Author Archives: Miles King
Put a Beaver in your River
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
Natural England uses its legal powers to protect our best grasslands
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
further thoughts on the Net Gain consultation
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
Accountancy will not save nature: the problems with “Net Gain”
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
Some thoughts on the EAT-Lancet report and the anti-vegan backlash against it
We already know that globally, human diets are seriously out of balance. We spend far too much effort growing cereals like wheat – much of which ends up being fed to animals – and nowhere near enough time and resources … Continue reading
St. Boniface, Avatar and West Ham United – in the realm of sacred trees
It’s not often that a giant magical tree stars in a Hollywood mega blockbuster film. And what could possibly connect it to a key story in the transformation of Northern Europe from pagan-worshippers to Christians? These are the kinds of … Continue reading
Some thoughts on the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2019
Last week’s 10th Oxford Real Farming Conference was bigger than ever, with over a thousand delegates attending – and nearly as many again, on the waiting list for returned tickets. The conference was spread over even more venues this year, … Continue reading
Merry Christmas/Solstice/New Year
It’s been a funny old year, hasn’t it. The Brexit fall-out just seems to have become more and more deranged as the year progressed, culminating in the last few week’s utter chaos. There have been a few chinks of light … Continue reading
Lodge Hill Saved
There was some very unusual good news late last week as Homes England announced that it was no longer pushing for housing development on the protected areas of Lodge Hill – the former military training ground (and munitions works) on … Continue reading
The ideology that drives homelessness
This week, I’m straying out of my comfort zone, as I’ve been asked to write about homelessness. This feels appropriate, as we approach that time of the year which is inextricably linked to the story of a homeless family searching … Continue reading
