Burning

This post is about the announcement, long-awaited announcement, overdue announcement, that DEFRA made on Friday about burning on blanket bogs. I’ll tell you what I think in the hope that it influences what you think. I’ve read the announcement, and thought about it, and that probably helps. 1. The announcement is good news The announcement…

Smoke in the hills

Boris Johnson wasn’t watching Extinction – the facts last night even though his missus was, if a report, just a single sentence, in The Times today is to be believed. At the very foot of an article about how the UK would meet its net-zero target is the sentence ‘Plans to ban peat-burning appear to…

Craig Whittaker must go – please

The Calder Valley constituency is currently the one offering the greatest support to the e-petition calling for a ban of driven grouse shooting. That’s not surprising since it is the home of the Ban the Burn campaign and there is plenty of support for the idea that recent floods have been caused by the intensification…

Water flows downhill

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…