There are many reasons those opposed to this development on Crete feel it is an ecological disaster in the making. As usual, there seems to be two trains of thought.
One train carriers the bodies and minds (?) of those who see a recreational paradise that will bring prosperity to all concerned: the developers, the investors, the monastery (more on that later **wink, wink**), the citizens of Greece, everyone who visits the resort, the list is endless.
The other train carries the bodies, souls and minds of those who care more about Mother Earth than they do about excess. “If everyone took what was sufficient for their needs and rejoiced in it, everyone would have enough and be satisfied” (pippa).
Toplou peninsula and golf mix like the proverbial “oil and water.” Here’s why:
Golf has come along way from its Scottish roots when it was played out on the dunes. The players took the landscape as God gave it to them and the weather as well.
Today golf courses are created like pieces of fine artwork maintained with copious amounts of water, fertilizer and obsessive groundskeepers who tend them fiercely - keeping manicure scissors in their pockets for the odd defiant piece of grass that managed miss the cut and still stands above regulation height.
One of the reasons this development will prove to be unsustainable is not only because of the huge amounts of water the golf course will require; but, what about the other needs for water. The tourists, staff, cooking, cleaning, swimming pools, animals, the 101 other reasons we find to use not conserve water.
According to the The Overseas Investor, an online British company that helps people buy or rent properties overseas, the amenities for the Cavo Sidero project include:
- 45-hole golf complex
- Water sports facilities
- Athletics stadium
- Tennis and Equestrian centres
- Hiking trails
- Theatre and arts complex
- Retail facilities
- Conference and exhibition facilities
- Independent restaurants
This sounds like it’s going to take a lot of water to build and a lot of water to maintain.
But wait! The developers have a plan. They will desalinate the water required. Sounds good superficially; but, a large desalination factory will do further damage to the ecosystem. The desalination factory will require energy from somewhere in order to run so either a large area of land will have to be covered with solar collectors or it will demand a large supply of energy which is scarce in Crete. Disposing of the salt will be an environmental challenge as well.
As luck would have it, this corner of Crete is a biological wonderland with special vegetation adapted to drought or salt; and, includes some of the world’s rarest plants. Many semi-deserts are rich in diverse species and this spot is no exception: tiny, paintbox smudges of colour arise with winter’s rains and leave before summer. One of the largest areas of a special Cretan palm tree, Vai, is a palm grove found in a small part of the peninsula.
The peninsula also has great archaeological importance. A wealth of information stands to be gained by unearthing the treasures stored in the soil below.
In antiquity it was farmland. During Greek and Roman times, it supported the city of Itanos, a large commercial port, until the decline of the Byzantine empire. Then came the corsairs; pirates especially haunted this corner of Crete, where they preyed on passing ships and raided on land. With the fall of Itanos the peninsula became untenable, and remained uninhabited for a thousand years. As a consequence, Neolithic and Minoan farms, terraces and fields and check-dams of ancient Greek and Byzantine cultivators survive on a landscape-wide scale. The workings of the farmed countryside of Mediterranean antiquity can clearly be seen.
In other countries, the region would long ago have been designated a national park. It is a part of Crete belatedly designated for conservation under the Natura 2000 scheme, which is utterly inconsistent with large-scale development.
The end of the mystery next blog.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Planned Resort in Crete Under Environmental Fire
Protesters say the proposed 2,600-hectare resort in Crete would ruin the landscape.Photograph: Terri Harris/Alamy
More environmental espionage, subterfuge, and; of course, obscene amounts of money to be won or lost on peoples’ ability to do their jobs efficiently and silently. This thriller is set against the uninhabited tropical delight you see in the picture above.
The London-based development firm, Minoan Group, won the bid for the development on the Toplou peninsula and have named the project, Cavo Sidero. However, Athens' Supreme Court prosecutor, George Sanidas, has ordered an inquiry into whether or not the Minoan Group had an unfair advantage over rivals based on a complaint received. As part of this inquiry, Mr. Sanidas has also instructed Crete's chief prosecutor to look into the original acquisition of this land by an ancient Monastery.
The London-based development firm, Minoan Group, won the bid for the development on the Toplou peninsula and have named the project, Cavo Sidero. However, Athens' Supreme Court prosecutor, George Sanidas, has ordered an inquiry into whether or not the Minoan Group had an unfair advantage over rivals based on a complaint received. As part of this inquiry, Mr. Sanidas has also instructed Crete's chief prosecutor to look into the original acquisition of this land by an ancient Monastery.
The Minoan Group wants to begin construction as soon as possible on these previously uninhabited Greek isles and virgin coastline to create a 7,000-bed luxury resort. There has been a huge outcry over the €1.2 bn Euro ($1.5 bn US) scheme from ecologists, archaeologists and politicians in recent weeks since some new planning regulations have come into effect that would allow construction now. Wow, what a stroke of luck for the Minoan Group!
The proposed Cavo Sidero development must be backed by people who know something about that peninsula the rest of us don't. We all know the three rules of real estate: Location, Location, Location.
Anyone who has experienced the merciless winds of Toplou peninsula will be skeptical about playing golf there at all. Wouldn’t it be hard to play the ball where it lies if the wind keeps blowing it about? What's the secret they're not sharing with the rest of us?
When I envision Crete, I close my eyes and see the sun beating down on clear, clean water. A vacation destination for sun-worshippers and water-babies. Not many people realize (and I was one of them) that Crete still has its remote, wild, rocky places complete with vulture-haunted crags, grey-green bushes and a white limestone desert.
It is here that a subsidiary of Minoan Group, Loyalward, wants to build a luxury resort made up of golf courses, holiday villages and hotels.
At present, this remote place has no infrastructure: no buildings, no water, no electricity, no sewage plants. To provide these services would do great damage to the ecology. There is no local population, (remember the isles have been uninhabited to date) workers will have to be brought in from elsewhere as will absolutely everything they need.
The environmental problems this resort will generate next blog. Stay tuned!
Warning of Closing Stores Mainly in Canada and US
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, Linens ‘n’ Things has gone bankrupt. Circuit City is on the verge of bankruptcy and they own Best Buy, The Source and Future Shop. Beware of gift cards and warranties that may not be honoured if and/or when the store closes.
Some more shops closing either all or some locations you may not know about are:
- Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide are to be shut
- Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide
- Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
- Cache will close all stores
- Talbots closing down all stores
- J. Jill closing all stores
- GAP closing 85 stores
- Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
- Wickes Furniture closing down
- Levitz closing down remaining stores
- Bombay closing remaining stores
- Zales closing down 82 stores before 2009 and 105 after January 2009
- Whitehall closing all stores
- Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
- Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January
- Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)
- Macys to close 9 stores after January
- Movie Galley closing all stores
- Pacific Sunware closing stores
- Pep Boys closing 33 stores
- Sprint/ Nextel closing 133 stores
- JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
- Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores
- Wilson Leather closing down all stores
- Sharper Image closing down all stores
- K B Toys closing 356 stores
- Lowes to close down some stores
- Dillard's to close some stores
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The World's First Eco-Convent Built
Architectural plans for the new buildingPhotograph: SWNS.COM
The Benedictine nuns of the Conventus of Our Lady of Consolation will be moving next year from the Victorian beauty of Stanbrook Abbey in rural Worchestershire to live in an environmentally-sensitive monastery being built in the North York Moors national park.
The nuns will be moving in to a new home complete with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, reedbed sewage systems, sedum roofs, recycled materials, a woodchip boiler and responsibly-sourced timber.
The reason prompting the move is the latest phenomenon of the 21st century – downsizing. An overall decline in Catholic vocations has left the community with just 22 professed nuns and two novices, who between them are responsible for the maintenance and overheads of a 20-acre site.
According to Dame Andrea Savage, the abbess at Stanbrook, manual labour was overtaking monasticism.
"We're running a big building, spending thousands of pounds that we don't have on looking after the place and heating it with oil and gas, which isn't good for the environment. We're here for the monastic life and it is being impinged on," she said.
The nuns will be moving in to a new home complete with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, reedbed sewage systems, sedum roofs, recycled materials, a woodchip boiler and responsibly-sourced timber.
The reason prompting the move is the latest phenomenon of the 21st century – downsizing. An overall decline in Catholic vocations has left the community with just 22 professed nuns and two novices, who between them are responsible for the maintenance and overheads of a 20-acre site.
According to Dame Andrea Savage, the abbess at Stanbrook, manual labour was overtaking monasticism.
"We're running a big building, spending thousands of pounds that we don't have on looking after the place and heating it with oil and gas, which isn't good for the environment. We're here for the monastic life and it is being impinged on," she said.
The front of the old abbey
Photograph: SWNS.COM
"Stanbrook Abbey was built for the time, they didn't have heating. They had one tap and no bathrooms. It's been adapted since; but, it's still too big for us and we're not museum curators."
When the nuns presented their vision of their new home to the architects, the nuns requested that besides being sensitive to environmental concerns, a monastery for women should “contain some natural curved surfaces and shapes.” The new building was designed by the 2008 Stirling prizewinners Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and will allow the nuns to live simply while incorporating one or two 21st century perks.
There will be broadband-ready bedrooms for up to 30 nuns, a church, library, and ancillary buildings. Since hospitality is one of the cornerstones to Benedictine tradition, there is also to be a retreat for up to 15 guests.
The nuns will live surrounded by the ruins of Whitby, Rievaulx and Byland abbeys and Mount Grace Priory. They will be in harmony with the heritage of their surroundings. "We are supposed to love creation and respect the environment. We're living in and taking care of it," said Savage.
The old monastery was put up for sale in 2002 for £5 million ($7.5 million); but, it hasn’t sold and the fate of it is still unclear. The nuns wanted to direct the proceeds of the sale of the old home into their new home; and, at the same time wish to save it from being converted into apartments, hotels, spas, or something of the same ilk. One nun thought it might make a lovely open-air prison.
With only months remaining before the actual move the inside is organized disarray with packed boxes lining the corridors along with discarded furniture, abandoned wheelchairs and a jumble of collected bits and bobs. Some of the “antiques" have found new homes through sales; but, lots of bargains remain.
Sister Maria, 79, entered at age 18. She said she was not as sad about leaving the building as she was about saying goodbye to friends. "The village has grown around us to some extent. It is getting noisier and noisier," she said. "Up there it is much more unspoilt. We hope to fit into the spirit of the place."
During the planning, there developed a deep and mutual admiration between the architects and the nuns.
Gill Smith, of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, said the nuns were "very clued up" about what they wanted from their new monastery. "They were very specific about wanting a sense of space and tranquility. They also wanted to trade down and live in something that was manageable, comfortable and suitable for the 21st century," she said.
"These clients are naturally parsimonious (thrifty), they're not into buying and consuming like we are; and, they have a great respect for the natural environment. It's been a privilege working with them. They're so charming and they're quite good fun. Ideas for green features came from both sides”, she added. "They'd done their research on the internet and there are techniques that we've used that we were able to suggest. It's quite a creative relationship."
The Benedictine nuns of the Conventus of Our Lady of Consolation should be an example for all of us. They are concerned about the environment in which they live in every aspect big and small. Good on you!!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Heritage Lost is Humanity Lost
To initiates in the history of early 20th-century popular music, this picture of the block of 19th-century houses on West 28th Street just off Broadway in Manhattan, NY are immediately recognizable. Today, though vastly different in appearance from when the block rocked with music, they are still a temple of musical greatness to be treated with awe and protected.It was in this row of four-storey buildings, with its classic New York iron fire escapes and elaborate plasterwork, that the modern popular music industry was created.The nickname by which the block came to be known - Tin Pan Alley - in time came to represent the entire music industry.
Upper and lower photoTin Pan Alley today
Your physical environment has a lot to do with your health: physical, mental, emotional and physiological.Part of being human is sharing connectivity with our brothers and sisters – both those that are here now and those that came before. There are many ways to share and connect in our fast-paced world. Those of us who have joined the e-revolution stay in touch via telephone, cell phone, pagers, computer, and many other ways I still haven’t figured out yet. If you’re a little more laidback, you may stay in touch with cards, letters, home visits or handmade gifts.
One of the ways I like to connect with those that have gone before is by taking in the feelings and vibrations of the original place (if possible). Many factors have shaped the world of North Americans and the music from Tin Pan Alley was one of them.
This music took the country by storm and changed the way the Americas thought about music, dance, and the distribution of these new energized tunes. Suddenly, the industry caught fire and there were lots of people ready to help keep that flame burning high.
Today, if you were judge this block by their facades alone, there would be very little of note to distinguish them from any other block in Manhattan. They are painted in colours that some could mistake for slightly bilious selling cheap Obama memorabilia, jewellery that will turn your skin green and knock-off perfumes.
However, the block has now been put up for sale by its owners for $44 million (£30 million). If the block is sold, those wonderful heritage buildings filled with memories, ghosts and music will probably become just another office block. No music buff will ever again feel the thrill of walking where the great ones made their names and changed the course of music in the process.
"That these buildings, where the sheet music business began, still exist is wonderful. We don't need another faceless office tower when we could preserve something as historic as this," said Simeon Bankoff of a New York preservation body, the Historic Districts Council.
The history of the block dates back to 1893 when M. Witmark & Sons, a music publisher, moved there. Others saw the benefits of this location with its many musical talents all in close proximity, such as songwriters, composers, performers, agents and managers. The block soon became a place like no other.
David Freeland, whose book on New York, NY’s disappearing cultural spots, called Automats, Taxi Dances and Vaudeville, said the street was "filled with the cacophony of upright pianos being hammered day and night by songwriters demonstrating their latest creations, looking for the next hit. It was a place of noise, activity and competition."
It is believed that it was this cacophony that was the basis for some to compare it to having to listen to the clashing of tin pans. This bit of hilarity caught on and the block became known as – Tin Pan Alley.
In the fifty or so years between the 1890’s and 1930’s, some of the finest music in American history was created there by some of the finest creative American minds. Tin Pan Alley held the offices of George and Ira Gershwin; Irving Berlin; Scott Joplin; Cole Porter; and Fats Waller.
"It was here popular music grew up into a mass force, and was marketed just like any other factory product," said Freeland.
Tenants living in the apartments, as well as music lovers and architectural conservationists, are trying to fend off the sale. They are pressing for permanent landmark status for the buildings.
If you feel you might want to say something on this issue, you can reach Mayor Bloomberg as follows:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
FAX (212) 788-2460E-
Or you may wish to contact the Historic District Council
Historic District Council
232 East 11th Street
New York NY 10003
tel: 212-614-9107
fax: 212-614-9127
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Birth of a Golf Course...final
If you wish to contact anyone regarding this matter, here's the information I was able to gather.
Probably, the best avenue for Donald Trump is:
Donald J. Trump
Trump Golf Club
339 Pine Road
Briarcliff Manor
New York 10510
You can also reach the general manager, Dan Scavino, at 914-944-0900.
Or you can always try:
Donald J. Trump
C/O The Trump Organization
725 5th Ave.
New York, NY 10022
If you wish to contact the Scottish Parliament, there is a general Minister's mailbox which directs your message to the correct Minister. The email address is:
scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk <scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk>
To contact the Scottish Trade Board:
Institution: Scottish Trade International
E-mail: No Contact Available
Web: http://www.sti.org.uk/
Address: 120 Bothwell Street
Town: Glasgow
County: City of Glasgow
Postcode: G2 7JP
Telephone: 0141 248 2700
Fax: 0141 221 3217
To contact the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee in the Scottish Parliament:
Key contact in the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
Clerk: Stephen Imrie
Contact: 0131 348 5403
RNID Typetalk service: 18001 0131 348 5403
Email: eet.committee@scottish.parliament.uk
To contact Michael and Sheila Forbes:
Michael and Sheila Forbes
Mill of Menie
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Probably, the best avenue for Donald Trump is:
Donald J. Trump
Trump Golf Club
339 Pine Road
Briarcliff Manor
New York 10510
You can also reach the general manager, Dan Scavino, at 914-944-0900.
Or you can always try:
Donald J. Trump
C/O The Trump Organization
725 5th Ave.
New York, NY 10022
If you wish to contact the Scottish Parliament, there is a general Minister's mailbox which directs your message to the correct Minister. The email address is:
scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk <scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk>
To contact the Scottish Trade Board:
Institution: Scottish Trade International
E-mail: No Contact Available
Web: http://www.sti.org.uk/
Address: 120 Bothwell Street
Town: Glasgow
County: City of Glasgow
Postcode: G2 7JP
Telephone: 0141 248 2700
Fax: 0141 221 3217
To contact the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee in the Scottish Parliament:
Key contact in the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
Clerk: Stephen Imrie
Contact: 0131 348 5403
RNID Typetalk service: 18001 0131 348 5403
Email: eet.committee@scottish.parliament.uk
To contact Michael and Sheila Forbes:
Michael and Sheila Forbes
Mill of Menie
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Birth of a Golf Course...con't
So, what are the additional perks the Scottish government managed to convince Donald Trump to donate to the land of his heritage for the privilege of building over one-tenth of a site of special scientific interest under EU legislation?
Trump has agreed to environmental checks and controls giving Aberdeenshire council and the Scottish government’s environment agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, oversight to ensure the remaining wildlife is protected.
Trump will also be required to build a 225-pupil primary school, shops, 98 low-cost houses and 50 starter homes (on land provided free by the council) in return for the 500-home estate, chalets and timeshares that will fund the development.
Trump has been told he can only begin building the high-rise timeshare blocks in stages, after some of the affordable homes are finished. He must also ensure, under Scotland's strict “right to roam” laws - rules Trump was unaware of until questioned by the Ramblers Association at the planning inquiry - that visitors still have unimpeded access to the dunes.
Now…who is that man from the previous blog? That man is Michael Forbes. He and his wife, Sheila, own the land next to the Menie Estate. Their home is situated at Mill of Menie and has become the proverbial thorn in Trump’s side.
Forbes, a salmon fisherman and quarryman, shot to global fame last October after Trump branded his land "disgusting".
Trump sees the Forbes’s land as a ramshackle blot on the landscape and an eyesore next to his resort: 23 acres of rambling farm buildings, rusty tractors and other farm implements left lying about. To Michael and Sheila Forbes, it's home.
Trump has offered them as much as £450,000 ($663,344.00); but, despite the offer and the thought of having to live in a construction zone for the next 10 years, Michael and Sheila are refusing to sell.
"They reckon the construction will last 10 years, but I'll never, ever sell to that loudmouth bully," Forbes said. Forbes is very much like Trump in that Forbes speaks his mind as well.
You might have begun to sense that tensions have risen and lines have been drawn in sand. Well, right you would be. And those Scots, (bless their stubborn little hearts) are not known for backing down.
What may have been the final divide between the two sides could have been a comment Trump made to Forbes. He went so far as to claim that Forbes’s land was in “total disrepair…rusty tractors, rusty oil cans – I (Trump) actually asked him (Forbes), Are you doing this on purpose to try and make it look bad, so I have to pay some more money?”
Michael took umbrage with this kind of talk and is determined never to sell his land to Trump, "As I said before, I would rather give my land away to travelling people than sell to Trump, if it comes to that."
The Scottish ministers’ decision to approve Trump's resort made him feel "sick", he added. Once a loyal Scottish National party voter, no more. "I used to be proud to be a Scotsman; but, I'm going to take both of my kilts out and burn them after this," he said.
Forbes made it clear that Trump would just have to build around him now. "His biggest mistake was having a rant about me and calling me names on the TV," he said.
Michael Forbes: If you ever need anything and I can supply it, leave me a comment.
Trump has agreed to environmental checks and controls giving Aberdeenshire council and the Scottish government’s environment agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, oversight to ensure the remaining wildlife is protected.
Trump will also be required to build a 225-pupil primary school, shops, 98 low-cost houses and 50 starter homes (on land provided free by the council) in return for the 500-home estate, chalets and timeshares that will fund the development.
Trump has been told he can only begin building the high-rise timeshare blocks in stages, after some of the affordable homes are finished. He must also ensure, under Scotland's strict “right to roam” laws - rules Trump was unaware of until questioned by the Ramblers Association at the planning inquiry - that visitors still have unimpeded access to the dunes.
Now…who is that man from the previous blog? That man is Michael Forbes. He and his wife, Sheila, own the land next to the Menie Estate. Their home is situated at Mill of Menie and has become the proverbial thorn in Trump’s side.
Forbes, a salmon fisherman and quarryman, shot to global fame last October after Trump branded his land "disgusting".
Trump sees the Forbes’s land as a ramshackle blot on the landscape and an eyesore next to his resort: 23 acres of rambling farm buildings, rusty tractors and other farm implements left lying about. To Michael and Sheila Forbes, it's home.
Trump has offered them as much as £450,000 ($663,344.00); but, despite the offer and the thought of having to live in a construction zone for the next 10 years, Michael and Sheila are refusing to sell.
"They reckon the construction will last 10 years, but I'll never, ever sell to that loudmouth bully," Forbes said. Forbes is very much like Trump in that Forbes speaks his mind as well.
You might have begun to sense that tensions have risen and lines have been drawn in sand. Well, right you would be. And those Scots, (bless their stubborn little hearts) are not known for backing down.
What may have been the final divide between the two sides could have been a comment Trump made to Forbes. He went so far as to claim that Forbes’s land was in “total disrepair…rusty tractors, rusty oil cans – I (Trump) actually asked him (Forbes), Are you doing this on purpose to try and make it look bad, so I have to pay some more money?”
Michael took umbrage with this kind of talk and is determined never to sell his land to Trump, "As I said before, I would rather give my land away to travelling people than sell to Trump, if it comes to that."
The Scottish ministers’ decision to approve Trump's resort made him feel "sick", he added. Once a loyal Scottish National party voter, no more. "I used to be proud to be a Scotsman; but, I'm going to take both of my kilts out and burn them after this," he said.
Forbes made it clear that Trump would just have to build around him now. "His biggest mistake was having a rant about me and calling me names on the TV," he said.
Michael Forbes: If you ever need anything and I can supply it, leave me a comment.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Birth of a Golf Course; Death of a Rare and Ecologically Sensitive Stretch of Dunes
Balmedie country park, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: Sunset over the coastline
Photograph: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty
What you are looking at is a rare and ecologically-sensitive stretch of dunes overlooking the North Sea at Balmedie country park in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is also about to be destroyed by lavish developments meant for the privileged few. Soon the only way this wonder of nature will be able to be enjoyed in its entirety will be in media form: photos, film, or some other printed matter.
What and who are powerful enough to convince a country to set aside a portion of the legal protection of this amazing; yet, fragile site in order to allow this project to begin?
The what is the game that was named after one of the club’s most important regulations: Gentlemen Only – Ladies Forbidden or GOLF. The who is the billionaire property developer with Scottish roots, Donald Trump.
Against all odds, Donald Trump won permission to build “the world’s greatest golf course”, complete with high-rise timeshare flats (apartments) and an eight-storey hotel. Despite the outcry from environmentalists and many local residents, Scottish ministers in Edinburgh confirmed that Trump’s dream of creating one of golf’s most northerly resorts could now get underway.
Trump’s dream is to build a £1 bn ($2 bn Cdn) coastal resort north of Aberdeen, Scotland which will cover 2,000 acres (809 hectares). His vision includes two 18-hole championship courses, four blocks of 950 timeshare flats, 500 “exclusive” homes, 36 villas, a golf academy and housing for 400 staff. There will also be a coast road named (***surprise***) Trump Boulevard.
The site he has chosen for this project is the Menie Estate which backs against some of the Foveran Links – a stretch of naturally-shifting sand dunes that are home to some of the country’s rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers and otters. An environmentalist's dream literally in their own back yard. The resort's guests would have had the opportunity to view some of the rarest wildlife and shifting-sand dunes; while, not impacting the ecologically-sensitive area.
But wait...while Trump was obviously able to do what he wished on the Menie Estate itself, the permission he had fought so long and hard to obtain was the right to build nine of the eighteen holes of one course over one-tenth of the environmentally-protected Foveran Links.
At this point, it all seems very clear to me. The Foveran Links are ecologically-sensitive dunes legally protected against any and all harm. Neither Donald Trump nor anyone else is ever allowed to build on that land. Case over; move along; next case, please!
However, money talks and there are always those who are willing to put aside all concerns (including environmental) in the name of the almighty dollar.
The decision to remove the government protection from one-tenth of the dunes was welcomed by the local constituency, the first minister and leader of the Scottish National party, Alex Salmond, as well as numerous business and tourism groups which regard it as a boost to the regional economy.
Salmond, said, "In tough economic times, substantial investment of this kind is at a premium - 6,000 jobs, including 1,400 which will be local and permanent, is a powerful argument. It is entirely right and proper that the resources of the country are harnessed to boost one of our great industries, and tourism is a great Scottish industry."
Trump said: "It will be a tremendous asset and source of pride for both Aberdeenshire and Scotland for many generations ... because of the quality of the land we are given to work with, we will build the greatest golf course in the world."
Next blog: At what cost environmental encroachment and WHO is the man in the picture below?
What and who are powerful enough to convince a country to set aside a portion of the legal protection of this amazing; yet, fragile site in order to allow this project to begin?
The what is the game that was named after one of the club’s most important regulations: Gentlemen Only – Ladies Forbidden or GOLF. The who is the billionaire property developer with Scottish roots, Donald Trump.
Against all odds, Donald Trump won permission to build “the world’s greatest golf course”, complete with high-rise timeshare flats (apartments) and an eight-storey hotel. Despite the outcry from environmentalists and many local residents, Scottish ministers in Edinburgh confirmed that Trump’s dream of creating one of golf’s most northerly resorts could now get underway.
Trump’s dream is to build a £1 bn ($2 bn Cdn) coastal resort north of Aberdeen, Scotland which will cover 2,000 acres (809 hectares). His vision includes two 18-hole championship courses, four blocks of 950 timeshare flats, 500 “exclusive” homes, 36 villas, a golf academy and housing for 400 staff. There will also be a coast road named (***surprise***) Trump Boulevard.
The site he has chosen for this project is the Menie Estate which backs against some of the Foveran Links – a stretch of naturally-shifting sand dunes that are home to some of the country’s rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers and otters. An environmentalist's dream literally in their own back yard. The resort's guests would have had the opportunity to view some of the rarest wildlife and shifting-sand dunes; while, not impacting the ecologically-sensitive area.
But wait...while Trump was obviously able to do what he wished on the Menie Estate itself, the permission he had fought so long and hard to obtain was the right to build nine of the eighteen holes of one course over one-tenth of the environmentally-protected Foveran Links.
At this point, it all seems very clear to me. The Foveran Links are ecologically-sensitive dunes legally protected against any and all harm. Neither Donald Trump nor anyone else is ever allowed to build on that land. Case over; move along; next case, please!
However, money talks and there are always those who are willing to put aside all concerns (including environmental) in the name of the almighty dollar.
The decision to remove the government protection from one-tenth of the dunes was welcomed by the local constituency, the first minister and leader of the Scottish National party, Alex Salmond, as well as numerous business and tourism groups which regard it as a boost to the regional economy.
Salmond, said, "In tough economic times, substantial investment of this kind is at a premium - 6,000 jobs, including 1,400 which will be local and permanent, is a powerful argument. It is entirely right and proper that the resources of the country are harnessed to boost one of our great industries, and tourism is a great Scottish industry."
Trump said: "It will be a tremendous asset and source of pride for both Aberdeenshire and Scotland for many generations ... because of the quality of the land we are given to work with, we will build the greatest golf course in the world."
Next blog: At what cost environmental encroachment and WHO is the man in the picture below?
Balmedie: Fisherman Michael Forbes refuses to sell his land to make way for the developmentPhotograph: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Ecotarianism
There are many diets out there that are aimed at reducing your carbon footprint. An example of this is the “food mile” diet. In this diet, you only eat food that is grown or produced with a certain number of miles from where you live. The idea being that you save the emissions and pollutants released from the petroleum products used to transport this produce long distances from entering the atmosphere.
At first flush this seems sensible, proactive and oh, so, green. However, what it (and many other diets) doesn’t take into account are the many other factors involved in getting foodstuffs from farm to dinner plate. That is where ecotarianism comes in. Ecotarianism has a charmingly common-sense approach that is also amazingly well-rounded.
The concept is simple: eat the foods that have the lowest environmental burden. That is, the products with the lowest global-warming potential (GWP) and cause the least physical harm to the environment with soil acidification and pollution.
Cooking Up a Storm (by Tara Garnett, University of Surrey, UK) is considered by many to be the ecotarians’ bible. So what does going ecotarian mean? Do you have to eat food that is either grown in your own back yard or field next door? Must you never eat meat again? What next – will they soon be encouraging you to graze your front yard not mow it?
A few changes will have us all eating healthier and eating more foods with a lower GWP. The following is an example of how things are not always what they seem on the surface.
If you lived in Germany and were asked: Which fruit juice would contribute the least damage to the environment in order to be sold in Germany – juice produced in Europe or juice produced in Brazil? What would you say?
In 2004, a German study compared fruit juice (from Brazil) with local European versions. They found that the smaller European producers used more energy producing and distributing their products than the Brazilian producers did.
A Swedish study of the perfect environmental diet suggests that we cut our intake of sweets by 50%. While this is good advice for everyone (not just ecotarians); it appears that it is the milk in milk chocolate that produces the greatest burden of all the sweets, so a good ecotarian eats only dark chocolate. (I knew there was an altruistic reason I loved dark chocolate, I just knew it!)
While many ecotarians will be vegetarians for personal reasons; ecotarianism does not demand vegetarianism. Rather, good ecotarians are discerning meat eaters. Pork and poultry have a lower environmental impact than meat from ruminants - cows in particular.
As a general rule in farming, organic, non-animal products are best as the organic system uses legumes to fix nitrogen in the soil rather than wasting fuel on synthetic fertilizers (with all the problems fertilizers and that run-off brings).
Frozen products are kept to a minimum as are chilled foods. Almost half of supermarket transport trailers are temperature-controlled (many of these travel huge distances) creating tremendous greenhouse gas burdens.
The thing that attracts me most to ecotarianism is the flexibility – the ability to call myself ecotarian (so people immediately understand my ideals) while still being able to imprint my own conscience on my lifestyle. I will never be called on to do something I feel uncomfortable with.
One issue I feel very strongly on and have had many a lively discussion with family, friends and total strangers about is the subject of eggs. I will only eat eggs from free-range, organic-fed, hens.
While some may say that commercially-raised chickens and eggs make ecotarian sense because they are cost-effective, are a nutritional source for many, and with high-efficiency feed conversion they appear to have the lesser eco burden; I say the cruelty to battery-hen operations outweighs everything and, very definitely, makes them non-ecotarian.
Just let me put my little soapbox aside...
At first flush this seems sensible, proactive and oh, so, green. However, what it (and many other diets) doesn’t take into account are the many other factors involved in getting foodstuffs from farm to dinner plate. That is where ecotarianism comes in. Ecotarianism has a charmingly common-sense approach that is also amazingly well-rounded.
The concept is simple: eat the foods that have the lowest environmental burden. That is, the products with the lowest global-warming potential (GWP) and cause the least physical harm to the environment with soil acidification and pollution.
Cooking Up a Storm (by Tara Garnett, University of Surrey, UK) is considered by many to be the ecotarians’ bible. So what does going ecotarian mean? Do you have to eat food that is either grown in your own back yard or field next door? Must you never eat meat again? What next – will they soon be encouraging you to graze your front yard not mow it?
A few changes will have us all eating healthier and eating more foods with a lower GWP. The following is an example of how things are not always what they seem on the surface.
If you lived in Germany and were asked: Which fruit juice would contribute the least damage to the environment in order to be sold in Germany – juice produced in Europe or juice produced in Brazil? What would you say?
In 2004, a German study compared fruit juice (from Brazil) with local European versions. They found that the smaller European producers used more energy producing and distributing their products than the Brazilian producers did.
A Swedish study of the perfect environmental diet suggests that we cut our intake of sweets by 50%. While this is good advice for everyone (not just ecotarians); it appears that it is the milk in milk chocolate that produces the greatest burden of all the sweets, so a good ecotarian eats only dark chocolate. (I knew there was an altruistic reason I loved dark chocolate, I just knew it!)
While many ecotarians will be vegetarians for personal reasons; ecotarianism does not demand vegetarianism. Rather, good ecotarians are discerning meat eaters. Pork and poultry have a lower environmental impact than meat from ruminants - cows in particular.
As a general rule in farming, organic, non-animal products are best as the organic system uses legumes to fix nitrogen in the soil rather than wasting fuel on synthetic fertilizers (with all the problems fertilizers and that run-off brings).
Frozen products are kept to a minimum as are chilled foods. Almost half of supermarket transport trailers are temperature-controlled (many of these travel huge distances) creating tremendous greenhouse gas burdens.
The thing that attracts me most to ecotarianism is the flexibility – the ability to call myself ecotarian (so people immediately understand my ideals) while still being able to imprint my own conscience on my lifestyle. I will never be called on to do something I feel uncomfortable with.
One issue I feel very strongly on and have had many a lively discussion with family, friends and total strangers about is the subject of eggs. I will only eat eggs from free-range, organic-fed, hens.
While some may say that commercially-raised chickens and eggs make ecotarian sense because they are cost-effective, are a nutritional source for many, and with high-efficiency feed conversion they appear to have the lesser eco burden; I say the cruelty to battery-hen operations outweighs everything and, very definitely, makes them non-ecotarian.
Just let me put my little soapbox aside...
Friday, November 28, 2008
A Warning To My American and Canadian Friends
Linens 'N Things are going out of business. While they are having some wonderful sales to liquidate their stock, they are not honouring their gift cards. Do not be fooled into buying someone's gift card, no matter how good the deal sounds, you will find yourself with a gift card you cannot use.
Circuit City is also on the verge of bankruptcy. Circuit City is the head company for Best Buy and Future Shop. A word of warning about purchasing gift cards from them as well. It may end up that their gift cards become as useless as Linens 'N Things gift cards. They may not; but, is it worth the chance? The same applies to anything electronic that carries a warranty through the store only. In order to satisfy the warranty the store must still be there.
If these stores are in your country, buy with caution.
Circuit City is also on the verge of bankruptcy. Circuit City is the head company for Best Buy and Future Shop. A word of warning about purchasing gift cards from them as well. It may end up that their gift cards become as useless as Linens 'N Things gift cards. They may not; but, is it worth the chance? The same applies to anything electronic that carries a warranty through the store only. In order to satisfy the warranty the store must still be there.
If these stores are in your country, buy with caution.
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