I watched some of these satirical 1 minute videos starring a French writer for Libé calling herself Bridget Kyoto.  Donning a military helmet, she advocates the use of ecologically friendly weapons of mass destruction, so that we can wipe dirty countries off the map and replace them with greener ones!   Or she’ll share statistics about energy dependency as she puffs a gauloise and prepares to shoot heroin.  A little over the top, but maybe it can get some people to talk about the environment.  More on her environmental blog.

Oh, and she’s not afraid to get naked, which is naturally the best way to get people to treat your environmental beliefs seriously.

The video series was brought to my attention by Vigneron Blog, the generically named winemaker blog now managed by Pierre Fabre, the owner of Chateau de Gaure.

Her manifesto:

Bonjour,

à travers mon métier de journaliste environnement à Libération, je réfléchis depuis longtemps à une manière efficace d’alerter le grand public sur la catastrophe écologique en cours. 
J’écris des papiers depuis dix ans sur le sujet, j’ai collaboré à plusieurs émissions télévisées d’écologie et j’en ai proposé d’autres dans l’espoir saugrenu de toucher le plus grand nombre.

A la télé, on m’a répondu :
« L’écologie, on n’en veut pas, c’est trop anxiogène. Les annonceurs veulent du positif. Quant au public, il veut du fun.  Alors laissez-le consommer tranquille, il a déjà bien assez de problèmes comme ça. La réalité écologique, les espèces, la pollution, le réchauffement, tous vos trucs, là, ça l’ennuie. Ça l’indispose, même »

Alors, un jour, je me suis dit que, puisque le journalisme ne suffisait pas, je passerai par la dérision. J’ai inventé  Bridget Kyoto et tourné ses premières vidéos.

Bridget est comme nous, désespérée par le crasse aveuglement de notre “civilisation” mais elle est trop sérieuse pour ne pas en rire. D’elle-même et du reste. Pour ne pas pleurer.

Elle cultive la vie, l’autodérision, l’absurde et se moque de tout, y compris de l’écologie et de ceux qui la font ; elle plaisante depuis le pont du Titanic qui s’incline. Il n’y a pas assez de canots de sauvetage pour tout le monde, de toute façon.
Mais surtout, Bridget a besoin de VOUS :

Exposez-la sur vos pages, e-mailez-la, relayez-la sur Facebook, faites-la connaître, PARTAGEZ SES VIDEOS, critiquez-la, donnez-lui des frères, des soeligurs, du bouche à oreille, du bouche à bouche, n’importe quoi, mais FAITES DU BRUIT, du bruit médiatique, du bruit tout court mais du bruit, pour qu’au moins, on entende un peu le chant de Bridget Kyoto, petite sirène d’alarme.
Bien à vous,

Laure Noualhat
le 25 novembre 2012

PS Et puisque pour attirer l’attention du public ces derniers temps, il faut se mettre à poil, je l’ai fait <http://t.ymlp230.net/jbearauqjjakauyeafauuhsh/click.php>  (photo ci-jointe). Non mais.

This is probably the last update about the Quarry Project in Villemoustaussou (at least for now).

Even though I panicked last week when I received the email notification of the proposed quarry installation, this week has been full of research and helpful advice from friends.

Here’s the long summary of the quarry project.  I still haven’t read the whole technical report, but all in good time.

So here’s all the good news:

1. The short notice (I received an email Friday night asking for a response by Monday) was for a consultation on the quarry’s effects on viticulture.  There is over one month to study the project and talk about it during an “enquete publique” that will start next week.
2. This should be an installation of the least invasive type of quarry.  They can dig the big hole and draw stone, but that’s pretty much it.  There is no permission to dewater or treat the concrete on site.  My two greatest fears.
3. The project has shrunk from its original size to avoid digging near the most important part of the Fresquel river’s flood zone.
4. The increased road traffic through Villemoustaussou shouldn’t be too noticable since the current quarry’s traffic also drives through Villemoustaussou.  I didn’t even know this so, if it’s true, it means the road traffic is pretty negligible.
5. The dust clouds should be extremely limited to the area directly around the quarry, and they are watering the roads so even that shouldn’t be significant.
6. Noise pollution is neglible as I am more than a few kilometers uphill from the project.
7. At the end of the quarry’s 12 year run, they will apparently turn it into a nice lake which should increase local property value and means more development/funding for Villemoustaussou
8. The company will conduct a new field study to inventory and catalogue all plant and animal species in the 28 hectares affected to ensure that no protected animals or plants will be displaced or harmed by the project.

I still need to attend the local meetings and read the full file.  But it would seem that everything is actually okay and we can turn off the alarm bells for now.

The vineyard is safe. 🙂

I got an alarming email about a quarry project in the town where I make my wine.  It’s very short notice!  I have to respond by Monday and I don’t know anything about this project.

I got this email from the person at the Chamber of Agriculture who has been acting as a general manager for the Appellation Cabardes for the past couple of years.  Basically, it would seem that somebody is asking to create a quarry in the south of Villemoustaussou, the town where I make my wine.  It’s specifically a “carrieres de tout venant alluvionnaire” but I have no idea what that means.  A quarry where anybody can come and pick up alluvial deposits?  The details of the quarry project are 300 pages long and aren’t included in the email. Instead, there is a short summary of this proposed project and a map of its location attached to the email.

The project is on the opposite side of Villemoustaussou from my vineyard.  But I’m still concerned.  What does it mean for my vineyard?  What can I do?  Why do I only have three days to respond to this email?!  Why did they wait til Friday afternoon (after my lawyer clocks out for the weekend)?

Here’s the email I received at 6:52 PM:

Bonsoir ,

L’INAO nous a transmis dans le courant de la semaine un dossier de projet de carrière(cf principales caractéristiques en pj)sur la commune de Villemoustaussou. Comme d’habitude il y urgence car il faut rendre une réponse écrite avant le lundi 6 juin donc pratiquement avant le vendredi 3 juin( L’ODG est organisme consultatif.)

Avec Robert Gianesini nous pensions organiser dans l’urgence une réunion lundi soir mais faute de salles disponibles, cela ne sera pas possible.

Je vous propose donc de prendre connaissance des 2 documents qui sont un résumé très condensé du projet qui comporte 5 rapports soit 300 pages et de transmettre à Robert et à moi-même votre avis par mail avant lundi 30/05 14H afin de rédiger un courrier officiel de l’ODG.

I’m so confused.  How will this affect the environment around my vineyard?  Will we all be consumed in a cloud of dust for twelve years?  Or will this have virtually no effect on my vines?  How will it affect Brau and Donjon who grow their grapes slightly closer to the affected area?

These are the two documents attached to the email:

• map of project
• Summary of project

What on earth am I supposed to do?  I don’t have the 300 page document from the INAO detailing the project.  I don’t know any of the consequences of this type of project.  I don’t know what I’m supposed to say.  I only hope that the winemakers more closely affected by this project will see this email before Monday and know better how to respond.