Category Archives: flooding

Election Blog 2: Floods and Tree-planting

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Miles King

It has been a bit of a surprise to see the environment figure so prominently in the election campaign over the last week or so – usually it’s so far down the list of priorities, or perhaps more accurately the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2019 general election, farm subsidies, farm tax breaks, flooding, tree planting | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Stewart continues his journey, and it’s Coffey Time at Defra

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Miles King

We now know which ministers will work with Andrea Leadsom at Defra. Rory Stewart, who was apparently punished by David Cameron for disagreeing with him over Afghanistan, has now been rehabilitated. Having served his time at Defra, he is now … Continue reading →

Posted in Defra, dogs, Dredging, flooding, Therese Coffey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The true story of David Cameron the Water Voles and the Dredging

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Miles King

  Some of you may recall that back in January I wrote about David Cameron’s Water Vole “epiphany”, in which he realised that wildlife didn’t need protecting and the Environment Agency should focus on protecting people’s property, and stop worrying … Continue reading →

Posted in David Cameron, deregulation, Dredging, Environment Agency, flooding, Water Voles | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Select Committee takes floods evidence from George Monbiot, bars Richard AE North for “offensive remarks”

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Miles King

I had been looking forward to watching (and you can now on Parliament tv) the Envronmental Audit Committee evidence session for the Floods inquiry, in which George Monbiot was called, alongside Richard AE North, former Environmental Health Officer and now … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Audit Select Committee, flooding, George Monbiot, RIchard AE North | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Oliver Letwin reveals enthusiasm for natural flood management

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Miles King

Oliver Letwin is our local MP here in West Dorset. I’ve met him a few times, to talk about different environmental issues. He’s friendly, fiercely intelligent; and loves a good argument. I don’t agree with his politics at all, but … Continue reading →

Posted in flooding, George Monbiot, Oliver Letwin | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

More Maize Madness: Far from being a climate change panacea, producing Biogas helps intensify its consequences

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Miles King

Tackling climate change is one of the most pressing and urgent things facing humanity, alongside (and related to) the 6th Global Extinction crisis. Some suggest that tackling Climate Change trumps all other considerations. One of the biggest consequences of climate … Continue reading →

Posted in Anaerobic Digester, biogas, climate change, flooding, Floodplains, Maize | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

All Carrot and no stick

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Miles King

Last week a farmer in the Yorkshire Wolds successfully sued East Riding Council for compensation of £14500 for the loss of a field of carrots. The carrot crop was apparently lost when floodwater was pumped onto the field at Burton … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Agricultural Policy, drainage, farming, flooding | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

The story of the Voles, the ditch and the Prime Minister

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Miles King

Those of us who believe that nature is important and that in order for nature to be better protected from the activities of people the best approach is to gather evidence, scientific evidence, analyse it, and present it to those … Continue reading →

Posted in David Cameron, deregulation, Dredging, Environment Agency, flooding | Tagged , , , | 24 Comments

Somerset Levels Drainage: Back to the Future

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Miles King

  While the debate over flooding continues to ebb and flow, it seems that the newly minted Somerset Drainage Authority, sorry Somerset Rivers Authority, have found their way back to the bright shiny future of the 1950s, when electricity would … Continue reading →

Posted in drainage, flooding, Somerset Levels | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Flood, The Environment Agency Chair and the Grouse Moor

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Miles King

  The Forest of Bowland is an interesting place. It’s a chunk of Northern England’s uplands, where a number of rivers originate. Much of it is owned by Unitied Utilities, and they ran a project called SCAMP, for Sustainable Catchment … Continue reading →

Posted in countryside alliance, Environment Agency, flooding | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments