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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in agriculture, farming, GMOs, herbicide resistant weeds, herbicide tolerant crops, Owen Paterson, rubbish weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in climate change, farming, George Monbiot, GMOs, Owen Paterson, rewilding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Posted in bees, biodiversity, ecosystem services, environmental policy, farming, grazing, meadows, rubbish weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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 , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The rise of anti-environmental rhetoric

I don’t normally cut and paste articles from other websites but in this case I think it is worth doing so. Here is what I can only describe as an anti-environmental rant from chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee … Continue reading

Posted in anti-environmental rhetoric, climate change, environmental policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Signs of the Times: skirmishes in the public realm

This morning I picked up a couple of political stories from yesterday – and it made me think about what is happening to Britain at the moment. Firstly the The Public Administration Select  Committee published a report severely criticising The … Continue reading

Posted in Charities campaigning, Charities Commission, deregulation, regulatory reform | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in bees, biodiversity, environmental policy, George Monbiot, grazing, management, meadows, rewilding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , | 5 Comments