Anger over plans to weaken EU wildlife protection | The Wildlife Trusts
The national organisation supporting the Wildlife Trusts around the counties has a web page( see above link) to communicate its views on important national issues. Somerset Wildlife Trust is very involved and we want to keep our MP's informed of our views. Please visit this web site to keep up to date on development
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Ragwort identification
Towards the end of last summer I was trying to decide what form of Ragwort was growing in our meadow and requested help from Anne and John Bebbington. It may be that we have both Hoary and Common Ragwort. To help John has sent me these photos and as they look so bright and cheerful on this very wet, gloomy and windy January day I thought I would show them here.
First Common or Senecio jacobea
First Common or Senecio jacobea
Next is Hoary Ragwort or Senecio erucifolius
And finally both together.
I'm sure you can tell which is which?
All photos by John Bebbington.When summer arrives again I'll report back on my identification efforts!
Monday, January 02, 2012
A Moment In Time Photography Alaska
A Moment In Time Photography Alaska
Its a little chilly here in Somerset and I am trying to get one or two photos in our garden each day in 2012. After the second warmest year ever its not surprising that we have no snow. Whilst I sort out my photos the link shown above should take you to Alaska and some snow covered trees. Happy new year!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Monday, December 05, 2011
Durban COP 17 News.
Click here for more info.
Durban - Nothing short of a new energy industrial revolution is going to hold global warming below 2°C, economist Lord Nicholas Stern said on Monday.
He told reporters at COP 17 in Durban that radical cuts would have to be made in global greenhouse gas emissions.
"The numbers on climate change - if we’re going to have a reasonable chance, at least 50-50, of holding to 2°C - are very clear," Stern said.
"And it’s also clear that they imply that if we’re to achieve the reductions that we have to achieve to get to 2°... those reductions have to be radical, and to achieve it means a new energy industrial revolution."
Stern, author of the landmark Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, was speaking a day ahead of the start of high-level political negotiations at the climate change conference.
Durban - Nothing short of a new energy industrial revolution is going to hold global warming below 2°C, economist Lord Nicholas Stern said on Monday.
He told reporters at COP 17 in Durban that radical cuts would have to be made in global greenhouse gas emissions.
"The numbers on climate change - if we’re going to have a reasonable chance, at least 50-50, of holding to 2°C - are very clear," Stern said.
"And it’s also clear that they imply that if we’re to achieve the reductions that we have to achieve to get to 2°... those reductions have to be radical, and to achieve it means a new energy industrial revolution."
Stern, author of the landmark Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, was speaking a day ahead of the start of high-level political negotiations at the climate change conference.
Friday, December 02, 2011
Climate change, the demand for action
If you know how the United Nations is organising the battle to limit climate change then just skip the next bit.
Because I was getting confused about what is going on I did a bit of surfing.
IPCC is the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They have just had a meeting in Kampala. It was identified as the 34th Session from 14th to 19th November. They are working to produce their Fifth Assessment Report, AR5. Due for completion in 2014. Their previous report called AR4 was released in 2007. The IPCC produces assessment reports for the FCCC.
The FCCC is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Set up in 1992 at the so called Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro. That led to the Kyoto Protocol.
The FCCC works in parallel with the IPCC. It progresses through COP's (short for Conference of the Parties). Their COP17 is currently in progress in Durban , South Africa. 26th Nov to 7th Dec.
Reports from Durban talk about AEOSIS which is the Alliance of Small Island States with 39 members and LDC's which are the 48 Least Developed Countries. This combined grouping of countries is about 50% of the total UN membership and they want action to start on Jan 1st 2012.
They are now confronted by the rest, some of whom also qualify as LDC's including India, Brazil and China who don't want action before 2020.
To find our what the situation is in the Conference you can find reports on the BBC Environment pages and no doubt else where.
If I've missed anything important don't hesitate to tell me! Click here for a link to the BBC. Wiki is very good also.
Because I was getting confused about what is going on I did a bit of surfing.
IPCC is the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They have just had a meeting in Kampala. It was identified as the 34th Session from 14th to 19th November. They are working to produce their Fifth Assessment Report, AR5. Due for completion in 2014. Their previous report called AR4 was released in 2007. The IPCC produces assessment reports for the FCCC.
The FCCC is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Set up in 1992 at the so called Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro. That led to the Kyoto Protocol.
The FCCC works in parallel with the IPCC. It progresses through COP's (short for Conference of the Parties). Their COP17 is currently in progress in Durban , South Africa. 26th Nov to 7th Dec.
Reports from Durban talk about AEOSIS which is the Alliance of Small Island States with 39 members and LDC's which are the 48 Least Developed Countries. This combined grouping of countries is about 50% of the total UN membership and they want action to start on Jan 1st 2012.
They are now confronted by the rest, some of whom also qualify as LDC's including India, Brazil and China who don't want action before 2020.
To find our what the situation is in the Conference you can find reports on the BBC Environment pages and no doubt else where.
If I've missed anything important don't hesitate to tell me! Click here for a link to the BBC. Wiki is very good also.
The natural environment has been identified as the major obstacle in the future prosperity of the UK.
Please read the HM Government Document;
National Infrastructure Plan 2011
Click here to view the plan.
Here is an extract from the plan which expands on the views which many people have objected to in the Planning System proposed newNational Planning Policy Framework:
Please read the HM Government Document;
National Infrastructure Plan 2011
Click here to view the plan.
Here is an extract from the plan which expands on the views which many people have objected to in the Planning System proposed newNational Planning Policy Framework:
-
Reforming the planning and consenting systems
To tackle barriers in planning, the Government is placing the presumption in favour of sustainable development at the heart of the planning system, requiring a positive approach to be taken to plan-making and to decisions on individual planning applications.
As set out in Chapter 6, as part of implementing the recommendations of the Penfold Review, the Government will:
9
10
-
ensure the key consenting and advisory agencies have a remit to promote
sustainable development as soon as the National Planning Policy Framework is
finalised. This will ensure that these bodies consider the impact of their decisions on
sustainable economic growth and swiftly approve consents when it is appropriate
to do so; and
-
introduce a 13 week maximum timescale for the majority of non-planning
consents, to speed up the consenting process and give certainty to developers. This
would take immediate effect for Government agencies.
In addition, the Government will:
-
ensure that there is a more effective mechanism for applicants to obtain an award
of costs, if there is an appeal against refusal of a planning permission where a
statutory consultee has acted unreasonably, through measures to be implemented
in summer 2012. The Government will also improve the performance of the key
statutory consultees in responding swiftly to applications;
-
build more flexibility into the new major infrastructure planning process, particularly
in the pre-application phase, by summer 2012, as part of a light touch review of
the process responding to feedback from users of the regime; and
-
ensure that compliance with the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives does not lead to
unnecessary costs and delays to development, while continuing to support the
Directives’ objectives. The Government is reviewing the directives as currently
implemented in England by Budget 2012 and is committed to tackling blockages
for developments where compliance is particularly complex or has large impacts. In
addition, the Government can announce progress on specific projects where
compliance has already proved problematic, including Falmouth Harbour.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Reflections of a Curlew: New Relationship With Nature - The Government is g...
By visiting the Blog shown below you can read a lot more about the Radio 4 programme and Mary Colwell's thoughts on the subject.
Reflections of a Curlew: New Relationship With Nature - The Government is g...: The Great Hall at the University of Bristol for the recording of Sustaining Life for Radio 4 Panelists J...
Reflections of a Curlew: New Relationship With Nature - The Government is g...: The Great Hall at the University of Bristol for the recording of Sustaining Life for Radio 4 Panelists J...
World population and nature
I listened to a poem written specially for the occasion and read out by the poet during the Radio 4 recording on Monday evening. In the middle of a discussion about world population growth and its effect on nature it was a dramatic part of the whole evening. Listening to it live is probably the best way to experience the poets feelings for the subject. Below are some extracts from a transcript of the spoken word.The reading had more impact by taking place in the Great Hall of Bristol University. Its a splendid venue.
You can find out more about the Radio 4 programme by going to my later posting.
Listen to the recorded programme on Dec 23rd on Radio 4.
You can find out more about the Radio 4 programme by going to my later posting.
Listen to the recorded programme on Dec 23rd on Radio 4.
Celebration
Go for
a walk run in the woods and breathe in
Mother nature till she fills your veins
Travel, view, as many beautiful landscapes
as you can until your imagination complains
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Mother nature till she fills your veins
Travel, view, as many beautiful landscapes
as you can until your imagination complains
*********************
*********************
Sit on top of a satellite
see the world
and the lands on which we all live
Take it in and ask yourself what can I invent?
what can I not take? What can I give?
***************************
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and the lands on which we all live
Take it in and ask yourself what can I invent?
what can I not take? What can I give?
***************************
***************************
Trust her she continues to
feed us
and give us all we need to drink
but she does more than that
She’s that essential creative link
and give us all we need to drink
but she does more than that
She’s that essential creative link
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*************************
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You can do it, amaze
yourself,
this place is all we’ve got
This is our home and our children’s
children’s, children’s home
What? Don’t tell me you forgot?
Read by the poet, Miles Chambers
this place is all we’ve got
This is our home and our children’s
children’s, children’s home
What? Don’t tell me you forgot?
Read by the poet, Miles Chambers
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Living Landscapes
Its always good to start with a great photograph and I think this qualiflies. Photo by John Bebbington showing a Large Elephant Hawke moth on honeysuckle. I include it because its a special image but also as a demonstration of the wildlife that the subject of this post is all about.
Its probably three years since I heard Diana Pound run a session at a Wildlife Trust AGM. I liked the subject and format and kept in touch with her consultancy by email. Details of a big event next Feb have just been announced and the subject is very topical and very relevant to the world we find ourselves in. I hope that people will enquire about this event and I hope someone from Somerset will be able to attend. Living Landscapes are an important part of SWT strategy.
Click here for more details.
and if you want to see what the Somerset Wildlife Trust means by the term Living Landscape, click here
Here is a brief extract from the flier for the event:
This event champions smarter thinking, co-operation and collaboration to help you achieve more with less across urban and rural landscapes and benefit people, places and wildlife.
Keys to success are effective partnerships, pooled resources, effective communication, good practice stakeholder participation, novel collaborations and social enterprise.
Click here for more details.
and if you want to see what the Somerset Wildlife Trust means by the term Living Landscape, click here
Here is a brief extract from the flier for the event:
This event champions smarter thinking, co-operation and collaboration to help you achieve more with less across urban and rural landscapes and benefit people, places and wildlife.
Keys to success are effective partnerships, pooled resources, effective communication, good practice stakeholder participation, novel collaborations and social enterprise.
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