X Marks the Spot for Wave Energy
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PIPE LINENOT JUST SURFERS * NOT JUST SEWAGE * THE NEWSLETTER OF SAS * SAS head to head with EA over Brighton * SAS and O’Neill celebrate primary schools project week * SAS / Aloha Cornish & Open - UK’s greenest surf festival * Crystal Ball sparkles ISSUE ISSUE 6 2 * OCTOBER 2005 OCTOBER * X MARKS THE SPOT FOR WAVE ENERGY WHO’S WHO AT SAS? HOW TO FIND US... ■ Campaign Director (full time) Richard Hardy ([email protected]) ■ Campaign Assistant (full time) Andy Cummins ([email protected]) ■ Campaign Researcher (full time) Andrew Knights ([email protected]) ■ Office Manager (full time) Wendy Nicolson ([email protected]) ■ Finance Manager (part time) Vincent McDermott ([email protected]) ■ Events & Sponsorship (part time) Michelle England ([email protected]) ■ Merchandise Manager (part time) Kate Wilde ([email protected]) ■ Merchandise Assistant (part time) Heidi Peasley ([email protected]) ■ Membership/Admin Assistant (full time) Pippa Shemmings ([email protected]) ■ Sales/Admin assistant (full time) Claire Bentley ([email protected]) ■ Everyone can be contacted on 01872 553 001 WHO DOES WHAT FOR PIPELINE ■ Editor: Richard Hardy ■ Surfers Against Sewage, Wheal Kitty Workshops, St. Agnes, Cornwall TR5 0RD ■ Main Office: 01872 553 001 ■ Campaign Office: 01872 555 950 ■ Merchandise: 01872 555 955 ■ Sponsorship: 01872 555 945 ■ Fax: 01872 552 615 ■ Internet: www.sas.org.uk ■ Email: [email protected] ■ Graphic Design: Greig Stevens [email protected] ■ Photographers: Rob Smith, Mike Greenslade, Andy Hughes, Greg Martin, Andy Cummins, Richard Hardy ■ Printing: Brewers of Helston 01326 558000 Printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper using vegetable based inks PIPELINE.ISSUE.62.PAGES.02/03 editorial The G8 Summit in July failed to agree a mandatory cut in greenhouse gas emissions. It has been widely condemned as an opportunity missed and so our planet continues to warm. With the summer now finished we’re gearing up to campaign for an embracement of offshore renewable energy devices and to introduce some radical changes to the way the water industry plans its investment. Both are needed to prevent much of the hard work we’ve done being undone because of an increase in water pollution incidents relating to changes in climate. With another packed out and memorable SAS Ball behind us the campaign season is back! Thanks for your support. RICH HARDY CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SAS CAMPAIGNING AT THE CRYSTAL BALL... THANKS TO SMUGGLERS FOR MAKING OUR CAKE! CAMPAIGN REPORT SAS FLOAT GIANT ‘X’ OFF THE COAST OF CORNWALL TO SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY SAS fl oated a giant green ‘X’ 12 miles off devices may be deployed in the coming without pollution and depletion of the the coast of St Ives in Cornwall to show years. The Wave Hub project is seeking Earth’s natural resources. both our support for renewable energy to encourage the development of wave The Wave Hub is still subject to gaining and to urge world leaders to vote for clean energy technology in the South West with the necessary approvals and funding and safe energy options at the G8 summit the electricity being produced exported to before construction could begin in the in Edinburgh, where climate change was the shore and into the National Grid via a summer of 2006. high on the agenda. buried cable. As everyday wave users SAS are fully SAS campaigners took out the fl oating SAS are keen supporters of renewable aware of the huge natural wave energy ‘X’ to a wave buoy marker 12 miles out into energy. In particular we are keen to see resources we have in the UK and just as St Ives Bay 2 days before the G8 Summit. the marine renewable energy sector we enjoy their energy for recreation we The buoy is currently collecting wave develop as we believe this to be an believe that same energy should also data as part of the wave hub project but excellent natural platform to help the UK be captured to create electricity. We are also marks the site where wave energy generate clean, green and safe electricity also very aware of the impact pollution PIPELINE.ISSUE.62.PAGES.04/05 SAS FLOAT GIANT ‘X’ Check out the sciencescience behind wavewave energyenergy on page 10 and 11. is hahavingving on our wwaterater enenvironmentvironment presspress forfor immediateimmediate solutionssolutions toto tackletackle From the start of 2005 SAS have been from current ‘dirty energy’ technologies. climate change so that more projects like in partnership with renewable energy In particular the fi nding of radioactive the Wave Hub can be undertaken, but we provider Ecotricity. For every customer particles at 2 surfi ng beaches close to were disappointed by a failure from world that changes over to Ecotricity (it won’t the Dounreay Nuclear Reprocessing Plant leaders to commit to target dates. cost you a penny more as they match the in North Scotland has reiterated the Media coverage: ITV Westcountry, price of your regional electricity supplier!) importance of developing cleaner and BBC Radio Cornwall, Pirate FM, Western mentioning SAS, Ecotricity will donate £15 SAFER energy technologies as a matter Morning news, Cornishman, West Briton, to the SAS clean and safe water campaign. of urgency. Wavelength, Surfers Path Sign up here! RH SAS had hoped that world leaders in Watch a short fi lm of this campaign www.ecotricity.co.uk/partners/referrers/ Edinburgh would both acknowledge and action at www.av3.co.uk/saswavehub.htm SurfersAgainstSewage/sas1.html CAMPAIGN REPORT SMALL PHOTO: WORTHING HERALD WORTHING SMALL PHOTO: SAS GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY OVER BRIGHTON SEWAGE PLANS SAS actioned outside the Environment Agency on Wednesday of adding UV could be as low as £1.5 million. Plans are to build a the 3rd of August in a demo that called for them to support full new long sea outfall costing £4 million, but the current long sea sewage treatment for Brighton and Hove. outfall could instead be used to discharge UV treated effl uent. In the latest of our Brighton campaign actions we arrived at This could allow an overall saving on the project of £2.5 million. the EA offi ces in Worthing to deliver a larger than life copy of the Following the action SAS met with Environment Agency staff discharge consent currently lodged by Southern Water at the EA. to discuss this proposal and told them that in the interests We stamped the words ‘requires UV treatment’ across the front of sustainability and bathing water quality, the EA should be as a sign of SAS’ wishes. requiring Southern Water to add UV to the proposed secondary SAS believe the EA should support our campaign to ensure UV level treatment process. In addition, the EA should insist on all disinfection is applied to the Southern Water application, both in sewage and wastewater treatment schemes to reuse not waste terms of improving bathing water quality and in the interests of water, as part of an overall strategy to conserve water. RH sustainability. If the EA were to endorse the Southern Water application as FURTHER ACTION FROM YOU NEEDED! it currently stands, it would be giving its approval to wasting If you haven’t already done so please support our campaign millions of gallons of wastewater that, with an extra level of call to the Secretary of State for the Environment to call in treatment, could be reused. the Southern Water discharge consent applications for her This would not be good environmental practice, especially at determination under the Water Resources Act 1991. The easiest a time when the Southern Water region needs to be conserving way to do this is sign our e-card online at water and planning for a future where water shortages are www.sas.org.uk/pr/brighton_vicvirus_sept_2005.asp increasingly more likely. Recent fi gures from DEFRA have shone further light on the cost Media Coverage: Meridian TV, BBC Southern Counties Radio, of providing an extra level of treatment. SAS now believe the cost Southern FM, Worthing Herald, The Argus. PIPELINE.ISSUE.62.PAGES.06/07 CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP EU WATER LEGISLATION SAS met with Richard Caborn, the Minister for Sport recently. Approximately 10% of the UK population take part in recreational water sports annually (not including bathing). This fi gure is rising and the Minister suggested it might be a lot larger. This means that over 6 million people are using recreational waters annually. Good news for the Government, who are trying to encourage the public to be more active and healthy - or is it? BEACH LITTER Those using designated waters for recreation which PORTHTOWAN BEACH, CORNWALL - SEPTEMBER 17th. meet the current Bathing Water Directive ‘mandatory’ With the help of some fantastic Eco Ventures water quality standard have a 12% - 15% risk of volunteers on a very nice autumn day SAS collected contracting gastroenteritis according to the World Health over 9,000 pieces of marine litter, over 90% of which Organisation (WHO). That’s leaving a lot of people on the was plastic (very persistent in the marine environment) toilet after a surf! as part of the MCS Beachwatch weekend. Picking up SAS have called on the Sports Minister to help us call over 9,000 pieces is a fantastic feat, however, we were for clean and safe recreational waters as part of our all shocked by the colossal amount of marine litter ongoing campaign to improve European legislation. By still on the beach when we left. This is mirrored across title alone this Minister should be more supportive of our the country and SAS will be stepping up its Beach plight and SAS will work hard to ensure we gain his full Litter campaign over the coming months to tackle this support in EU discussions.