Autumn Equinox - Boiling Frogs Blog

#BeforeTheLastTreeIsCut

Lots in the news about HS2 and how recently even the government is questioning the validity of the project. Go figure! Of course, you have to consider that a general election is on the horizon and that my friends is like blood in the water to sharks.

Is the indecision about the project first proposed by an outgoing Labour government all about the cost in financial terms or is it more about pleasing the potential electorate? Whichever it is there still seems to be no mention of the environmental cost like the impact on ancient woodlands, biodiversity and what little habitat there is left. Obviously money should be an issue too but do we really need to worry about such a human construct as money? They always seem to find the billions when they need them for outlandish projects which is great for the short term profits for BIG Construction. But as George Monbiot says in a recent article:

“At the time, the entire scheme was costed at £25.5bn. Now, if it were all to be built, the exchequer would be unlikely to see change from £100 billion. One estimate suggests it could rise to £150 billion. Think of what you could do with this money. It’s 10 times the cost of refitting all England’s schools. You could use it to build 300 Hospitals or all the social homes required in England for the next 10 years. “

The £150 billion estimated came from Lord Framingham:

“My Lords, the Minister knows very well my views on this worthless, scandalous, vanity project—which I think most of the country now share. In January 2017, I put to this House the opportunity to stop it, but we decided to go ahead. Reliable sources now say that it will cost £150 billion. Is it not the case that, even if we have spent £5 billion, £10 billion or £20 billion so far, sensible accountants always say you do not pour good money after bad? Surely now is the time to put right what we have got wrong, save the money and spend it on areas of the country which badly need their railway networks improved.”

As with many of these long term investments in infrastructure the government is thinking business as usual with no consideration of what the country will truly be like from the effects of climate change and ecological degradation in 50 years.

When is sustainable development not sustainable development?

A few trees cut down here, a few trees cut down there, it won’t be long before there’s concrete everywhere.

One of the best sources of information on the unprecedented scale of so-called sustainable development builds across the UK is the website of The Community Planning Alliance. If you are considering action against a development in your area and are unsure what to do we highly recommend you check them out.

A great example of how local people can take action is the Chidswell Action Group. They have an excellent website that is well worth a look. They are organised and have a rational and well-thought-out argument. They live in a beautiful part of the country and they are working very hard to keep it that way.

#TheLastRiverPolluted

Who said satire was dead ? Well, it’s alive and well in Secretary of State for what’s left of the Environment MP Therese Coffey’s constituency. A group of her constituents seem to disagree with just dumping of raw effluent into their local rivers and seas. They have started an X/Twitter account to show their angst.

Lady of the lake?

You may have heard from English legend about the lady of the lake. A mysterious and mythical being and provider of the mystical sword of power Excalibur. Well a new legend is unfolding of the young man of the lake. No sword this time just science, passion and determination to fight the forces of evil that threaten the purity of the lake and the biodiversity that it supports. Over to you Matt:

Save Windermere was founded by Matt Staniek.

“Matt grew up in Windermere, studied Zoology at university, returned home – and then broke his neck in a car accident. He started his campaign in July 2021 after going to the head of Windermere each day for 3 years, whilst recovering both mentally and physically. In this time, he observed the natural world around him, and sadly, the sharp, sudden decline in our rivers and our lake.

Matt was appalled when he found out that sewage is being discharged into our lake and at that moment, decided to dedicate his life to solving this issue.

18 months later, in early 2023, the Save Windermere team expanded. We are now a registered not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), governed by a Board of Directors. We are all based locally in Windermere and care deeply about our wildlife, our community and our lake”.

#TogeterWeCan

Taken from the above article:

“Create a new right to grow and right to plant giving individuals and local communities the legal right to plant in existing public green spaces in their neighbourhoods, and much easier to plant in streets.”

“Create a new right to grow” ? Now, I know that this government is not a great fan of human rights but should it not be an inalienable human right to be able to grow food to feed yourself and others? A time is coming sooner than most people realise when this will again be an essential part of the existence of communities across this not-so-green and generally unpleasant land.

#BeeTheChange #BanUrbanPesticides

Government responded:

This response was given on 18 August 2023

The Government will not ban the sale of non-organic pesticides to amateur gardeners. Authorised pesticides, used carefully, are an acceptable way of managing the natural environment.

Read the response in full

The Government will not ban the sale of non-organic pesticides to amateur gardeners. Authorised pesticides, used carefully, are an acceptable way of managing the natural environment.

Authorised pesticides, used carefully, are an acceptable way of managing the natural environment. The UK National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) sets out Defra’s ambition to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment. We will publish an updated NAP this year.

This Government supports integrated pest management (IPM) across sectors. We have demonstrated this through the package of research projects that we recently funded, that bring together scientific evidence on IPM. This work will support access to effective IPM tools and ensure that we understand changing trends in pest threats across the UK. We also introduced new paid actions within the SFI scheme to increase the uptake of IPM, such as the establishment and maintenance of flower-rich margins, blocks or in-field strips, and the use of companion cropping.

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/624406

Original Government response

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

This response was given on 6 June 2023. The Petitions Committee then requested a revised response, that more directly addressed the request of the petition.

Overdue Government response to petition chased by MPs

The Petitions Committee, the group of MPs who consider parliamentary petitions, has written to the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey MP, about the overdue Government response to this petition.

In the letter, the Chair of the Petitions Committee Catherine McKinnell MP asks the Government to provide a response to the petition and an explanation for the delay responding by Thursday 1 June.

#CommunityEnergy

Shropshire and Telford Community Energy (STCE)

Dave Green, from STCE outlines the reasons why they want the site in community ownership:

“One of the great advantages of our share offer is that not only does it allow people to invest in something which helps the environment and receive a targeted six per cent return, but it will also generate significant funds which can be pumped back into the community.”

“Our projection is that the Twemlows Community Benefit Fund could be worth up to £4.5million over the next 18 years to be distributed among local projects. Because we will target the money at energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, we will be able to deliver even more carbon emission reductions and sustainability.”

Community Energy England

Community Energy England have been asking the government to help the growing #CommunityEnergy movement and stop hindering it. They point out that they have managed to do all they have done with their hands tied behind their backs. Imagine what they could do and, of course, others like them if the government did all they could to help. With an election coming up maybe you should ask your potential parliamentary candidates what their views are on community independence from multinational energy corporations.

#EcoChurch & #WildChristians

A Rocha UK have come up with an amazing and quite straightforward strategy for churches to assess their impact on the environment and the incentive to make changes to improve their sustainability. However, it must be recognised that it is the hard work dedication and hopeful vision of church leaders, their staff, parishioners and in lots of cases the wider community that make this vision a reality.

The Bishop of Norwich who is the Church of England’s Lead Bishop on the Environment and I must say I like his pulpit has spoken out against the Prime Minister’s statement on net zero targets still being met even if the government does absolutely nothing at all. The Bishop quite rightly points out that:

“The Prime Minister said we can meet our climate targets without taking the carbon reduction actions the Government had previously announced. We can’t. Decarbonisation must permeate every aspect of our lives.”

“Failing to acknowledge the urgency undermines progress, impacting business, investment, green job creation, and global influence.”

“We are already seeing the devastating effects of climate change, which is hitting the poorest people of the world hardest. We must act now to ensure a just transition, it is our moral duty to care for God’s creation”.