Leading for Nature

Tony Juniper is right to focus on the complete lack of insight, understanding or awareness of the importance of nature to a thriving economy and healthy society shown by politicians in the current cabinet.  

|| George Osborne's claim that laws to protect rare species are a 'ridiculous burden on business', Owen Paterson's championing the cause of Bayer and Syngenta in opposing the moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides and Michael Gove's attempts to downgrade education about our relationship with the natural environment are recent cases in point. With this in mind we can confidently guess that the government's on-going review of EU environmental laws is not intended to strengthen the protection of nature in these islands.||

The badger cull fiasco pales in comparison to these even more serious tendencies; symptoms of an environmental illness that leads to a pernicious degradation of the very living systems on which we are utterly dependent.

I have worked in nature conservation since 1979.  It is bitterly disappointing to read such a catalogue of failure and local extinctions.

The State of Nature Report pulls no punches- we are getting the place into a real mess.

We still take nature for granted; we can not afford to.  This is much more than the aesthetics of special places filled with the wonder of nature.  It is about a healthy planet.

If the UK can not be bothered to make an effort to conserve the very systems that keep us healthy and alive how can we expect less wealthy countries to do better?

Badger baiting - the dark side of human nature:-

"Delilah's brutal wounds are thought to be from badger baiting. In the illegal sport fires are started at all but one of the exit holes of the badger sett and dogs are sent down to chase them out"

Valuing Nature is the key to adressing sustainable development.  Until the environment is fully accepted by politicians, public servants and the business community as the KEY asset there will be no meaningful progress towards sustainability.

We have one planet yet conform to an economic model that has already reached levels of consumption that require 3, 4, 5 of more Earths to sustain.

Natural Capital is the tool that will address that disconnection.  Whilst ecological purists may cringe at the attachment of monetary values to the services that the natural world provides, it is that deeper understanding of the impact of nature on the bottom line that will persuade the business community to thing again.

To think again, to not take nature for granted and to integrate thinking naturally into routine business planning. 

Tony Juniper shares his thoughts on the value of nature for people and why we need to take more care of our natural heritage when making critical decisions that have long term implications for people and business.

Stephanie Hilborne, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts, talks about the great work that is being carried out by the partnership across the UK.  Living Landscapes programmes are putting environmental theory into local economic practice.

John Everitt, CEO of Nottinghamshire Widlife Trust, gives a powerful local prespective and shares his analysis of why nature counts in the local economy.

Wildife Trusts doing what they do best; practical, imaginative nature conservation for people, wildlife and local businesses.

Richard Lochhead MSP will receive a favourable response from Owen Paterson MP.  

The DEFRA Secretary of State made it clear, at a meeting that I attended on Friday April 27th, that he wanted Europe-wide scientific  field trials to provide more evidence that Neonicotinoids are the cause of the catastrophic decline in bees and other insect pollinators before action is taken.

Both ministers appear to view the 'precautionary principle' to be that it is most sensible for them to take every precaution not to upset the companies who make Neonicotinoids or the farming unions. 

Certainty is not a characteristic of scientific research which is more about levels of confidence and available data.  But dIthering about the future of a group of insects which are key to growing a significant proportion of the food on our dinner plates is a very risky business indeed.

Action is needed on neonicotinoids before we encounter a pollination catastrophe.

"However, David Goulson, a bee researcher at the University of Sussex, UK, thinks that most of the major studies have used realistic doses. “I couldn’t say I am certain these impacts really occur in the field, but it seems to me very likely that they do,” he says."

The fishing industry will benefit long-term if far sighted commercial leaders influence policy for the good of fish and shellfish stocks

'The same has happened in Lyme Bay, Devon, which was protected from scallop dredging in 2008, resulting in over pot fishing. Last July, fishermen and conservationists there agreed to limit the number of pots in the Lyme Bay area.'

Following suit, concerned pot fishermen in Port St Mary formed Bay Ny Carrickey Crustacean Fishery Management Association a few months ago and approached the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) about imposing pot fishing limits in the area.'

Three cheers for Waitrose showing leadership whilst Defra calls for more evidence that the collapse in the number of bees and other pollinators is related to the use of neonicotinoids

The Institute has come a long way from the first meeting held at the Royal Geographical Society.

I am proud to be a MCIEEM Our profession matters and it about time that it received appropriate recognition.

Photograph by Sandra Raccanello, Grand Tour/Corbis

In Madrid, plants turn a wall in the Paseo del Prada bright green.

Green walls are particularly useful in reducing pollution in street canyons, which are "a particular kind of oddity in that they tend to trap air within them, while over the city as a whole the air circulates freely," 

It is clear the Natural England is not leading for nature; the NGOs are.

This new site is well worth adding to your regular reading list.  

|| An estimated 57% of plants and 34% of animals were likely to lose half or more of their habitat range. ||

The loss of animal species is not simply a sign that the world will be a less interesting place to live.  It raises the spectre that a world that looses such a diversity of animal and plant life will continue to be supportive of over seven billion people - and rising.

|| But the damage would be greatly reduced if emissions were scaled down in time, the study shows. Losses are reduced by 60% if global warming is cut to 2% above preindustrial levels, with emissions peaking in 2016 and then being reduced by 5% a year. If emissions peak in 2030, losses are reduced by 40%. ||

Will politicians listen to the warnings that are coming loud and very clear?  Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide has now exceeded the 'tipping point' of 400ppm.  Action is urgently needed and it may not be too late, but our comfort margin is being hammered hard.

||"It's important because the erosion of species richness among widespread and common species means that the functions ecosystems provide for humans across the whole global land surface will be very significantly reduced," said Warren. "These are important services such as air and water purification, soil stabilisation and nutrient recycling that we take for granted."||

Owen Paterson MP and Julie Girling MEP made it clear at the South West Agriculture Conference on Friday April 26th that they did not support immediate action against the use of neonicotinoids.  Both politicians wanted further field trials to generate evidence that the use of these chemicals was causal to the decline in bees and other insect pollinators in Europe and elsewhere.  Richard Lchead MEP has pressed a similar view from the Scottish Parlaiment.

I am glad that the European Commission has voted tor a Europe-wide ban.  This is leadership that is much needed.

The UK government (OK English government) hasd shown how poor it is in protecting marine resources.

'In a letter to David Cameron, 86 scientists have warned that even if all 31 marine conservation zones currently under consideration were established, it would not deliver the required protection for ocean wildlife.'

It is great to read the word 'inspiring' in praise from an NGO to government action:-

WWF International’s Director General, Jim Leape, says, “It is inspiring to see such environmental leadership in South Africa, and I applaud Minister Molewa for her vision. Still too little of the world’s precious oceans are protected from exploitation, and this is a landmark victory for marine conservation – and hopefully a sign of more to come.”

I wait to be inspired by England / UK government action on Marine Conservation Zones.

From:

“A Veterinary and Behavioral Analysis of Dolphin Killing Methods Currently Used in the ‘Drive Hunt’ in Taiji, Japan”

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, Volume 16, Issue 2, 2013 (DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2013.768925)

'This killing method does not conform to the recognized requirement for “immediate insensibility” and would not be tolerated or permitted in any regulated slaughterhouse process in the developed world.'