Press release – Garfield Weston Foundation

Public and funders still don’t understand urgent need to act on climate crisis – new report Charities say they are struggling to persuade the public of need to act rapidly on environmental issues Environmental organisations are struggling to communicate the sheer scale and complexity of the climate crisis to the public and funders. That’s according…

Big Match Fortnight closes at midnight

If you contribute to the World Land Trust’s appeal to save the Choco Forest before midnight tonight your donation will be doubled. And you’ll help get us to reach our target – and, most important of all, you’ll save some of the Earth’s wild places. Click here to see how you can help please –…

RSPB statement on House of Lords debate

RSPB welcomes Defra and House of Lords support for a burning ban on peatlands  The RSPB has today welcomed Defra and cross-party support in the House of Lords today for a burning ban on peatlands.  In the debate, Defra minister Zac Goldsmith said, “The evidence shows that the burning on blanket bog is detrimental as it moves the bog away from its original wet state and risks vulnerable peat bogs…

Last day of World Land Trust Big Match Fortnight

Thank you to all who have supported this appeal to protect the Ecuadorian Chaco Forest. Today is the last day of Big Match Fortnight where your donation will be doubled by other generous donors who are standing by to encourage you to donate. More than that, Andy Langley’s fundraiser is an even better deal: your…

Amendments

There is a widespread belief among the population as a whole that MPs are ignorant wastrels. So give me your views on these proposed amendments to the Environment Bill, please. How far did you get? There is a lot of good stuff in here, little of which will probably get adopted by government. Did you…

When will the shooting industry get the message?

Following The Times‘s support for the RSPB’s moderate shuffle forward on gamebirds along comes The Guardian too. Maybe less surprising that the Guardian thinks that greater regulation is all very sensible – but they are right. Some quotes: Since some of the damage to wildlife associated with the dramatic recent intensification of shooting is widely…

Heading to 60,000 signatures

The Wild Justice Badger e-petition is heading for 60,000 signatures. I always think that’s a more useful milestone than 50,000. At forty-something thousand, people think you’re halfway there, and at 50,000 you are, and then at fifty-something thousand it still feels as if you are ‘about halfway’. But at 60,001 there are ‘only’ 39,999 signatures…

The RSPB and lead ammunition

The RSPB’s statements at the weekend have wrapped up within them a return to a publicly prominent position on lead ammunition. This must partly be because Debbie Pain is now an RSPB Council member. Since Debbie and I (in our previous existences) wrote to the Labour ministers in 2009 calling for a review of the…

The RSPB and burning in the uplands

The RSPB believes that; … new laws backed up by tougher enforcement will be needed to end … vegetation burning on peatlands.  These practices are entirely incompatible with the imperative to address the climate and ecological emergency and there are perfectly practical alternatives.   https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/martinharper/posts/outcome-of-the-rspb-s-review-of-gamebird-shooting-and-associated-land-management DEFRA is dragging its feet on this matter and the long-awaited England Peat Strategy…

What the RSPB says now

The RSPB statement on gamebird shooting – click here to read it. It’s written in black and white and yet already there are some who are giving it their own interpretation. Driven grouse shooting Critically RSPB says; We will provide an annual assessment of progress and review our position within five years.  Failure to deliver effective reform…