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Silent protest against lake threat (From The Oxford Times)
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Silent protest against lake threat
8:20am Monday 19th February 2007
PROTESTERS wore gags and dressed as frogs as the campaign to stop fuel ash being dumped into Thrupp Lake in Radley gathered pace at the weekend.
More than 150 campaigners marched to the lakes on Saturday and became silent as they neared the lake, which is set to be filled with spent fuel ash from Didcot Power Station.
Some wore gags in protest at the High Court injunction granted to lakes owner RWE npower last week which restricted where people could protest.
Others dressed as frogs to highlight their claim that the creatures' habitat would be destroyed.
The protest was led by the Oxfordshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England with Save Radley Lakes, which wants Thrupp Lake to be given town green status and protected from the development.
They were joined along the way by dog walkers and cyclists who supported the cause.
The march heard from Basil Crowley, of Save Radley Lakes - one of the people named on npower's injunction.
He showed protesters some of the clearance work npower has already done at the site.
Dr Crowley said: "What you have seen is the result of the devastating and brutal activities of a company that is uncaring and totally heartless.
"They don't care for the environment."
He said the aim of the march was to protest against the plans to dump ash and to exercise people's civil liberties Alison Prewitt, who is on the Save Radley Lakes committee, said: "We have a civil liberties issue because we feel our right to protest is being stifled by npower.
"The injunction they have taken out makes it virtually impossible to even walk around Radley Lakes.
"We feel sorrow about the destruction that has already taken place and anger that we are so totally helpless in the face of npower."
Marchers set off at 1.15pm, progressing along Thrupp Lane and past the eastern edge of Thrupp Lake.
Abingdon mayor Peter Green was among the marchers. He said: "What npower is doing is a piece of environmental vandalism and I think they have handled it disgracefully."
As the march reached the side of the lake, an unidentified man, dressed in a fluorescent jacket and covering his face with a balaclava, emerged from behind the fence and began filming the crowd.
Dr Bob Eeles, who was on the march with his family, said: "I'd like to know why Oxfordshire County Council is allowing npower to replace the best wildlife site in the county with five million metric tons of waste.
"On Thursday, I was harassed and intimidated by masked people on a public highway who were randomly handing out injunctions to anybody who happened to pass by."
After reaching the fence, protesters covered their mouths with gags and walked in silence to symbolise their view that the protest was being stifled.
Several dressed as frogs, as campaigners believe frogs' habitats will be destroyed.
After reaching the side of the lake, the protesters heard speeches from Roger Thomas and Alison Prewitt.
Police officers attended, but the protest remained peaceful and there were no clashes or arrests made.
Andy Boddington, from the Oxfordshire branch of the CPRE, said: "It was a very successful and peaceful march attended by people all all age groups.
"There is anger across the board.
"We are outraged at what has gone on here already.
"They have devastated trees and vegetation."
RWE npower spokesman Leon Flexman said: "I am pleased that the protesters came along and made their views known in a peaceful way.
"It is not our intention stop people protesting lawfully."
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Your Say YourOxford
Dr Reddington, Kidlington says...
12:09pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Sue Matthews, Abingdon says...
12:29pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Dr Reddington, Kidlington says...
1:03pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Alan Knowles, Summertown says...
1:22pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Sue Matthews, Abingdon says...
1:29pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Jo Cartmell, Abingdon says...
1:32pm Mon 19 Feb 07
M Jones, says...
1:38pm Mon 19 Feb 07
If Alan and "Dr Reddington" believe these people aren't representative of public opinion then presumably they could also find 250 people to demonstrate in favour of the scheme?
Annie, Reading, Berkshire says...
1:58pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Sue Matthews wrote:And not just from Oxfordshire. Several people, including me, travelled up from Reading on Saturday.
My enviroment is your enviroment. There were people from all over Oxfordshire on the walk, who care about what goes on. Not only in a lake about a mile from anywhere. Perhaps as you don't seem to mind about it perhaps you would allow npower to dump it in your back garden.
and we're not hippies either...
Gemini, Abingdon says...
2:04pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Yes this is a national issue - to the two less-informed and ill-educated individuals who spend their time making silly comments, and probably chuck all their rubbish in the landfill bin because to do anything different would need to have a degree of enlightenment, and for that they would need a degree of intelligence.
Sponge bob, Oxford says...
2:14pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Not that i am for it just wondering if what i heard is true.
Dr Reddington what makes these people hippys? Just because they care about thier enviroment! Its nob jockeys like you that wind people up, would actually be good to see a constructive comment from you other than calling them hippys and do something more worthwhile.
Rebecca, Oxford says...
2:15pm Mon 19 Feb 07
It's time ignorant people like Dr Reddington and Alan Knowles realised what a difference a small change can make to the environment - good and bad! Dumping the waste ash in the lake may not seem like too big a problem, but who can tell what the knock-on effects will have to the local environment.
Similarly if people who are still too lazy to recycle their rubbish started doing it, the difference would be enormous - less waste in landfills, and less greenhouse gases released making new products as old ones can be recycled.
We need to start taking responsbility for our environment (that's every single person who lives on this planet's environment), and started trying to protect it for the future.
Annie, Reading. Berkshire says...
2:46pm Mon 19 Feb 07
There's no way that the lakes, once filled, will sustain anything, never mind a nature reserve, if the state of the filled-in lake next door is anything to go by. It's a sea of grey sludge with some oily looking water channels, some moss, and dead or dying weeds growing on top. It's surrounded by a tall chainlink fence to keep people out, presumably because it's dangerous to go near it. There's a lifebelt on the bank too, I suspect because the ash has the same qualities as quick sand. It's a very depressing sight.
Sponge Bob, Oxford says...
3:27pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Annie wrote:Annie,
Sponge Bob, There's no way that the lakes, once filled, will sustain anything, never mind a nature reserve, if the state of the filled-in lake next door is anything to go by. It's a sea of grey sludge with some oily looking water channels, some moss, and dead or dying weeds growing on top. It's surrounded by a tall chainlink fence to keep people out, presumably because it's dangerous to go near it. There's a lifebelt on the bank too, I suspect because the ash has the same qualities as quick sand. It's a very depressing sight.
ah i havent actually been down to these lakes, i can imagine that the ash would do no more than soak up water and stay in some disgusting looking sludge.
I struggle to see why people can say doing this is ok!
Ok i am only 23 but i want to be able to take any kids i may have out to parks and lakes to enjoy the scenery and learn about our world. I dont want to have to show them the distruction that some of us small minded people inflict on our world.
With all this worry about the harm and damage we are causing to our planet why are people still allowed to go and ruin it?
We need to look after it now, before it gets to bad. Not for us but for future generations to enjoy..............
Curious, says...
5:05pm Mon 19 Feb 07
First, we 're not hippys (or even hippies).
Second, I'm really curious to know what YOU think is a worthwhile cause? Pretty well the whole population of Abingdon and Radley (and many, many people besides) thinks that saving the Lakes IS worthwhile. I'm not sure why you don't - perhaps you'd like to tell us?
The Water Vole's friend, Abingdon says...
8:46pm Mon 19 Feb 07
Please don't be offended but what you're saying is typical of how the big wide world pulls the wool over our eyes. How are you, how are most people to know what makes a good wildlife site?
It makes no difference if the lakes were originally dug (50 years ago) as gravel pits. After all this time they are filled with crystal clear water containing rare animals and plants and are indeed a habitat type which is protected under European law (not that this country takes any notice of that. Their surroundings of (now felled) mature trees are rich in plant and animal life including eight species of orchids, kingfishers and otters. I know this because I've been studying the landscape history of the area for thirty years and can demonstrate that the lakes have never been subjected to environmentally damaging modern farming practices. In addition I've taken part in many of the professional ecological surveys which have taken place over the last 18 months collecting hard facts about the site.
Npower's so-called "Nature reserve" will be a glorified dune with a pond. No-one will ever be able to visit it because PFA doesn't dry-out; the lakes filled in the 80s are still unsafe. Oh, and just in case you weren't aware either, PFA isn't a nice cuddly substance you could put in your garden. It contains arsenic, cadmium, mercury and other delightful substances and is in fact classified as toxic waste in more environmentally enlightened countries such as India.
James, Abingdon says...
9:24am Tue 20 Feb 07
What is your evidence for saying "Pretty well the whole population of Abingdon and Radley thinks that saving the Lakes IS worthwhile"
I for one think it IS NOT worth saving, and all the people I have talked to in Abingdon do not care either way, dont just make things up because it suits your view.
Why do I want the lake to be filled in?, well its not that I dont like the lake, Its just that the power company has permission to do so, they have been through the correct channels. They has been filling the lakes for over 20 years, I'm all in favour of allowing people and companies to carry out thier lawfull buisness.
Jo Cartmell, Abingdon says...
11:15am Tue 20 Feb 07
If you have not watched Al Gores film documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth' you should do so urgently.
There are many more issues besides the unnecessary destruction of a pristine wildlife site -- there are issues of pollution; increased flood risk; loss of amenity; health risks; stability issues; loss of biodiversity; loss of carbon-neutral trees and flora emitting oxygen from the lake to offset CO2 emissions.
The power company do have other appropriate options and appropriate places. It will just cost them a bit more and that is what this is all about.
Hans Offarlakes, Abingdon says...
12:23pm Tue 20 Feb 07
Now James, how would you feel if this had happened to your local Town Green - one that you actually cared about?
Someone in the KNOW, OXON says...
12:57pm Tue 20 Feb 07
So come on people!! let's get things into perspective hear, it's the Government who needs to be targeted for not building newer cleaner Power Stations!! They knew for years that the country needed major money invested in our countries electricity supply! the private sector supply companies have been warning the people in power for years!!! but they have ignored the warnings and we are now stuck with age old stations belching out massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, you think targeting the stations is the way to go...WRONG..it's not the fault of the stations more the fault of policies regarding upgrading, People also keep banning on about renewable energy, yes that is very much a way to go but it WONT supply our country with the electricity we need, so yes it's a very good thing to invest in but it's not the whole answer! we need new stations and we need to start building them now!! and I have to say it even though I don't necessarily agree with it, nuclear power is the only way to go with the technology we have today, I'm aware of the nasty by products of nuclear power, and that's why I don't like nuclear, but I'd like someone to come up with a FEASIBLE answer to our power demands...not dreams of wind farms and hydro stations..they just don't produce enough power end of story! And while im on a rant hear, I bet each and every one of those protestors got up that morning, put on a kettle in their nice warm houses and popped a piece of bread in the toaster!! We need electricity in our lives we all know that but targeting the stations is like closing the gate after the horse has bolted, The stations are hear to stay until we have another alternative, you close down the stations we have now and you wake up cold with no cuppa and toast!!
What I'd like to know is what are people doing about the millions of tonnes of waste being put into landfill brought up from London, just down the road!! we could burn that and use it to produce electricity using modern ways of carbon extraction and filtrations systems, the Germans are doing it...
So I say to Protestors, I AGREE WITH YOU WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!! but your not going about it the right way!! target the people in power making these excuses for not producing more money for new builds, the Government's we've had don't look to the long term future of our country, their only interested in the time scale their in power, this has got to change, we need to force new policies in to protect our future and force the government to look long term not three years or so into the future!!!
Jo Cartmell, Abingdon says...
4:29pm Tue 20 Feb 07
The ash IS RECYCLABLE there is now the technology able to cope with any type of ash, whether in the ground or fresh out of the power station! It is called the Flashbricks process which was discovered in Australia (please see my weblink in one of the articles above) and is now being implemented in the USA. I spent four hours listening to Robert Ittman who came all the way from the USA to show three of us the wonderful products produced from the ash. The plant is mobile, so once the ash is exhausted in one area it can be moved to another place. It just needs an ethical power station who really cares about the environment to take it up. Any takers?!!!!
This process can produce bricks which are identical to clay or Cotswold stone bricks. Frankly, I saw a 'clay brick' and it really did look line one! They can be pigmented to any colour and made to look weathered. They can produce tiles which look just like granite (usually seen in shopping malls). They can produce aggregate from it. All your new builds could be made from this recycled material, as well as the concrete to adhere the bricks together and tbe breeze blocks for the inner walls.
You DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO BURN HOUSEHOLD WASTE that cannot be recycled because of toxins released into the air.
Believe it or not, dung is the way to go as a sustainable source of energy. Please see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2307229.stm
quote as follows:
Energy 21 said: "Power generation cannot rely indefinitely on sources of energy such as provided by coal, gas, oil and nuclear fuels.
"To solve these issues, a shift to methods of producing heat and electricity that do not compromise the environment and the needs of future generations is a global priority."
Dung-fuelled power stations are popular in both Germany and Denmark, with about 20-large scale plants operating in each country.
Lakesaver, Radley says...
6:06pm Tue 20 Feb 07
Why does it contain too much carbon? Because it is burnt at a lowered temperature to try and reduce the NOX emissions that were coming out of the stack and causing problems elsewhere.
Why didn't nPower fit catalytic convertors to their stacks when the Environment Agency made them lower the burn temperature? Because they don't want to spend the money on an ageing power station.
Why don't they want to spend money? Because their shareholders won't approve if they use their vast profits for something other than dividends, huge director salaries and bonuses, and buying up other power stations.
There is a Company called Rocktron who have a process - there are other companies who have similar intellectual property - and NPower got into a joint venture with them at Aberthaw Power Station, but when it came to putting up more money to make the venture work NPower backed away and now the ash from Aberthaw goes to a Quarry as landfill and is causing pollution problems because of leachate.
Now as to Radley Lakes - it was a gravel pit but fifty years of nature has turned it into a beautiful area. Why should NPower use this lake when they have Sutton Courtenay on their doorstep - a brand new dug pit - but it doesn't belong to them - Waste Recycling Group have recently asked for permission to extend the life of their permit to fill this pit, because they won't fill it in the time scale and they also want more lorries to bring other waste as well. Why don't they offer it to Didcot? They probably did but NPower weren't prepared to pay the extra premium which WRG would probably want.
And my final point for Him in the Know - Stop burning coal and burn gas at Didcot B instead. It is cleaner and there is no waste. Also we have to go nuclear. France has done it, and we buy off them, so what's the difference.
NPower are a miserable litigious bunch of individuals, trying to stifle us. Well we won't be gagged. Their injunction has just made everyone even madder about them and the word is spreading.
Gemini, says...
12:00am Wed 21 Feb 07
Steven Jones, Oxon says...
12:26pm Wed 21 Feb 07
Gemini wrote:Gemini, stop talking bull. There is no Radioactive particles in the output from Didcot. Your comments are typical of some of the idiotic minority of environmentals around.
NPower's lawyers have served an injunction on a local press photographer, who was just doing his job, reporting the news! Such is the spitefulness of this Organisations whose towers dominate the Oxfordshire Landscape and whose emissions spread far and wide, adding to global warming (most of the heat generated at Didcot A Coal Station is wasted - it goes up the Chimneys). Did you know the output up the Chimneys contains radioactive particles? I wouldn't live on the east side of Didcot Power Station if you paid me! And, to top it all, they can't even be bothered to deal with the ash that they create, instead dumping it to landfill because out of sight is out of mind.
Colin, Abingdon says...
2:17pm Wed 21 Feb 07
Kate Long, says...
11:35am Thu 22 Feb 07
I wish the Save Radley Lakes campaign every success.
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Dr Basil Crowley, Radley says...
11:13am Mon 19 Feb 07