as they destroy the historical and environmental qualities of communities throughout Cymru and, indeed, throughout the world.

It is European Union policies that’s mainly responsible for this new neo-colonial attack on our nation, the same European Union policies that “dictates” that large housing estates must be built all along the A55 corridor in North Wales ready to accommodate the ‘tribal move’ that the European Union “insists” must take place within the European Empire. Yes, it’s one of those European policies that “demands” that each country within the Union must produce ‘renewable’ energy but its our own politicians in Cardiff Bay that needs to be held responsible for rushing to accept and administrate the policy in Cymru without questioning or considering the long term effect of the policy on our nation. And we can thank them, along with Welsh Renewable collaborators, for easing the way for all these global capitalist companies to focus their attention on Cymru as a land to exploit and colonise with 1,000’s of wind turbines. Where these turbines are to be planted brings us to the worst scandal of the lot.

It appears that 40% of Welsh forestries are under the direct jurisdiction of the Welsh Assembly and in their eagerness to rush on with the fulfilling of the European Union and the Westminster government’s directorate to fill Cymru with Wind Farms, they got down to the task of designating areas of Cymru which would be, in their opinion, suitable for large scale Wind Farms – without giving any consideration to the historical and environmental landscapes of the areas chosen for the atrocious and infamous TAN 8 strategy and as a part of this ‘wind milling of Wales’ strategy, the Welsh Assembly is allowing Wind Farm Developers the right to clear millions of trees from Cymric forestries in order to create space for Wind Farms.

Apart from the fact that our forestries are important and priceless economic assets, the removal of the trees from them will change the landscape of Cymru totally. Also, they are beautiful in their wildness and are the habitat of many rare creatures and birds such as the red squirrel and the wild grouse. They are a popular attraction to both tourist and walkers alike and are rich in ancient path and bridle ways. They are as much an essential part of our nation as a nose is an essential part of the face and our politicians in Cardiff Bay are prepared to sacrifice them on an alter of madness! If this happened in the rain forest of the Amazon, every man and his dog would be enraged and would immediately pack a bag and go out there to save the forest but alas, when it comes to Cymru, anyone and everyone is welcomed with open arms to come here to ravage and destroy.

Plaid, of course, is in favour of wind turbines with a few prominent members making a nice profit on the backs of the rest of us but, an answer to the question is long overdue as to why our ‘National’ party has not been heading the battle to safeguard the interest, resources and the historical and environmental heritage of Cymru? Plaid has dropped the ‘Cymru’ from its name so, another question needs to be asked – and answered. A party for what and who are they for by now? I would suggest that they have another name change to PLAID CYWILYDD – PARTY OF SHAME because its shameful that they have been walking the corridors of that ‘sham’ of an Assembly in Cardiff Bay for 12 years and have co-led a coalition party there for the last five years and have done nothing to stop Westminster from filling Cymru up with these cursed Wind Farms. Instead, they’ve embraced them in the same way that they’ve gone along with the plan to build all those houses (that locals cannot hope to afford) along the A55. They are silent in regards to the fact that our forestries are being cleared to make place for Wind Farms and have stood by and watched the Efyrnwy estate being “sold” to capitalist outsiders. SHAME ON THEM!

If PLAID CYWILYDD – PARTY OF SHAME is not prepared to get serious in regards to protecting Cymru and her communities, and is not prepared to stand up to the Westminster Government and fight for total control over all our resources and assets before they all end up on the Global stock market, then there’s no point in that party being in existence.

There’s a three month’s consultation taking place at this moment before completion of the “sale” of Efyrnwy takes place in the Autumn so, why doesn’t PLAID CYWILYDD – PARTY OF SHAME now show the nation that they are “for real” in regards to safeguarding the interests and resources of Cymru by, as a starting point, organising a National rally at Llanwddyn to show support to the community on the one hand and, on the other, to initiate a National campaign to stop the sale going through at all.

After all, most of the Efyrnwy estate was common land until the English Government passed a law in 1880 that allowed Liverpool Corporation, despite strong local opposition, to build the massive reservoir there. Homes were demolished and the first village of Llanwddyn was totally destroyed as has happened on many occasions since. The estate, and the reservoir, was transferred to Severn Trent in 1974 and they have the audacity to think that they have the right to sell it!

The message must be delivered loud and clear to Severn Trent, United Utilities and FIM Sustainable Timber & Energy LP that the Efyrnwy Estate belongs to Cymru and despite the fact that Liverpool Corporation and Severn Trent have been stealing Cymric water from it since 1889, Cymric people intend to take this land and the reservoir back and we will not be paying them, or any other capitalist colonist, for what is already ours. If the above named companies are allowed to get their claws into it, they will waste no time in clearing its forestries of trees to make way for more Wind Farms. PLAID CYWILYDD – PARTY OF SHAME cannot possibly allow this sacrilege to happen again surely? It’s well overdue that they lead the rest of Cymru in resistance to this ravaging of our land and, at the least, show willing and make a determined attempt to protect what’s left – as the brave Machupe Indian tribe have been doing for years in Chile/ Patagonia with their ‘serious’ battles against the ravaging renewable company STRATKRAFT, yes, the same STRATKRAFT that is now ravaging in Cymru.

We will see if PLAID CYWILYDD – PARTY OF SHAME will come off the fence for once to “really” battle to save Efyrnwy and get our assets back but, don’t hold your breath in anticipation that this is likely to happen. If Efyrnwy is to be saved, then all Cymric movements and societies must rally together to stop this sale from going through. It’s summer, so why not assemble an united front ‘Defence Camp’ on the estate and produce plenty of banners and placards carrying suitable slogans that will drive the message home. Also, whilst up there, time could be put to good use with the building of a ‘tai – un nos village’ on the estate and a Rock and Folk festival, with a possible heading of “CYMRYD Y TIR YN ÔL’, could be organised and held as a means of raising money to fund this present campaign as well as the other campaigns that are to follow, as these new capitalist Wind Farm robber barons will need to be chased from our land once and for all and new ventures for renewable energy initiated in our communities by the community and for their benefits only.

Also, there will be a need in the years ahead to stop the turbines from reaching those sites that have already received a licence to plant them and our forestries will need to be safeguarded against future threats to them.

Apart from PLAID CYWILYDD – PARTY OF SHAME, which Cymric movements and societies have got the resilience of the Mapuche to initiate the Battle of Efyrnwy I wonder? How many encampments can be had up there and how many ‘tai –un nos’ are we going to see built. If a ‘real’ stand is not made now against these capitalist ‘renewables’ scavengers, you may, one day,

Have to look into your children’s eyes and into their children’s eyes and know that you stood by, in silence and helpless apathy, and did nothing to save their heritage. That heritage is Cymru, it may be the case that we will not appreciate her until she has ceased to be.

Siân Ifan