Author: IW Council Press Office
ELLEN MACARTHUR SAYS MODERN LIVING IS DETACHED FROM RESOURCES IT CONSUMES
Wednesday, 26th March, 2008 at 2:06 pm, Isle of Wight
RECORD-breaking round the world yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur has highlighted how she feels modern living has become detached from the resources it consumes.
At a landmark green conference today, Dame Ellen contrasted the need to preserve resources during her ocean voyages with the throwaway nature too common in everyday life.
She was speaking to more than 340 delegates at the first annual Eco Island conference.
Held in Cowes, the conference was a rallying call to businesses and organisations to support the Eco Island aim of making the Isle of Wight carbon neutral and energy self-sufficient by 2020.
Dame Ellen said: “It is not that people are lazy, it is just that we have grown up in a time when everything is available and cheap. If we want something all we have to do is go out to the supermarket.
“We need to get back to a stage where we value what we have. On a boat you learn to value the resources you have and to make the most of them.”
That is the sort of thinking we need to be applying to everyday life.
Dame Ellen, has become a passionate advocate of Eco Island. She has lived on the Isle of Wight for ten years and her Offshore Challenges business employs 50 people from a base in East Cowes.
Of the conference at Cowes Yacht Haven she said: “It has been a fantastic event and it is really encouraging to see so many people here who want to make a difference.”
Leading organisations including the Isle of Wight Council also launched the Island’s Sustainable Community Strategy — the document setting out how Eco Island will become a reality — at the conference.
Speakers included Professor Bill Wakeham, vice-chancellor of the world-renowned Southampton University that is working with the IW Council on a number of renewable energy initiatives.
Also on the platform were Sir Ghillean Prance, scientific director of the Eden Project, the Rt Rev Dr Kenneth Stevenson, eighth bishop of Portsmouth — who said Eco Island was the most important project ever undertaken on the Island – Dr Vanessa Lawrence chief executive of Ordnance Survey and David Taylor, chief executive of Sustainable Energy Ireland.
The conference was opened by IW Council leader Cllr David Pugh. Cllr Pugh said: “The conference was all about inspiring local businesses and organisations to get behind the Eco Island ethos. Eco Island is an ambitious goal but it is one that we can achieve if all of us – from the biggest organisation to the individual — work together.
“The speakers showed us that there is the technology out there to help us become sustainable and also that there is a real need for us all to do this.
“It is also became evident that we can achieve this sustainability and at the same time create opportunities and prosperity for everyone.
“A key aim of Eco Island is to not only protect our environment but also to enable everyone to be able to enjoy that improved quality of life.”
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It would be great if we could find a viable location for a wind farm.
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About ten miles off Le Harve would be quite good Luigi. Island folks have already THWARTED the appearence of these ugly,innefficient monsters. What on earth is wrong with wave power? Haven’t you noticed that we’re…err…surrounded by the sea? Five knot tides run past us relentlessly every day ad infinitum. I’m a great believer in this and cannot understand why it does not get more of a mention, especially on the Island. Check it out on the net, there are already firms producing several different power generation systems, we should get it going here and show the rest of the Country the way. Wind stops, Tides don’t !
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Don’t fear JM. The IW was mentioned as one of the best places in the UK for tidal power and is being seriously considered as a major project worth taking forward.
Interesting to note that it ‘could’ become a massive export for the Island – selling on power to the rest of the UK.
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In the closing panel Q&A Joe Duckworth confirmed that Eco Island would go ahead even though he was leaving, and said he supported wind turbines on the island as well as sea based systems.
David Pugh said in his closing remarks that Eco-Island was a committed project and that he supported land based wind turbines provided they were sited in an appropriate area of the island.
A very interesting conference, really worthwhile attending and great that Sal and Simon were able to cover it live!
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I am also a believer in tidal power as this is a powerfull and regular energy. Two options; surface and below surface level generation although I have only seen surface level developed.
This would be a great use of natural and sometimes very powerfull energy – after all once generated electric is very ‘clean’.
So I would like to see more development/support/trials on this method of energy generation.
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The Island has a history of innovation.. hovercrafts, concrete houses etc etc.
We make wind turbine blades but we don’t use them on the Island to generate power because we are clever. This is a tourist destination – why would we want to pollute the beautiful landscape with these noisy ugly, instrusive, inefficient monsters?
Tidal power seems a much better idea. I would rather have a mini nuclear power station on the island than wind turbines.
Tidal Power rules.
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I don’t understand calling turbines inefficient monsters – this is what I’d label Oil/Gas/Coal power stations. Turbines produce carbon neutral energy. I understand members of the Island are very passionate about not having them installed. But don’t agree with peoples arguments regarding the ‘tourist attraction’ thing. I visited a wind farm down west, and also one in the States. Each had their own tourist ’section’ and most people were in awe of them. I certainly didn’t find them noisy either. When I look out over Gurnard, I see Fawley and think I’d rather see a Wind Farm there instead of chimneys throwing out pollution on such a scale.
I agree with Tidal power but it certainly doesn’t rule yet -the technology isn’t there and I doubt such a large installation would be viable in the Solent. A shame given it has two tides a day.
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I agree about the wind farms – I think they look fabulous, but probably wouldn’t want to live under one.
You’re right about the technology of tidal power, it was raised at the conference and is some way off, but also needs the investment.
It’s exciting to think that once developed, this could become a massive export for the island.
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Re: above – when I said inefficient I meant in terms of space – you need a lot of turbines to produced any decent amount of power – so they are inefficient users of land. Obviously if you think they are architectural and beautiful, that isnt a problem. I think they are rather attractive and they certainly make a statement but you would dramatically change the landscape and we dont have vast tracks of land on the island (where its windy tends to be in the AONB zones.
I just think it would be wrong to have a few turbines just to make a statement.
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Alexander, you have a valid point there. I don’t see the benefit of having a small farm with a few turbines.
I wonder if there are any companies based on the Island studying at tidal power?
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Ellen points out the problem, its not that we are lazy or that we like to blow a lot of hot air on the subject but the government blows it around a lot too. We need to get back to basics. Wind energy is all fine and dandy but what about solar power being put in every roof on the island. Ok you don’t wind turbines on the island then tell Mr. Pugh to put that money aid where his mouth is and get it going. How is setting bus prices higher for islanders going to get this done. Islanders should pay less for their bus tickets. Raising the prices on busses that just makes the tourist who come over and the islanders go out and buy cars! The eco-conference was headed by some very intelligent people who knew how to make people believe that they were going to effectively DO something. 3 year for tidal wave energy to be installed and the companies who produce them effectivly install them as well. It all sounds a bit illogical to me. If its time they want, humanity has had 60 years to figure out we were going to eventually run out of oil!
No more talk, walk…
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There was a very good question from the floor at the conference about the Island’s railways – or lack of them. The roads are very crowded on the island. The idea of a train or tram tunnel connection with the mainland seems sensible. It would encourage more visitors to leave their cars on the mainland and help island commuters too
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Dear Alexander,
If what you say is true and I do remember someone at the confrence bringing the subject of transportation up, the trains should run on electricity like the trains in Germany, Norway, and France. As this would cut out carbon emmissions altogether, but this extra amount on bus fares is a bit rediculous considering buses and car commuters alike contribute to the large amount of carbon dioxide that goes into the air. I agree with you that the rail system should be re-instated to it original glory provided that it run on electricity as this would surely encourage more visitors and islanders to use it.
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Jack – Im glad you think the train idea is good! Travel should be both efficient and pleasurable (trains are great). However we should be careful when discussing electricity. You are right that electric trains won’t pollute the island but unless the electricity generation is green it will still have a polluting factor. Look across the water to the Oil fired power station at Fawley for example…..
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Dear Alexander,
Yes you are absolutely right, but there comes the question about the three year plan sufficed by Professor Bill Wakeham in which by that time a place to store the energy and the electrical trains can be installed for proper use.
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