Cair Vie
Coadey Thalloo Ard Ellan Vannin
Protection for the Isle of Man Uplands
Our mission
To support sustainable forms of energy without damaging our precious environment and wildlife.
Our goal
To ensure that the island’s transition to greener forms of energy meets certain criteria:
- it should provide a real benefit for all islanders
- all public projects should be affordable, carefully thought out and rigorously costed and alternatives, including those offered by private developers, should be considered
- no developments should be sited in the island’s uplands which must be afforded national protection
- any project should be proposed in a completely transparent manner and open to public scrutiny and meaningful oversight
Why does our natural environment need protection?
The Manx landscape is a key element of our national heritage, an important natural and economic asset and a treasured amenity for residents and visitors alike.
It is a priceless resource which, once lost, cannot be restored.
It is not possible to recreate these areas, or to ‘mitigate’ any damage caused to an environment that has taken thousands of years to form.
Then it rises like a vision
Sparkling bright it shines for me
My own dear, Ellan Vannin
With its green hills by the sea
The area most in need of protection is our uplands which are currently under threat
These contain some of our most beautiful landscapes, unique plants and wildlife and we believe that our ‘green hills by the sea’ are an integral part of our island’s culture and heritage.
The uplands were a powerful element in the Isle of Man being awarded UNESCO Biosphere status, something many people who live and work closely with nature and the environment now believe we are in danger of losing. (link to unesco-biosphere-isle-of-man-vision-and-strategy-october-2021.pdf (gov.im)
Take a walk with us around Earystane and Scard, the area of our uplands most under threat… Read More
What else might we lose if our uplands do not receive proper, meaningful protection?
Peat formed over thousands of years
Peatlands cover most of our hills. This precious resource locks up carbon dioxide aiding carbon sequestration, collects our drinking water, and helps reduce downstream flooding. (link to DEFA agricultural, forestry amenity and lands directorate for hill and uplands (gov.im)
Active hill management
The uplands have served as temporary summer grazing for farmers involved in transhumance (the movement of stock from the lowlands to areas of summer pasture) for hundreds of years. Evidence of Shielings abound such as those at ARESTEYNE/EAIRYSTANE – Stein’s shieling’ and ARYSSYNOK/RONAGUE – ‘shieling of the foxes’. Grazing it’s important as it allows rare plants such as Sundew, Common Cottongrass, Bog Asphodel, Heath-spotted Orchid and Sphagnum a chance to grow without being crowded out by other, more dominant plants.
Abundance of wildlife
Small mammals, ground nesting birds, and bats are all part of the rich diversity of our uplands. The area around Earystane & Scard is known to contain a vast array of nature and wildlife riches.
Earystane Now
Impression of Earystane After
Voicing our concerns
The environmental entrepreneur
‘Is wind energy “green”? Absolutely but there is always a side show with it’
Jeroen Wats arrived on the island on a wet and dark November day in the midst of a howling gale, and fell in love with it.
Here, he decided, would be where he would base his business, selling a product which will help to make ‘green’ energy more truly green.
The wildlife lovers
‘We need green energy but not at the expense of biodiversity. If we get this wrong there’s no second chance’
John Corteen is managing director of a tech company on the island. He and his wife, Tina moved to Upper Scard five years ago, primarily because of their love of nature. They planted more than 700 trees on their property as part of a wildlife corridor organised with other neighbours to run across the valley from Upper Scard to Tom the Dippers at the top of Ballakillowey.
Relocating to the island is no longer worth the risk
‘This looks like massive financial incompetence.’
A businessman explains why he would not bring his company to the island today.
Daniel Neades could be the ideal poster child for Locate Isle of Man, the government agency set up to attract entrepreneurs and skilled people to come to live on the island.
Climate versus nature
‘So, we will lose a beautiful landscape and gain an eyesore – how much does this matter?’
The new dilemma: climate versus nature.
It was reported in last week’s Manx Independent that a new nature grouping has been formed to protect and conserve nature and biodiversity on the island.
‘Cair Vie’, Gaelic for fair wind.
A fair and just transition,
a fair and transparent policy,
a fair deal for the island’s nature and biodiversity,
a fair and equitable outcome for tax payers and those who care about our countryside
‘Fair wind’ Baarle son cair vie.
Caghlaa corrym as cairagh,
polasee corrym as leayr,
dellal corrym as cair son najoor as bea-neuchaslys nyn ellan,
eiyrtys corrym as firrinagh son eeckeyderyn keesh as dy chooilley pheiagh ta graihagh er nyn jeer as dooghys nyn ellan.
LATEST NEWS
Government Accused of Retrofitting Policy to Justify Controversial Cair Vie Wind Farm
Isle of Man Government is currently holding an important consultation into Planning policy that will inform an updated Island...
Smaller 150m wind turbine next to Bradda Head and Milner Tower
View a series of images showing the scale of the wind turbines would look from and alongside different island landmarks.
