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Monthly Archives: July 2013
For the Greater Good
Yesterday’s Guardian (or it may have been the Observer) carried an interview with NFU President Peter Kendall, in which Peter observed sagely that climate change is now the biggest threat to British Farming – not through gentle warming, but extreme, … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, anti-environmental rhetoric, biodiversity, carbon storage, climate change, ecosystem services, European environment policy, farming, grazing, neoliberalism, public goods, soils
Tagged Agriculture in the United Kingdom, Bedfordshire, Christopher Booker, common agricultural policy, Genetically modified organism, James Delingpole, National Farmers' Union, Peter Kendall, Public good, Roger Scruton
2 Comments
Very like an Ant
Argentine Ants were introduced ( technically called Human Mediated Dispersal see for example here ) into Europe from their native distribution in South America and have formed a single supercolony stretching an amazing 6000km along the Mediterranean Coast. There are … Continue reading
Posted in ants, biodiversity, invasive species
Tagged Ant colony, Argentine, Argentine Ant, California, Environment, Introduced species, Invasive species, South America
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Dams and Dredging Update
Coincidentally, following Monday’s blog I received an email from Natural England yesterday. They informed me that “A member of our Land Management Team has investigation the situation and we appreciate your concerns about the work undertaken. The farmer was … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, Beavers, deregulation, Dredging, ecosystem services, Environment Agency, environmental policy, farming, Floodplains, management, Natural England, regulatory reform
Tagged beavers, Business, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, deregulation, dredging, ecosystem services, Environment, Environment Agency, Governmental, Natural England, Organizations, Water Framework Directive
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On Dams and Dredging
Dredging a main river in May On May day this year, it was a lovely morning, and being between jobs, I decided to go out for a walk along a local river flooplain. The hedges were alive … Continue reading
The Conservation Cringe
Heard of the Cultural Cringe? As someone who is half English and half Australian I have an inkling of what it is about, a cultural inferiority complex derived from colonial times when “Colonial” culture was looked down on. Gladly those … Continue reading
From Prosperity to Action in 25 years
In 1989 Margaret Thatcher’s Government published Roads for Prosperity. This White Paper set out plans for “The largest road building programme since the Romans” with plans for a 12 lane M25, an outer M25 from Harwich to the M4 near … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, climate change, deregulation, Forestry Commission, public land, regulatory reform, road verges, transport
Tagged Department for Transport, Government, Highways Agency, Margaret Thatcher, Patrick McLoughlin, privatisation, public land, Reclaim The Streets, Road, Twyford Down
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coming soon….
This week I started working for an excellent local ecological consultancy Footprint Ecology. I’ll be there 3 days a week for the next 3 months or so. So I will try and blog on monday and thursday. Next blog will … Continue reading
Self-willed Land and the Conservation Prison
This morning, I enjoyed once again reading George Monbiot on what’s wrong with UK nature conservation – this time on Martin Harper’s blog. George as you would expect barred no holds, and laid into RSPB for culling buzzards, and promoting … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, animism, biodiversity, churches, environmental policy, George Monbiot, rewilding, self-willed land
Tagged re-wilding
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Who Owns Nature?
“Possession is nine tenths of the law” is a truism – and one which multinational fishing corporations must have felt applied to them. They possessed Common Fisheries Policy fishing quota, and that meant, as far as they were concerned, that … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, biodiversity, carbon storage, climate change, ecosystem services, fishing, regulatory reform, soils
Tagged carbon, Climate Change Committee, Common Fisheries Policy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, ecosystem services, Fish, Greenpeace, High Court, Richard Benyon
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All creatures great and smelly
A fundamental question that conservation keeps returning to is share or spare? Should we create spaces where nature is predominant – for example, nature reserves and at the extreme end “self willed” land. Or should we promote a harmonious interplay … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, bats, biodiversity, biodiversity offsetting, churches, deregulation, ecosystem services, environmental policy, European environment policy, farming, greenspace, Owen Paterson
Tagged Anne McIntosh, Bat, Bat Conservation Trust, bats, Church, Church Commissioners, Ellerburn, habitats directive, Tony Baldry, Westminster Hall
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a new nature blog 