Globally, it's a busy day for conservationists. There are meetings in Brussels and Istanbul and a report on the world's forests is due to be published in Rome. For someone famous for rasping out the phrase "I don't like Mondays" Bob Geldof could be putting himself in the firing line today (Monday 16 March). He'll argue that biofuel production could eradicate poverty across Africa when he addresses the World Biofuels Markets Congress in Brussels. As the song has it, "I'm going to shoot the whole day down". Biofuels may be a great cash crop, but it will take up land and water resources and more importantly, result in the devastation of land that supports fragile ecosystems and already threatened species. Sir Bob's heart is in the right place but this policy is not thought through. Tell me why, Sir Bob?
Water is a growing world concern. Global fresh water supplies are fast becoming an issue.The fifth world water forum, run by the World Water Council, gets underway in Istanbul. They meet every three years and this year, the stated aim is to move towards global collabortaion to address water problems. It's made up of water businesses so has been criticised in some quarters.
Finally, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation is today publishing a report on the state of the world's forests. Incidentally, did you know that it's World Forest's Week? If you've forgotten what a forest is, or if you've never visited one, nip out east from London to Epping Forest. It's a wonderland of plants, wildlife and trails where you can climb stumps and fallen trees, wiggle your toes in sparkling streams and luxuriate in fresh grass while this week's warm and sunny spell thaws our winter stressed bones.
The three events mentioned above seem far removed from our daily grind. But in reality, it's our daily grind that has created the need for the meetings and the report. We are dessicating our planet. We could celebrate St Patrick's Day in style Tuesday and forget about it all... alternatively, we could act today and start to reduce the impact of our individual daily grinds.
Ideas for this include eating less meat, turning any electrical kit off when it's not needed, fit low-energy lightbulbs, recycle more and don't leave taps running unnecesarily. Planting hedges and cutting grass less often also have a positive impact on wildlife and water retention. These are all often low-cost, simple actions.
Listen to the cacophony from the birds outside your windows this week. They're all full of life, hope and vigour as they get into their breeding season. They're all chirping and showing off to attract mates and mark territories. They are planning for their species' future. I like their song.