Monthly Archives: February 2019

School Strike for the Climate

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Miles King

It’s still February but already feeling warm (update: winter temperatures records smashed) Thirty or forty years ago, the middle of February would normally have been the depths of winter in England, but no more: Buds are breaking, the grass is … Continue reading →

Posted in climate action, climate change, school strike 4 climate | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

40 days to a crash-out Brexit (well….35 now).

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Miles King

To me, forty days is a nice round number. It doesn’t fit in well with our time cycles of days, weeks and months, but it undoubtedly has great symbolic meaning, the  most famous of which, perhaps, is the 40 days … Continue reading →

Posted in Brexit | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Put a Beaver in your River

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Miles King

Summer, nearly six years ago, and I was doing a lot of walking. That day, Chesil beach, with the long thin lake of the Fleet behind, was sunny and I found myself thoughtlessly kicking a large lump of peat. Peat? … Continue reading →

Posted in Beavers | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Natural England uses its legal powers to protect our best grasslands

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Miles King

  This Natural England press release has just been published:  Some of the country’s rarest and most threatened fungi will be better protected after Natural England announced the notification of two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). 2019 marks the … Continue reading →

Posted in grasslands, Natural England, SSSis, waxcap grasslands | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

further thoughts on the Net Gain consultation

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Miles King

Following on from my general critique of the Net Gain proposals, here are a few specific comments in case anyone is thinking about responding to the consultation before the deadline of the 10th February. 1. On page 6 of the … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity offsetting, housing, Natural Capital, net gain, NPPF, planning | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Accountancy will not save nature: the problems with “Net Gain”

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Miles King

It’s difficult to believe that while we watch – ok, there are probably only a few of us now hanging on to the bitter end, as most will have given up and gone off to do something more sensible – … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity offsetting, housing, Natural Capital, net gain | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments