This time last year this was what I resolved;
You can decide for yourselves how I did but the fact that you are reading these words might mean that you are still giving me a chance.
My own assessment would be I have stood up for nature, I have not been too gratuitously nasty, I have not been afraid of upsetting people, I have done pourly on weading out the typoos and speling mistaces, I have given others a voice through comments and guest blogs and I have offered some practical advice to readers.
I am sometimes first with news but it really is more important to me to use my experience of the world of nature conservation to comment forcefully and authoritatively on events. I do my best.
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Well dun
Yes, most certainly giving you a chance, Mark! Your blog is a must every day for me.
Happy New Year to you and everyone else too.
Happy New Year Mark.
Advice needs to be of the sort that really affects change and not just be of the feel good sort. So I’d like to see a lot more information on how to keep the issues people care about front and centre and less of the “don’t eat meat once a week” sort which, while a good thing, is not going to make much of a difference in the day to day skirmishing for the hearts and minds of people who will make a difference at the ballot box. Yes, practical steps are great but political ones are the kind that actually make a difference. For example, way to light a fire under the chairs of the NGOs might be a good start.
Also I’d like to hear advice that solves the “Bus problem”, i.e. if your good self of Chris Packham got hit by one it would be game, set and match for the grouse shooting industry for a very, very long time. Broadening the campaign base makes it doubly hard for the Pamela Anderson’s of this world to keep a lid on the issue.
Also I have resolution #9. Do something with the Wild Justice blog. I know there’s a lot of overlap with the blogs of those involved but it strikes me as a lost opportunity to keep the entire issue of indiscriminate killing of wildlife in peoples’ mind and therefore inclined to do something about it.
Thanks for all the extremely hard work you do. I am very grateful for it.
Good stuff Stuart. You are absolutely right about a fire needing to be lit under the chairs of the NGOs. They find it too convenient to body swerve issues the minute they get too (i.e the slightest bit) sticky. They need to remember what their job is and who pays their wages. As an example somebody needs to publicly challenge the NFU whenever it makes claims about the mainstream farming sector being conservation orientated – really? So what proportion of farms with or without financial inducement are making any effort to save wildlife and how many are trashing possible wildlife friendly features because they are not ‘tidy’? If the NFU bridles at being expected to verify its claims that’s not a fault of those that question them. If the price of trying to work with any sector is keeping quiet during its public bullshitting exercises then it’s too high and so far it hasn’t helped conservation, just been an invitation to use us as a doormat. They are not frightened of conservation orgs when they need to be – most especially when they are blatantly lying.
You are right it’s scary and non too healthy that we are so reliant on Chris or Mark or Ruth in particular, that says an enormous amount about their commitment and ability, but also that far too many individuals and even more organisations are saying next to nothing when they could say more or even just something. Why haven’t any of them come forward and made a public statement on the insanity and scandal of shoots still planting out invasive, non native plants as game cover when their role in suppressing native wildlife has been known for decades, is reflected in legislation and the volunteer hours and public money being used to remove them elsewhere? They can pretend they are not responsible for missing raptors, try and spin the crap predator control is a panacea for conservation problems, but will find it nigh impossible to justify still planting out cherry laurel, snowberry, cotoneaster etc to keep pheasants cosy. Shame no organisation is currently trying to make them do so. Raptor persecution is insane and contemptible, but using non native invasives for game cover has probably been an even bigger conservation disaster. Thank god for this blog, where we can at least try and get some hairs off our chest and know you are not alone, sadly the membership of some NGOs doesn’t necessarily make you feel the latter!
NGOs are quick to fret about losing members who express concerns about them becoming ‘too political’. They should be more worried about losing conservation battles.
Did I say “Pamela Anderson” I meant, of course Amanda Anderson. I guess my mind was on other things.
I was going to mention that, but felt it might not be prudent – a non Freudian slip I’m sure.
Well Mark you do sufficiently well that I find myself drawn to your blog each day. I think this might be a compliment.
I even smile, sometimes laugh at the spieling erors.
Getting people to explain what they mean when they say
‘The right tree in the right place’
is my objective for 2020 – it’s become the ‘Get Brexit done’ of the environmental movement.
In the opinion of some of us, you’ve pretty much aced the resolution thing! And for this we thank you.
And really, seven out of ate ain’t bad!