Yesterday afternoon we held a Parliamentary reception with the Minerals Products Association. This celebrated the good work that a growing number of mineral extraction companies are doing to create wildlife-rich sites after they have dug big holes in the ground.
The Minister, Richard Benyon, was present and was given a bit of a poke by industry about the loss of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (see earlier blog).
But I can't have a go at the Minister as he described this blog as 'very readable'. And he'd noticed that I said some nice things about him recently - but also noted that I don't always. This is the second time I've heard Mr Benyon mention reading this blog so I do believe he really does.
So, Sooty, redkite, BobPhilpott, nightjar, jockyshield and others you are in good company! Although wouldn't it be funny if one of you were Mr Benyon? Sooty - it isn't you is it?
A love of the natural world demonstrates that a person is a cultured inhabitant of planet Earth.
Hi Mark
I've re-read my "last post" - and can't see anything wrong there - where's 'the lot of rubbish'?
I picked up your imminent departure from the Shooting Times - of course I wish you well - I'd put you down for the CLA actually! Otherwise DEALS !!!
PS I had a fiver each way (@ 10/1) on Cornish Sett for old time's sake - very pleased for the grey!
trimbush - I do like your comments on this blog but you sometimes do talk a lot of rubbish. You have the habit of stating things as facts that you cannot possibly know anything about. It's an interesting technique. You do not know why I am leaving the RSPB (although I did tell everyone on 2 January) and I have never been silenced by the RSPB! But carry on - I don't mind except I wouldn't want you or anyone else to take silence as agreement with your 'facts'.
You say we are a bunch of lefty do-gooders. That reminds me of a view of the RSPB that someone mentioned to me recently, but none of us can track down, that the RSPB is for Telegraph-readers but run by Guardian-readers. There might be an element of truth in that - but it is certainly not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Hi EcoStudent
You say:-
“How has the RSPB actively frustrated the problem?
Have they campaigned on this issue?”
I think that if you visit the RSPB link above quoted by Gert you’ll see how the RSPB’s policy does both!
In my experience most (not all) anti-cull souls are Labour supporters or just ‘soppy’
Most folk that work for “businesses” such as the RSPB have the left wing-tendency.
What has “badgers” got to do with the RSPB? Ah – “badgers” comes under the heading of “Nature” – so what’s the problem with discussing the most important “nature” problem the UK currently has – it certainly isn’t waxwings and it is not selling off the forests!
The RSPB makes much of its political – non-scientific – assessment of bTB in badgers - so much so that it cannot tell its members what it submitted to the recent DEFRA questionnaire – it will not allow its Conservation Director to state either his or the RSPB’s current position.
Why not? I guess you are a member – you ask them!
Perhaps you were (all?) taken-in by the FERA (Dr Macdonald) statement reported so enthusiastically by the BBC a few days before the closing of submissions to DEFRA – about how wonderful the vaccination experiments were going - 74% cure was it? Total misinformation announced with intent to deliberately mislead!
The FERA (DrM) is left – the BBC is left – the RSPB folk are left! It’s a cosy club – don’t you know?
The so-called 'science' that came from the RBCT exercise was driven by Politics - and it's a science that ain't real!
Bovine TB is a political issue – don’t you see? It’s like ‘hunting’!
Mark? Well – he follows National Hunt racing so he can’t be all bad!
Cheers!
All - great comments.
EcoStudent -----what thoughtful comments and while I disagree with just a small amount of what you say you have stated a very good case for your opinions and it is good to have different ones on here.Badgers ,cattle and cattle owners are all innocent victims tied up in a web until someone bites the bullet and sorts it out,at the moment all of those are only suffering more the longer any delay on doing something to cure the problem takes.
P. S. I think you will soon find yourself in employment.