I want to achieve three things through this blog:- Share some of the great wildlife stories that the RSPB encounters in its day to day work. - Highlight the fact that wildlife remains in deep trouble because of unsustainable development. - Offer solutions about how we can save nature together.
If you bump into this blog every now again and fancy posting a comment, that would be great! I want to stimulate debate as well as seek feedback and advice. Some of you have suggested that I move on to new issues too quickly. Sorry about that – there does seem to be quite a bit going on and am keen that you get to hear about it.
I don’t expect things to calm down over the coming weeks. This is partly because the economic crisis looks like going head to head with the ecological crisis.
The lack of resources will hamper the Government’s plans to protect wildlife and restore biodiversity. The ambitious National Environment White Paper lacks a clear funding strategy while the commitment to establishing an ecologically coherent network of marine protected remains frustrated by a long-term failure to invest in surveying our seas.
The Chancellor has talked about not bankrupting the country to save the planet. I hope he can find the time to read the TEEB, the Stern Review and the UKNEA before he gives his autumn budget statement. It pays to invest in nature and tackle climate change today. The latest warning that climate change will make extreme weather events more likely should make us all sit up, take notice and demand action.
A singular focus on growth at all costs will simply erode our natural capital and store up problems for us and our children. There are some in positions of authority who choose to ignore this fact. Important debates about the future of the Common Agriculture Policy, sustainable development in the marine environment, planning reform and, of course, climate change demand enlightened rather than self-serving leadership.
I hope you agree.
What style of leadership do you think we need to help us address the ecological crisis? And who do you look to for this leadership?
It would be great to hear your views.
Rants are welcome, Glossy Ibis, as are constructive comments from Sooty and Peter!
A new Marshall Plan that devotes the energy and resources currently devoted to the global military to drive a path towards a new energy future while staying within the targets of the Kyoto Protocols.
I do agree Martin. Your three aspirations at the top of the page set an excellent agenda for your blog. I do like to see timely responses to the increasingly regular attacks on the environment and if this means moving quickly from issue to issue, so be it!
"Not bankruptong the country to save the planet" is an incredibly myopic point of view which in effect means the Chancellor would prefer to ruin the planet for a short term benefit. Today's Guardian front page reports that the "world's richest countries have given up on forging a new treaty on climate change to take effect this decade, with potentially disastrous consequenses for the environment through global warming" This strategy is supported by the UK, European Union, Japan, US and the United Nations also appear to accept this. What a travesty is the claim to be the Greenest Government ever. Apologies, I rant!
Think the big problem is that it is a worldwide problem and all leaders need to address the problem,our own commitment is almost irrelevant unless other major polluters all put the effort in to improve pollution.They are so engrossed in economic survival at the moment that understandably they have difficulty addessing other problems.