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MartinHarper

Happy New Year!

Here are the answers to Tuesday's quiz about conservation in 2013...

Question 1: Who or what controversially gave two but rejected one? 

Natural England consented two licenses to control buzzards but rejected another.  See here, here, here and here

Question 2: Who went feral this year and encouraged all of us to do the same?

George Monbiot ignited a colourful debate about re-wildling on the back of his book "Feral". See here and here.

Question 3: Which woman replaced another woman at the top of a Royal Society?

Miranda Krestovnikoff succeeded Kate Humble as RSPB President in 2013.  See here

Question 4: Who said about who that it "had been infiltrated by more militant entryists than Derek-Hatton-era Liverpool city council"? 

James Delingpole continued his attack on the RSPB with an article in the Spectator.  See here and here.

Question 5: Who described what as "a modern day Domesday Book"?

Sir David Attenborough was talking about the State of Nature report which showed that of those species for which there are sufficient data to detect a trend, 60% have declined since 1970.  See here.

Question 6: Who moved the goalposts? And a bonus point if you can remember why.

The badgers of course!  Environment Secretary Owen Paterson was commenting on why the two pilots had failed to cull the target of 70% of badgers in a six week period.  See here.

Question 7: Who topped the birding chart in January this year?

House sparrows were once again the most frequently recorded bird in this year's Big Garden Birdwatch.  See here.  The next one takes place at the end of this month.

Question 8: Who said about what techology that "we cannot afford to miss out"?

Prime Minister David Cameron was talking about fracking. See the RSPB's views on the subject here and here

Question 9: Who failed to go for "the maximum" and why?

Alas, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson was over-ruled by the Prime Minister on the big debate about the Common Agriculture Policy.  He had the chance to transfer 15% of funds from the so-called Pillar I to Pillar II - the bit of the CAP that rewards farmers who protect and manage the environment - but in the end plumped for just 12%.  For example, see here.

Question 10: What has delayed houses being built at a Ministry of Defence site in Kent?  

A trick question!  You might have said the 83 pairs of nightingales at Lodge Hill, but the real reason is that  Medway Council had failed to adequately explore alternative less damaging sites for housing.  See here.

How did you get on?

0-2: you should read my blog more often.

2-5: you obviously care 

5-8: impressive! But you should get out more.

9-10: you are obsessive and probably work for the RSPB.

Here's to a successful 2014.  I'll be blogging again on Monday.  Until then, here's a picture of a waxwing. I hope you bump into one of these magnificent birds this January.