Come to Thy!
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If you don’t know what to do with yourself this summer, we suggest you take a trip to Østerild Klitplantage in the north of Jutland right now! A nice bunch of activists, hippies and local people are camping in the forest in order to prevent the most silent area in Denmark from being cut down and shaped as an industrial test center for windmills.
Facts:
Østerild Klitplantage is a peace forest with several rare and threatened species and nobody knows how much noise pollution the test-windmills (up to 250 meters – three times bigger than normal) will cause, but for sure it will have a big influence on the forest life and the surrounding local people.
Apart from the noise the windmills will have warning lights that can be seen from a distance of 50 km! Thus the assumed reduction of 266 hectare forest is in fact far from the actual amount of forest and nature life to be harmed by the founding of the test-windmill center.
We are NOT against windmills,* but we believe that it is an unreasonable decision to place the test center in a so-called peace-forest. If we really want to make environmental improvements there are way better solutions than to disturb and cut down nature! 63% of Denmark’s nature has already been altered for agricultural and industrial use. Denmark is among the countries to have the smallest amount of forest per hectare.
We find it problematic that the property of the state is mainly limited to forest – and military training areas so that each new-founded industry areas compromises nature. We suggest that the use of private agricultural areas is taken under consideration. A part of the military training base in Oksbøl has also been suggested as an alternative location for the test center since the area already fits the demands of the test center. This has however been rejected because of the military training of soldiers who are to participate in the war in Afghanistan. “Make sustainability – not war” can be added to the discussion!†
This windmill test center is not the last of its kind to come. We emphasize that the political process has not included experts and that the juridical process hasn’t yet reached a final conclusion. We find it alarming that the politicians refuse to wait for the juridical complaints to be treated by EU in August and September. If the Danish state refuses to follow juridical standards and consult experts in order to find the best solutions, then we fear for what the future will bring. In this respect, the fight to save the forest at Østerild Klitplantage is an important statement for the future.
If you feel like combining your summer vacation with environmental activism you are most welcome! Østerild forest is a beautiful forest with small lakes to swim in. Just head to Østerild city and follow the road towards the Frøstrup camp. In the attached map you can see a lake. Find that and you will meet some of the people living in the forest. Bring your own tent or move in to the already existing tepees, hammocks and tents. A nearby farmer has also welcomed the activists to camp on private property in case we get thrown out of the forest. You can buy food for 10 kroner per day in addition to all the lovely coffee, food and nice stuff that the local people bring to the forest campers.
So far it has been surprisingly harmless to stop the tree-cutting but now it seems that the police will surround the cutting areas. If you don’t feel like participating in a sit-down, the presence of legal demonstrations is a big help as well. The local police have been very friendly and we strongly emphasize that this is a peaceful – though creative – non-violent action. Everything else will harm the case.
See you out there :) Please forward this message.
Troubles finding the way: atsome@gmail.com Find facts here (site under construction) : http://www.roots.dk/mega/
Find information from Danmarks naturfredningsforeing here: http://www.dn.dk/Default.aspx?ID=21611
NWW notes:
*Why not? The needless destruction of the environment and intrusion into the neighboring landscape that is so magnified in this case is always the case.
†Again, industrial wind turbines are antithetical to any idea of ecological sustainability.
