Chouet quarry plan is ‘probably least-worst option’ – Ben Fogle
TURNING Chouet headland into a quarry is probably the ‘least worst option’ for Guernsey, star environmentalist Ben Fogle said at the weekend.
Mr Fogle, pictured, in the
island for a Guernsey Literary Festival event on Friday, said in
response to a question from the Guernsey Press that he could see the complexities of the decision.
Although he knew nothing of this particular issue, he said he could draw parallels with similar environmental decisions.
While Guernsey’s States had last week discussed the economic and environmental pros and cons of quarrying against importing stone, he said he had recently spent time on a large English vegetable farm where there were discussions about the cost of putting up greenhouses to grow tomatoes out of season, set against the cost of importing them from Spain.
‘Which the worse of the two evils? There will be an impact in putting up greenhouses and heating them over the winter months, versus using natural sunlight overseas and then importing them. But then you have to look at the cost of importing.’
He was of the view that communities needed to look at reducing their food mileage.
‘And when it comes to building materials, I think you probably want to do the same.
‘If an island has a natural resource, my instinct is that you utilise the island to provide your power, and to provide your materials.
‘That for me is how islands have often worked. In terms of my environmental campaigning I’ve always tried to be a realist.
‘People have to make livings and need places to live, we need food on our plates, and unfortunately sometimes you have to pick the least worst option.’
There would be pressures on the island’s infrastructure whichever solution would be adopted.
‘I’d need to sit down with an environmental economist to work out the pros and the cons of quarrying your own materials versus bringing in with ships from other places.
‘I’d keep on questioning what’s the materials from that quarry going to be used for? Is it for more housing? For roads? For people to tear down buildings and build big new megahomes? This is where it all becomes really complicated.’
Mr Fogle, well known as a TV presenter, author and environmentalist, sprung to prominence after appearing in the TV documentary Castaway 2000 more than 20 years ago. He made it clear he was only speaking in general terms.
‘I wouldn’t like to wade in to something that is very pertinent to the island, but I can see both sides,’ he said.