Here we are in the first week of this year's Big Schools' Birdwatch and careering towards the weekend of the Big Garden Birdwatch. It's more important than ever that people take part. We need to keep track of changes in our environment.
Once upon a time, the Government made the bold move to impose a target of an 80% reduction in atmospheric CO2 by 2050. Sadly, the decision to push ahead with a third runway at Heathrow effectively puts the brakes on reducing CO2 emissions. That can't be allowed to happen. Wow! That's a blunt statement isn't it? I almost deleted it, but heck. It's a simple equation. More CO2 = less life.
One journalist asked me the other day, why does the RSPB care? The Big Garden and Big Schools' Birdwatches help explain why the RSPB cares. They've recorded the long term decline of some of our most common birds: house sparrows, starlings and blackbirds. Changes that warn of failing eco-systems; systems that birds, wildlife and people need to survive.
Increasing the number of flights and building a high-speed rail link to get more people to the airport is a sure-fire way to increase emissions, and increased emissions where they do most damage - at high altitude.
Joining the RSPB is an investment towards a cleaner and greener future, but you can also do more to support our work by either volunteering, siging our clean energy e-petition or not printing this blog! Opposing the creation of another passenger facility at Heathrow won't be terminal. Doing nothing could be ... terminal for wildlife.