I saw a video on youtube the other day that has gotten me fairly depressed about the current state of our environmental policy. In this video, filmed in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, a 12 year old Canadian girl implores the UN delegates to change the policies of their countries to help save the planet. She lists all of the awful things that were occurring way back in 1992. She is very articulate in her arguments and states that it is adults who are destroying the world that their children will inherit, pointing to the hypocrisy of how adults teach children to behave and then how adults themselves act towards the planet. The thing that I found most depressing was that every single issue that she lists is still a major problem now, 22 years later. Most of these problems will have been exacerbated in the intervening years, meaning that the magnitude of the worlds ills are far worse now than they were when she was speaking. This means that all of calls to arms fell on deaf ears. We need to heed her words sooner rather than later, or we will (as I fear) get past a point of no return with respect to many of the environmental issues facing the globe. For many species any such changes have already come to late.
Then to add to the dissolution with mankind that came after watching this, two news articles this week regarding the badger cull and the unnecessary killing of birds of prey in the UK. The ruling by the British courts mean that the Badger Cull does not require an independent reviewing and monitoring body, reducing the creditability of any data that comes out of the cull. This adds to the fact that the cull has again not hit targets for badgers shot, which will actually increase the risk of bovine TB transmission. This is an example of the idiocy by the legal establishment. With regards to the killing of raptors, this is just a sickening and depressing thing to see. These are majestic and beautiful creatures, many of which are endangered. I just hope that the people responsible are court and prosecuted, but that means relying on the same legal system that seems to willingly defy common sense and the scientific consensus.
But fear not, there are a lot of organisations out there fighting for our planet. One book that will give you hope is Andre Balmford's book Wild Hope. It documents conservation successes, so it's a good thing to read when your had a news week like this!! And positive news from Ethiopia, re-greening appears to be working!! (Link below) So don't despair, if we all make a concious effort and do what Ghandi said ("be the change you wish to see") then we can make a difference, despite the lack of willpower from the political establishment.
Youtube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVsCnk1b5qc
Badger cull
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/29/badger-cull-campaigners-lose-legal-battle
Birds of prey
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/30/hundreds-of-birds-of-prey-being-shot-or-poisoned-in-uk-rspb
Positive conservation stuff to restore your faith in humanity
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/bo13823467.html
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/30/regreening-program-to-restore-land-across-one-sixth-of-ethiopia
Then to add to the dissolution with mankind that came after watching this, two news articles this week regarding the badger cull and the unnecessary killing of birds of prey in the UK. The ruling by the British courts mean that the Badger Cull does not require an independent reviewing and monitoring body, reducing the creditability of any data that comes out of the cull. This adds to the fact that the cull has again not hit targets for badgers shot, which will actually increase the risk of bovine TB transmission. This is an example of the idiocy by the legal establishment. With regards to the killing of raptors, this is just a sickening and depressing thing to see. These are majestic and beautiful creatures, many of which are endangered. I just hope that the people responsible are court and prosecuted, but that means relying on the same legal system that seems to willingly defy common sense and the scientific consensus.
But fear not, there are a lot of organisations out there fighting for our planet. One book that will give you hope is Andre Balmford's book Wild Hope. It documents conservation successes, so it's a good thing to read when your had a news week like this!! And positive news from Ethiopia, re-greening appears to be working!! (Link below) So don't despair, if we all make a concious effort and do what Ghandi said ("be the change you wish to see") then we can make a difference, despite the lack of willpower from the political establishment.
Youtube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVsCnk1b5qc
Badger cull
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/29/badger-cull-campaigners-lose-legal-battle
Birds of prey
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/30/hundreds-of-birds-of-prey-being-shot-or-poisoned-in-uk-rspb
Positive conservation stuff to restore your faith in humanity
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/bo13823467.html
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/30/regreening-program-to-restore-land-across-one-sixth-of-ethiopia
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