Sneaking the barrage past Bristol

south west | the environment | news report Friday May 16, 2008 08:11 by GaiaTron toni.massari at yahoo dot co dot uk 67 Littlecross House, Phipps Street, Bristol BS3 1SH 07790254729

Bristol Environmental Technology and Services Expo June 2008

On 17-18 June, Bristol is holding the BETS Expo, at Temple Meads.

On the programme, at 16:30, is the following item:

'Realising the potential of Severn Estuary Tidal Power'
introduction: Severn Estuary Tidal Power Study,
Sarah Rhodes, Project Manager, BERR
Speakers on marine / tidal technologies / conservation issues

IF IT HAPPENS, THE BARRAGE WILL DESTROY TIDAL MUDFLATS THAT ARE ON A SSSI BECAUSE THEY ARE UNIQUE BREEDING, FEEDING AND OVERWINTERING GROUNDS, ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF INTERNATIONALLY IMPORTANT, MIGRATORY BIRDS!

The Expo will "discuss" the issue, but is only open to Commerce and Industry.

Like a lot of BCCs "consultations", it is NOT open to the public.

Who are the "Speakers on marine / tidal / conservation issues"? and who will guarantee that they are not bought off by the Developers?

Like the Nuclear issue, this is one of those projects that could land us with far greater costs than benefits, and the impacts are FOREVER.

The issues:

1) Although the tidal Barrage seems a benign technology, it is anything but. It would impound an area of the Severn Estuary that receives waters from 10 or more watercourses, of various sizes, these carry a burden of industrial pollution that would be concentrated upstream of the barrage and could, in time, create a "Toxic lagoon"

2) The mudflats are unique habitats, that are exposed part of the day/night, and submersed for the rest of the time.
This means that the invertebrates that live there are uniquely adapted to these conditions and would die off if the flats are permanently submersed.

3) These invertebrates are essential winter food to huge flocks of migrating birds that overwinter and breed in the Estuary and are INTERNATIONALLY IMPORTANT. That means that, were they to loose their breeding/wintering grounds, there may not be enough "spare capacity" elsewhere to receive them and the global population of these species would be significantly reduced.

Take a look at the RSPB's response to the consultation, in 2006.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/severnaddto06enreview_tcm...0.pdf

The jury's not out, but everyone's being duped into believing this scheme is good for Britain... well, it might be good for the Energy Generating Companies, who will make a lot of money out of OUR Estuary, and it might be good for other Developers who stand to profit from it, and for the Government, who will get lots of revenue and look good doing it, but it isn't good for our descendants or for wildlife in general.

There are other options, like a "spine" of turbines, in the middle oft he estuary, with tidal, as well as wind generators that DO NOT impede the tidal flow. Why are these not being considered? Not a big enough PROFIT for those who are planning to build a massive dam FROM BREAN POINT TO WALES!

It would be far cheaper to put a wind turbine and Photovoltaic panels on every roof in the South West than to build this white elephant, and much less disruptive too.

Find out about the Barrage and make up your own mind.

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