I think the reason why it never had any replies was the post disappeared, I tried to reply and then I got a message saying "not found"
I never saved a copy of my original reply, but it went something like this:
Money shouts loud, while the environment is just the argument to make it seem good.
The powers that be talk the talk, but don't walk the walk, unless, there's money in it for them.
Here I see only too clearly the devastation to nature and the countryside being very close to the Birmingham HS2 Hub, mass destruction of countryside and woodland plus incessant house building programs, and most of the housing isn't affordable housing.
As for the National Parks, my own experience as a former hill and moorland walker (no longer able to partake after having major lower leg reconstruction), I walked and camped responsibly with a lot of wild life in the National Parks. However, if could be that I've been lucky and not seen a massive issue with wildlife in the National Parks, and I am aware there are planning issues, especially with greatly reduced government funding forcing National Park authorities to concentrate on making money to finance what little they can.
People today generally seek thrills, so National Parks are coerced in to these thrill rides like the Zip Wires in the Lake District and Snowdonia where it induces tourism, in the hope of getting visitors to see the countryside and marvel at its beauty, but the vast majority don't and never will.
The root cause is money, if green spaces were made more fruitful financially, then perhaps, it may be a different story.
If you are able to look back at many of the government spending reviews on HS2, you will see it is just a lip service job, no matter how wrong or far off budget HS2 Ltd goes, they are still keen on it happening, at almost any cost, and that includes financial as well as the environment. Leeds and the eastern section were after thoughts, and not in the original plans drawn up around the early to mid 2000's, so could easily be shelved.
I'm very much a newbie to all this but just wanted to mention a book I recently read: Orchard - A Year in England's Eden by Benedict Macdonald and Nicholas Gates. They talk about LSW numbers declining because of GSWs, which are unchecked because of the decline of starlings, because of human activity / choices. The interconnectedness of all these species is fascinating.
I may be a little out of context here, so I'll apologise up front.
Man has interfered with nature for centuries, often for his own good, and sometimes for the benefit of nature.
In the UK we have succeeded with subterranean horticulture, that is the growing of plants for food or other purposes, without the need for sunlight, irrigation, pesticides or insects for pollination. LED lighting, controlled irrigation regulates water used and no flooding or droughts, laboratory pollination so no predators to eat our plants, and in time, no infections to kill our plants.
The utopia....
Because there is an incessant desire to build, build and build, and I will confess to being a big cynic here (I'll accept any criticisms), especially with a quiet push to get us all to drop meat eating and become vegetarians, if we in the UK all went vegetarian (I've no problem if someone choses to be a vegetarian or vegan, that is their choice and I respect it, but I do have a problem with devious politics), then this country's build crisis could be solved with all the underground bunkers, and there are some massive ones dotted around the UK, many dating back to WWI and WWII let alone the now redundant cold war bunkers, where our food can be successfully grown.
Some of these underground bunkers are massive, some used as munitions storage, some used for munitions manufacturing on a large scale.
While many of these bunkers may be heavily contaminated, science is moving on at a phenomenal rate and decontamination will be an accelerating process.
I first came across subterranean horticulture some 20 years ago while it was still very much in its infancy, and many of its properties are being successfully adopted above and below ground (BBC Countryfile had an article only a few weeks back).
Probably one of the worst times for getting nosey into things (HS2 was one of many) was the two years I was off work post accident recovery, and once I was able to sit comfortably at the computer and look into these things. Well it was that of daytime TV, and daytime TV back then and still does, leave a lot to be desired, plus, sitting at a computer was preparation for a return to work in a desk based role.
So, back to my cynicism, we all become vegetarians, the countryside gradually becomes one complete urban development, we won't need roads or public transport because we will all be working from home, no socialising, but we'll be exercising on machines with augmented reality living life in the past, but not in my lifetime, I doubt, I hope.
Ok, a little OTT, but it does make me wonder.
The link below is to the Independent article from 2017: "Inside London's first underground farm" for those who doubt the existence of such
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/growing-underground-london-farm-food-waste-first-food-miles-a7562151.html
David M, May I suggest that you begin with 'Cottongrass Summer'--it is a quicker read and will give you an insight into some of the projects that Roy Dennis has been involved in over the years (although you may already know something about him), and it was published before 'Restoring the Wild'. And if you have not read it, have a look for one of the earlier books urging that we think about the natural environment and make an effort to protect it, written by one of the world's first 20th century conservationists, Aldo Leopold. That book is 'A Sand County Almanac' which I found to be an inspiring and poetic read. He also wrote other books if that one appeals to you.