The thunderclap launched by Moving Mountains Nature Network to support our e-petition on driven grouse moors gained its 500th supporter today – well within a week of its initiation. This is far, far quicker than I had thought. In fact, I have to admit, I had looked at the figure of 500 and wondered whether it was achievable – I should have had more confidence and more faith!
Thank you to everyone who has supported this thunderclap through social media so far – the ‘social reach’ is already over 2,000,000 people. That means that 2,000,000 messages will go out to promote the e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting at 8pm on 30 November.
That social reach will grow as more and more people join the cause over the coming weeks. If you sign the e-petition you add your voice – and every voice counts! If you sign the e-petition and join the thunderclap you add your voice and alert all your social media contacts that they might want to think about doing the same. Think what an impact that might have!
So please add your name to the thunderclap and let’s make it truly thunderous at the end of November.
And in particular, please add your Facebook account to the thunderclap. Because Facebook is, arguably, a more personal social media platform, it is particularly valuable in spreading the word to people who will take notice of the fact that you support a cause. Thank you.
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Not being very tech savvy I’ve never joined a thunderclap before. It’s actually surprisingly easy to arrange through Mark’s links above. That’s 88 more people told, anyway.
jbc – thank you.
Good for you, Jbc. That’s potentially 88 more people who’ll take the time to look into the issue, sign the petition (and any future Thunderclaps etc), read Mark’s book (essential in my view) and, perhaps, spread the message. Every single one counts.
Mark, the following letter appears in our local press today. I wonder how widely the letter is being disseminated across the country. It smacks of a degree of fear and desperation on the part of the shooting lobby to me. I’m sure the letter will attract some local replies.
Benefits of Shooting
Sir – October 1 marked an important day in the countryside calendar – the start of the game shooting season proper. From now until February 1 groups of “guns” will be out at the thousands of shoots across the country hoping to bag themselves pheasant, as well as other game that is already in season.
In Britain, we should be rightly proud of our shooting sports, as we have something that is truly special. Game management and conservation have helped shape and enhance our landscape for generations, and that management is now involved in some two-thirds of the rural land mass of the UK. Within that area, almost two million hectares are actively managed for conservation, with the equivalent of 16,000 full-time jobs spent on that conservation each year. Two million hectares represents 12% of the UK’s rural land, which is more than 10 times the total area of all national and local nature reserves.
As a result, wildlife thrives where land is properly managed for shooting – a sport that is worth £2 billion to the UK economy and involves more than a million people. The contribution that it makes to the rural economy is, therefore, enormous and it is frequently in places where other sources of income are few and far between.
There are also real health benefits to eating game. The fact it is also a wild, free-range alternative to farmed meat, just adds to its attraction. So whether you enjoy crisp, winter days out with your dog and friends, young and old, or if you want to once again enjoy fresh free-range game at its best, be thankful the shooting season is here again.
Adrian Blackmore
Director of shooting, Countryside Alliance.
Even more reason to join the Thunderclap.
Richard – indeed, even more reason to join the thunderclap. Thank you.
Real health benefits to eating game…. I’d be interested to see the evidence, for and against. And if I was saying this, or selling game, I would have reviewed the evidence before saying this or selling game….
Richard Ebbs how about cut and pasting the following and editing it for for your local paper?
Adrian Blackmore Director of shooting, Countryside Alliance. says “There are also real health benefits to eating game. The fact it is also a wild, free-range alternative to farmed meat, just adds to its attraction.” “Wild”! “Free range” The Millions of Pheasants shot at are reared in pens and only released a month or so before they are due to be shot at. For that month they are fed at feeding stations. So you could call them free range somewhat similar to free range chicken kept in a field. Though much more damaging to other wildlife as the millions roam the countryside eating any frogs, lizards or grass snakes they come across.
As for the “health benefits” for eating shot pheasants. They are shot with lead shot and have many times the amount of lead that is permitted in other food. It occurs in the form of shot and micro particles of lead shredded off the shot when it hits.
Andrew