Dear Friends of Kythera,

further down in this newsletter you can read about the new plans for an industrial scale wind-farm which would threaten the natural beauty of our island. So please read to the end and join in the group-action against it!

The dates are set! An Island named Desire premieres in Sydney at the Ritz Randwick on Wednesday 21. April at 6.30pm, and in Brisbane on Anzac Day, Saturday the 25th of April at the New Farm Cinema. The new film is the sequel to Kythera mon Amour, my first comedy and the one which propelled the inimitable siblings Poppy and Georgos Koroneos of Karavas to stardom.

And one of the other stars of the first film, Giorgos Papageorgiou, is now almost as famous as Poppy and Georgos, directing and starring in many award-winning theatre productions in Athens. It looks like a bit of Poppy and Georgos' talent rubbed off on him! All three are back in the sequel, along with a dozen other wild and woolly characters from all over the island. 

If you'd like to get a taste of the film here's a link to the New Trailer. Last time we sold out the Sydney venue so it might be best to book early.
Get your tickets online by clicking on the buttons:

                  SYDNEY                                                       BRISBANE 

RESIST!

THE INDUSTRIAL WINDFARM PLANS FOR KYTHERA ARE ON THE TABLE AGAIN

They are at it again. Some non-Kytherians are trying to turn our island into an industrial scale wind-factory. If you've were receiving my newsletters 10 years ago you might remember that some huge mainland company applied to construct 200+ wind generators back then. Lots of us kicked up a stink. The plan's demise had probably more to do with the financial crisis, but we like to think that we had some small part in putting them off the idea. It looks like we'll have to start stinking again.

Now another crowd (the "Copelouzos Group", who have presumably never set foot on Kythera) have revived the old wind-factory applications to wreck the pristine skyline of our little paradise. First with about 30 wind towers - 15 west of Logothetianika and another 15 above Mylopotamos on Kythera's highest mountain, Mermingares – then with dozens more on the way. Not worried about the wild west of Kythera? If they get the go-ahead for the first 30, you can bet it will make it easier for them to get the permits for the other 170 which might well be in your back yard as well.

Don't get me wrong, I think we should all do our part in cleaning up our energy production. My family and I have solar panels and a mini wind-generator on the island which is the sole source of our power. But: things have to be done in proportion. Kythera should produce as much power as it uses ( = 5 or 6 low-rise wind-generators and a couple of thousand solar panels combined with storage would do the trick), and perhaps a bit more for good measure, but over 200 giant wind generators on a relatively small island like Kythera would mean

1. they would be visible from almost every place on the island (they're as tall as a skyscraper!) 

2. the Kytherian landscape will effectively be desecrated to provide electricity to the Peloponnese (which is more than big enough to look after itself). 

3. The island's reputation as a wild and pristine paradise will go down the drain. 

4. the major construction required to plaster Tsirigo with huge industrial obelisks would disrupt all sorts of life: 

    • a big fat road would probably have to be constructed to bypass the tight tricky bends of Aroniandika and elsewhere so they can transport the gargantuan propellors from the port to the planned sites; 

    • the important paths over Kythera of migratory birds will become deadly obstacle courses for the avian adventurers; 

    • massive mountains of flora will be bulldozed out of the way to create roads and foundations for the generators (which would be particularly ironic since the forestry department throw the book at a private citizen if they dare to clear a prickly bush considered a national natural treasure but are in fact a dime a dozen on Kythera); 

    • one of the sites - Finikies - is actually an ancient neolithic settlement (more irony: the archeological department blocks you from building a chicken coup before you have received their blessing) which would be damaged or lost due to the construction.

and the list goes on. 

A facebook group - "Kythera Group" - has been set up by some brave souls to defend the island. On that page you can find loads of information and letters from the mayor and links to videos. For those of you not on Facebook I've included some of the links at the bottom of this newsletter. 

Another possibility: If you too don't want to see Kythera become a pin cushion for the Peloponnese, you could join the group and, while you're at it, write a snappy message to the Copelouzos Group here with a fun title like "Wind-generators on Kythera? Over your dead body." or " Know where to stick your Kytherian Plans?" or "You think Spartans are tough?"

If you own land on Kythera you can protest in a more formal capacity. Those against the industrial wind-park plans have hired a lawyer to lodge an appeal against the construction. Below is a letter which the lawyer sends people who wish to appeal. BUT YOU HAVE TO ACT NOW - it needs to be submitted by this Friday! If you want to be included he needs your details - full name, residence and Greek tax number (AFM), along with "express consent in writing". Which could be as simple as "I hereby request that you include me as a claimant in your Revision Claim regarding decisions numbers 130/2020 and 131/2020". If you click on this link an email will be created with all the text already in it. You just have to add your own details: mintzias@mail.com