Today is the latest, and not the last, in a series of momentous parliamentary days in shaping how, or perhaps if, we are leaving the EU.
A no-deal Brexit in 59 days’ time (at 11pm on my birthday – I resent that choice of date) will be a disaster for our environment. It will be a disaster because we will immediately lose some environmental legislative protection and will immediately lose the most powerful means of holding our government to account.
Our environmental and wildlife NGOs have played a tiny role in this debate and are effectively totally marginalised and out of the game on the most momentous decisions of our generation.
As I travel the country talking to people, mostly about the issue of driven grouse shooting, Brexit often comes up and I am slightly surprised by how nature lovers don’t have a clue about what the implications of Brexit are for the wildlife that they love. Brexit will be bad for wildlife, but a no-deal Brexit will be very, very bad.
Well done FoE for spelling out some of the case and for setting up this petition.
Do read the information presented here and sign the petition.
Basically the update is “we’re fucked”. There really isn’t that much else we can say to that. We’re screwed and a lot of us, especially those of us who are disabled, will probably die. I’m just trying to enjoy what might be my last few months on this Earth. I don’t know what else to say or do.
You will definitely die. Try whistling a Happy Tune – that works for me
Wasn’t it that ‘nice’ Mr. Corbyn who said, in 2016, that if we leave the E.U. there will be a bonfire of environmental and employment legislation? I’m sure it was, wasn’t it?
Here is the RSPB position on no deal as provided by Martin Harper:
https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/martinharper/posts/why-a-no-deal-brexit-increases-risks-to-the-environment
Martin Harper on the draft environment bill
https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/martinharper/posts/thoughts-on-the-draft-environment-bill
My feeling is that if we are to hope that our conservation NGOs are to be depended upon to help improve no deal or the environment act with the UK government we are all doomed. Doomed, I tell ye!
It’s not really the NGOs’ fault in this case, as the UK government has a wish and the power to emasculate all environmental laws, but I still believe more could have been achieved by Link and NGO membership action if called to act.
I’m from Scotland, and the position is much brighter there, as the government allows proper consultation, discusses with the opposition, Scottish Environment Link gets in on the action, but we NGO members should be called to action more forcefully even there. I expect the consultation to be published this year.
Scotland also has a much better Plan B than Mrs May. Sorry you lot from the South, but it might yet have to come to it.
I wish Scotland all th very best and if they somehow manage to stay in the EU by becoming independent of this rotten Government in Westminster I shall go and live there. I am part Scottish.
It is very sad that this whole disaster of Brexit was started and is being driven by the right wing of the Tory Party an organisation that has far far less members than the RSPB.and that wants to crucify the current laws that protect our wildlife and environment. It is also very sad that the Labour Party under its current leadership is doing almost nothing to prevent this dreadful shambles.
(shall have to recover my ‘like’ function)
Well said, Alan – I totally agree.
Mark, I am not alt all surprised that so many people who come to listen to your talks have so little idea of the damage that Brexit will do to nature. Many are of the older generations who actually voted for Brexit in the first place. In my experience it matters little how much evidence you supply to Brexiteers they will not change their views. To them, it seems, their ideology that Brexit is a good thing surmounts any ideas or evidence that nature will suffer or that jobs will be lost etc.. I recently worked supervising a large number of long standing and committed conservation volunteers on a new coastal retreat nature reserve that would not exist without EU environmental laws and that also received a huge amount of ‘Life’ Funds for little terns that we used directly. Half the group voted for Brexit! They still support the Tory shambles that continues with it all; willful blindness. Rational people cannot hold two contrary facts to be true without questioning themselves, but Ideologists seem to be able to, they just ignore or excuse the less important or less suitable facts. The truth doesn’t seem to matter too much so long as their ideology remains intact.
Sadly, my faith in humanity has suffered with Brexit, Trump. and all the right wingers getting elected now by the general population. Some in ‘Momentum’ aren’t much better. Don’t we ever learn?