Standing up for Nature
Following my blog ‘first’ thing this morning here is some more information on the damage that burning does to blanket bogs. Martin Harper’s blog today expands on the RSPB’s thinking about burning of blanket bog. More details of the RSPB’s complaint to the EU over the management (they clearly regard it as mis-management, as did…
The RSPB is getting stroppy about burning of blanket bogs – I like that. Burning heather on a rotation of 7-20 years is part of the industrialisation of the upland landscape of parts of the UK. The main reason for doing it is to produce totally unnaturally high densities of Red Grouse which can then…
There have been 1011 e-petitions directed to helping Defra find its way to the sunlit uplands of truth and sustainability, launched, supported and closed on the Number 10 website. John Armitage’s will, today, be the 1012th. You have until 10:36 to add your name to his e-petition. Only 10 of those e-petitions passed the 10,000…
Natural England are in a bit of a mess over the uplands – you might say they have been bogged down. NE had to dump their vision for the uplands of England because landowners – perhaps including their Minister at the time (Richard Benyon) – didn’t like it. They went back to basics and looked…
The ‘Ban the Burn’ group is having a demonstration outside the head offices of Natural England tomorrow morning as NE staff arrive at work. It’s not only lowland flat places that suffer flooding – Hebden Bridge has had more than its fair share over recent years. Many residents there feel that poor management on the…
A little while after 1430 this afternoon, John Squire Armitage’s epetition on licensing of grouse moors passed 10,000 signatures. This means that Defra will have to write a response to it. John is to be congratulated on this highly successful e-petition – few do this well. This e-petition is open for another 160 hours or…
We must congratulate Princes Charles and William for speaking out against the illegal killing which is driving the African elephant closer to extinction. Channel 4 (and the RSPB) made the point that there is plenty of illegal destruction of wildlife here at home too. Some of it in the part of Scotland where Prince William…
I’ve never bought a Lottery ticket in my life. It’s not that I don’t believe in gambling, but I take it seriously, which means I would never bet on a game of chance where the expected returns are 50p in the pound. Duhh! And it’s not that I don’t believe in giving money to charity…
1. Complete the readers’ survey for this blog. Over 700 responses so far. 2. Sign this e-petition asking for grouse moors to be licensed which passed 8,600 signatures today.
The ‘raptor haters?’ is an occasional series of posts about those who slag off raptors. Lord Tebbit was a pilot and therefore could be expected to have empathy with those with mastery of the air. He also has sound environmental transport credentials having recommended that people get on their bikes. How sad then, to discover…