More Than Just Hot Air

Coursework piece - feature article for MA

Having completed his school career, Dom Joyce had a job and a house lined up, all set for a move down to Bristol. That was until he noticed the anti-wind turbine campaign in Southwell had no opposition. Now, the 18-year-old environmental campaigner looks to lead a youthful campaign in favour of renewable energy across the county.

“You can’t just say no to wind turbines and expect it to be unchallenged.” explains Joyce, who speaks with eloquence and clarity far beyond his year.

“80% of wind turbine proposals start an objection campaign – but not many have campaigns supporting them.”

Far fewer supporting campaigns are started by the youth of a town – but Joyce knew that something had to be done.

Earlier this year the Brackenhurst campus of Nottingham Trent University in Southwell drew up plans to erect two wind turbines on the site – to power the campus but also provide energy to the surrounding area. This was met with critical reaction, and it seemed that many locals were against the proposals.

The Halloughton Wind Turbine Action Group is the main opposition group to the proposals, and is concerned by the effect the wind turbines will have on a range of factors. Their website states: “The mid-Nottinghamshire farmlands, with the nearby dumbles characteristic of this area, together with a rich ecology, need to be maintained as an area of high amenity. A much-used bridle path is close by. Our local bats and birds will be disturbed, or worse.”

However, Joyce was suspicious of this reaction. Coming together with a group of school friends, the first thing they did was to make a banner challenging the protest.

“We put up a big banner simply saying ‘If Not Then What?’ basically saying, if you are against this proposal, come up with an alternative.”

The original name stuck, and as momentum grew for the group, the voice was being heard. Drawing on the youthful exuberance of the campaign, an innovative Facebook campaign was set up to raise awareness.

“We got photos of people supporting the campaign and put them on Facebook. The idea was for them to tag themselves, it attracts attention to a massive audience to spread the word.”

The core group meets monthly at Joyce’s house to discuss strategy and ways to further the campaign. On tonight’s agenda however is money. Whilst the energy they are campaigning for is sustainable, finance for their cause is not. And with such a young group, sourcing £600, a figure quoted by Joyce for leaflets, flyers and an improved website, is hard to come by.

Inventive methods of finding this cash come from members of the group – cake sales, bag packing and selling old and unwanted CDs are all put forward. The group clearly take the issue seriously.

For the moment the campaign focuses on the proposed turbines in the local area of Southwell – but once this one has finished Joyce promises more.

“The plan is to get groups all over the area – this specific one works because universities especially have green agendas and targets,” says Joyce, excited by the ever-increasing prospects.

But what of the opposition to the turbines – those who have lived in Halloughton their whole lives?

“I can understand. As far as they are concerned, this structure will affect the house they’ve worked so hard to build. But this site is as good as any. If they can offer an alternative way of saving 400 tonnes of CO2 that’d be great.”

The brochures and leaflets of the Halloughton Wind Turbine Action Group, opposed to the wind turbine proposals, challenges them on the basis of destroying heritage, affecting wildlife and the sound impact of the students based at Brackenhurst. Joyce remains unconvinced.

“We went to Brackenhurst during their Fresher’s week and did a petition. We got 200-300 signatures. Trent University also did a survey of their students, and 96.2% were in favour.”

Nottingham Trent University environmental officer Grant Anderson is responsible for the proposals. He said: “The controversy is really all around the impact on heritage. There has been a little bit of opposition from the local village but it is completely outnumbered by the pro-wind campaigners.”

The youngest of five children, Joyce admits that he is alone in his family in taking an environmental issue this far. Having spent a lot of his youth at the nearby Hockerton Housing Project with his best friend, he is using the wisdom he learnt from “hardcore environmentalists.”

The passion grew during his International Baccalaureate he gained this year from Bilborough College in Nottingham, and looked all set to move to Bristol, where he had a job and house ready for him. So in an unstable economic climate and youth unemployment looking set to top the million mark, why did he forgo this opportunity?

“Two weeks into the If Not Then What campaign I was getting too many emails from people I didn’t know! So I decided to stay so that I could see where the campaign could go.”

The group is clearly organised with professional input, from environmental groups such as RSPB and Greenpeace.

Speaking to RSPB conservation officer Colin Wilkinson, he echoed the group’s stance, saying: “We’ve looked at the environmental impact assessment that has been done and it meets the best practice guidance we expect all such studies to meet. The results don’t suggest at all that there would be any significant threat to the bird population.” 

Talking at length as to why the wind turbines are appropriate, the difference between a linear and cyclical energy route, and how much each type of renewable energy can contribute to the earth’s survival, Joyce clearly knows his stuff. And under his leadership he is inspiring more people, not only youth, to take responsibility for their planet.

The final decision from the district council to approve the wind turbines is set to be during December, having been accepted by the Southwell town council already.

But for Joyce this may just be the start.