Planning ... a disaster?
“There is a very low level of ecological literacy being displayed by ministers,” said Sally Hayns, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, in the Guardian yesterday.
The piece in the Guardian sprung from the rather disturbing news that during discussions for the Labour government’s planning bill - which looks like it is going to shred environmental rules - developers were invited to meet with ministers dozens of times, while ecologists were shut out of discussions.
What our petition is calling for is just one small part of a massive array of ‘obstacles to growth’ … and there are many other voices out there fearful for what this change, which may receive royal assent this week, could mean for nature conservation.
Kathy Willis is the peer who has put forward a successful amendment in the House of Lords that would reduce the risk the bill poses to the natural world, but what chance MPs voting for it? It seems remote.
I do not know if there is any value in writing to our MPs, hope is in short supply. But also feel we really ought to - at least to remind them that when the next election comes, we will be thinking of what good they have done for life on earth - and using that to help make our choices over who we vote for.
The government mantra is to ‘build baby build’ … but what I struggle to understand is how we have ended up with this collision of factors, resulting in obscene house prices that keep young (and not so young) people out of the market AND threatens to damage the already degraded natural world …
Okay - enough of that (for a while) … and onto some more positive news!
You may remember I wrote about Prickles and Paws hedgehog rescue down in Cornwall, of which I am a Patron? Well, they are in the process of completing a purpose built hospital - it started and has expanded in Katy’s parents’ garden … but they needed somewhere bigger! They are now at the kitting out phase and would love to reach out to you all - with a begging bowl … but with a very clever bowl that magically doubles your money (thanks to a generous sponsor) up to each £250 donation.
Christmas is looming … and each year I run a stall at the Oxford Green Fair (this is their 44th year!) in Oxford Town Hall … the fair attracts crafts and campaigns from around the city and is a wonderful place to get presents that won’t cost the earth … while at the same time helping the Green Party too. It is a lovely space - come along and say hi on Saturday 29th November!! I will be there with some books and lots to say about hedgehogs! One year I even got Philip Pullman to pose with my hedgehog!
And finally - I am writing this on Sunday afternoon - this morning I was taking photographs at Magdalen College as they remembered the dead of war. It was, as ever, deeply moving. Made more special with the inclusion of the quote from Micah - about beating swords into ploughshares.
This injunction is, I believe, one of the most important in any holy book. So while I remember the dead, I also recommit myself to finding ways to end the war machine that has, for so many centuries, massacred young, on the whole poor, people at the whim of the rich and powerful.
With that in mind - I also take time to remember the loss of non-human life that has been caused by human action. At some point in the future, should a civilisation survive, I wonder whether they will be holding Remembrance days for more than just the people killed in way, but for all the life on earth we so carelessly destroyed?
Yes, indeed, I believe that in the future, the very few and sparsely spread population of humans that will remain after most other species have gone Will grieve, painfully and regretfully, whilst remembering the time that we were not alone on this planet.😩😩
Blessings for all your endeavors!