Strategy threatens “utter devastation to natural environment and traditional rural communities”
Sotavento residents are starting to mobilise against what they see as the threat of a new wind farm development on land previously targeted, and saved.
CARE – the Committee for Awareness of Responsible Energy – has just issued its first press release, which stands as a call to action to everyone (and anyone) concerned with preserving the natural world.
“In the sweeping hills between Tavira and São Bras de Alportel the familiar buzz of honey bees has been replaced by the buzz of conversations regarding a massive wind farm development”, says the document.
“A multinational energy company is formulating a strategy to industrialise the landscape with a plethora of gigantic wind turbines, raising concerns of utter devastation to the natural environment and traditional rural communities.
“This is not only about renewable energy”, insists CARE. “This is a call to action for the awareness and protection of our biodiversity.
“This is a concern for the sustainability of our natural environment and the rural community’s health, safety and well being.”
CARE has formed a campaign, Aware Algarve – and their mission is to protect and preserve what they call “one of the few remaining natural areas in the East Algarve.
“This isn’t the first action for protection on this issue,” says the committee. “In 2009 a similar project was nearly pushed through to install colossal wind turbines within protected areas of species such as eagles, song birds, wildflowers, cork and designated hunting grounds and nature trails.
“A committee was formed in response to the wind farm project and addressed community concerns regarding breeding, feeding and nesting areas of protected bird species, the destructive footprint of heavy, imposing equipment and critical emergency assistance. They were successful in stopping the project.
“Renewable energy projects are marching across landscapes of significant value to bird watchers, hunters, farmers, honey bee keepers, cork harvesters, home owners, nature enthusiasts and the tourism industry. What will the limits of acceptable change be for the people of the Algarve facing the onslaught of multinational energy companies and what is the ultimate cost for the stakeholders?”
The truly problematic issue of this new threat is that it is not even (yet) a recognised plan. As a report by the Resident learnt recently, Portuguese energy company Finerge has been quietly approaching landowners for the past year or more, drawing up contracts for the use of their land, paying them rent, on the basis that ‘one day’ they may use it to erect a string of wind turbines.
The locations of these turbines are shown to the landowners (suggesting the plan is already well thought through), but the company told us that: “The questions you raise are extemporaneous, as there are no licences for the site you mention. Any contacts made locally, as (you have) mentioned, refer only to a possible feasibility study for possible future projects, which may not even come about”.
The flip side to this explanation, as CARE will have perceived, is that by the time a ‘future project’ is presented, a number of landowners will have already signed contracts, and be receiving regular rental payments for the use of their land for the purpose of a future wind farm. It will be something of a ‘fait accompli’, in other words, if/ when the project comes up for public consultation.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
