Costs and benefits in Wonderland

I am still waiting for a copy of the letters that my MP, Louise Mensch, should by now have sent to the Treasury and Defra asking for the evidence from HMT that the Habitats Regulations are a brake on the UK economy (and Defra’s response to the fact that I intend to make a complaint…

Sunday bits and pieces

I think I delivered some quite thoughtful blogs to you this week, even if I say it myself (which I just have), and all of them attracted great comments from you readers – for which many thanks.  I get a lot from your comments and I am certain that it is the mixture of blog…

Boffins – for or against?

Italy finally persuaded Berlusconi to sling his hook and instead brought in a technocratic government of experts. With wildlife in a sorry state in the UK would you like to see some Ministers in charge of the natural environment who know what they are talking about? Well, the fact is, that you already have them…

Badgers – slow Paice

On Wednesday, Defra announced their next slow pace towards a large amount of badger-bothering.  What they said wasn’t very much and wasn’t very clear. It seems that some time in the autumn, that’s autumn 2012, there will be a six-week trial of farmer-led badger killing in two ‘pilot’ areas of southwest England which are yet…

Gonshaw, gone for sure.

Matthew Gonshaw is in prison again for stealing birds’ eggs. On Tuesday he was convicted of stealing and possessing eggs which included those of golden eagles, ospreys and avocets.  Over 700 eggs were found in his east London home in Bow. This is the fourth time that Gonshaw has been jailed for similar offences. Rather…