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Monthly Archives: June 2013
Victory at Lodge Hill raises questions about brownfield first and sale of public land
It’s always good to write about a victory for the environment, especially these days. I was frankly amazed to read on Martin Harpers blog that the Planning Inspector had concluded that Medway Council’s core strategy was unsound because they had … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, biodiversity offsetting, deregulation, environmental policy, housing, meadows, public land, regulatory reform
Tagged Land Securities, Lodge Hill, Medway, Medway Council, Natural England, Planning Inspectorate, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Site of Special Scientific Interest
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GMOs again: the myth of herbicide tolerant crops
A more serious GMO story after yesterday’s frippery. One of the many myths about GMOs, and one which Owen Paterson used in his GMO lobbying speech earlier this week, is that GMOs will be friendlier to the environment because they … Continue reading
GMOs can bring Owen Paterson and George Monbiot together
Has our esteemed Secretary of State for the Environment Owen Paterson been reading George Monbiot’s new book Feral, where he rewilds himself in order to attain an enlightened state that reveals a vision of a rewilded future? For me this … Continue reading
Honeybees are livestock just like cows
Honeybees have had a terrible time. Many hives have lost their bees over the past 12 months because of the very cold wet summer of 2012 and the long cold spring of 2013. Honey prices will no doubt shoot up … Continue reading
Back to the future farming
Relatively new Farming Minister and Lib Dem David Heath is making an impression in the farming world, with a couple of policy shifts which I think it’s worth drawing to your attention. Heath likes making use of the pages of … Continue reading
Posted in anti-environmental rhetoric, biodiversity, climate change, David Heath, deregulation, Dredging, farming, GMOs, Owen Paterson, Stubble burning
Tagged Agriculture, David Heath, European Union, Genetically modified organism, GMO, Internal drainage board, James Delingpole, river dredging, Somerset Levels, Stubble burning, Water Framework Directive
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Rubbish British Weather and Arctic Sea Ice
Just in case you thought the UK was being singled out for rubbish weather, it’s now official. Our Spring was the coldest for 50 years, with large areas of England and Wales experiencing mean temperatures over 2C below the 1981-2010 … Continue reading
Posted in arctic sea ice, climate change, rubbish weather
Tagged Arctic, climate change, Environment, Met Office, NASA, Polar ice packs, Polar Regions, Sea ice
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Sustainable meat: Keeping the hills bald for red meat
The inevitable farming backlash has started, against George Monbiot’s ideas of restoring more natural ecosystems in Britain in his new book Feral. In an article in Farmers Weekly (where else?) on tuesday a Farmers Union of Wales spokesman drew comparisons … Continue reading
One man went to mow….managing public space for wildflowers
Have you ever been stunned that a nice patch of wildflowers on a road verge, village green or park gets mown down just when it’s at its peak of beauty and utility? Me too. So I was delighted to see … Continue reading
Posted in bees, biodiversity, greenspace, management, meadows, public land, road verges
Tagged management, Maumbury Rings, meadows, Neolithic, Plantlife, public land, Wildflower, Wildlife
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a new nature blog 