The llamas of Loch Duich
Wot's this then? A bunch of llamas in Scotland? Surely not. And not just Scotland, but the north-west Highlands at that. What can they be doing here in this incongruous spot? There can surely be only one reason for such an anomaly, such an aberration. It must be climate change.
One of the cheap shots aimed at people who don't like windfarms is the calling of names - NIMBYs. Personally, I take the whole of planet Earth as my back garden, so I suppose that makes me a NIMBY par excellence. This being the case, I was both saddened and angered to read a few days ago that the Rampion Offshore Windfarm has been given the final go-ahead. This will consist of a fleet of 100-175 turbines stuck in the sea 8-15 miles off the coast of southern England - Brighton and Hove to be precise. Beachgoers in Brighton, not to mention folk out for a stroll over the South Downs, will be treated to the vista of an industrial wasteland out at sea while sucking their ice-cream. I had wondered whether the middle classes of southern England might have been spared this particular plague. But then I suppose that with Greenie Green Caroline Lucas as MP, the folk of Brighton had it coming to them (those who voted for her, anyway.....).
The green light for this great project was given, of course, by that apology for a human being Ed Davey. This is just the sort of project we need, he bleated: jobs, economic growth, energy security, carbon emission targets, blah blah. His statement was fascinating, because nobody believes this bullshit any more. That's not actually true, there are still a few believers - nine at the last count. But more and more 'normal' people are coming to realise that it's all political manoeuvering, carbon tax and green energy scams, controlling the means of production, lining the pockets of those whose pockets are already lined etc etc.
An extraordinary disconnect has developed between what politicians and others 'in control' tell us and what people know and believe. Ed Davey is just a particularly mind-numbing example. A made a quick scan of the comments sections of the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian websites following two recent 'events': Cameron's latest project to increase snooping powers on personal communications; and the terrorists-putting-explosives-inside-mobile-phones-means-more-airport-scrutiny story. In both instances, I was amazed at how many 'We don't believe this crap anymore, it's all about keeping us in fear and giving more power to the authorities' comments there were. This isn't Red Ice Radio, it's serious mainstream media. People have always been wary of authorities, but a sea change has taken place over recent years. Folk are waking up to the name of the game in big numbers. The Emperor has no clothes on, and his nakedness is there for all to see. Bankers, Bilderbergers and their ilk are living on increasingly shaky ground. The solution is not to defect to Russell Brand or Nigel Farage, but where things go from here (if anywhere: many people have a sadly strong habit of reverting to default position) is a matter of significance for the future shape of human affairs.
Returning home from my mountain-and-llamas day, I passed in the early evening sunshine one of our principal local shrines to hubris, deceit, and deception, the hill-top Millenium Windfarm. On this calm summer's day, every single blade of the turbines remained completely motionless.
'Mummy, mummy, the windmills aren't moving today. Does that mean cold soup for supper again?'
'I'm afraid so. But we've got some dry crackers to go with it.'
'Mummy, is it true that they're trying to plunge us back into the Dark Ages?'
'Oh, darling, where do you get these silly ideas of yours?'
'Mummy, why don't they take a look at those free energy thingies being invented by those very clever people? Why don't they, why don't they? Not even a teensie-weensie look?'
'You ask too many questions, dearest. Now here's your soup - minestrone, your favourite. Cold.'
A few miles further, I approached the modest settlement of Invermoriston. Many of the houses and gardens are festooned with banners. It's not a local festival - they all bear the words 'No Moriston Windfarm'. Picturesque Invermoriston, by the shores of Loch Ness, is already pretty much encircled by approved wind factories, but the slimy bastards want to put up yet another one very close by. People don't want this stuff, it is destroying their life. Stick a 24/7 disco in the middle of Westminster Abbey and you get the picture.
At the time of death it seems that human beings are confronted with a life review. I hope Ed Davey and the scummy rest are thinking about it now: they might have a lot of explaining to do.....
