independent commentator
It’s not a tribal blog, it’s a dialogue
Every so often, I aim to produce a pithy (under 800 words) piece always with links to references.
Do apply to do a guest blog – note same word count and references if possible. Be prepared for ‘light touch edit’ to ensure positive, rather than divisive, engagement with the widest range of views.
Just before Christmas two individuals, both interested in ‘preserving wildlife’, ‘birds, science & environment’, tweeted their own view of the same Scottish sky. Field intel You may be able to see where I’m going with this – or not! When two people, who may not share the same values, have common purpose over working for … Continue reading Neutral sky, common ground
The Agriculture Act 2020 slipped quietly into law. It was only when talk about cash reached headline pitch, that the full content of this wide-ranging Act starts to unfold. As the new Ag Act takes over the driving seat from the 1947 Agric Act, it’s time to get on board now. Range of roving matters … Continue reading Acting on land
This interview with George Monbiot was conducted in Sept 2013 and was first published in BBC Countryfile magazine. Rob Yorke (RY): Where did you spend your childhood? George Monbiot (GM): I was brought up in the Oxfordshire countryside next to an old golf course that had returned, I suppose rewilded, to an amazing habitat mix … Continue reading Monbiot, 2013
A departure from my normal prose, this is about a deeply rural country set far from a highly urbanised UK. As we face tough choices over trade, wellbeing, climate, economics, environment while fearing uncertainty – which in Myanmar, is an everyday feeling. Oh, and think again on ‘wet markets.’ A journey by truck, or third-class … Continue reading Fish slapping
My face-to-face ‘field intel’ trips provide enlightenment as to what people really think. Online is one thing, hearing it direct is another. I muse on how land managers, academics, govt, activists might garner insight from each other. A previous ‘intel’ trip along the Marches fielded views of an environmental activist (who once upon a time … Continue reading Join the dots
Ever since I took my first call from the letters Editor at The Times in 1999, I’ve always written about environmental stuff others don’t want to write about. Hedgehog populations, horsemeat, sea eagles, bTB and badgers, raptor conflict, deer, fungi hunters, little owl culls, wildfires, alien conifers, duck shooting, urban foxes, National Parks, indoor livestock, … Continue reading Dear Sir,
An email, received from a tiny conservation organisation raising all its own funds seeking to conserve curlew, is published here as a guest blog Throughout the year, Curlew Country is contacted for advice by many people wanting to help Curlews. Especially now. Right in the middle of breeding season. We want to help others but … Continue reading Curlew public good
The countryside should not be a peaceful place. It should be humming with activity. While it’s hard to sometimes avoid humans, the real racket should be insects. From revered butterflies and bees to reviled wasps and ticks – insects have been hitting the news. We are paying them the most attention since Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent … Continue reading On insects
Ben Goldsmith was appointed a non-executive director of DEFRA’s board in March 2018. I asked him about a range of environmental and land issues Interview first published by the RICS RY: What is your role in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)? BG: As an informal adviser to the secretary of state, … Continue reading An informal Defra adviser
“What makes a freethinker is not his beliefs but the way in which he holds them” Bertrand Russell. I’ve never been the one to toe the line or fall in with partisan crowds. Perhaps asking awkward questions, trying to walk in the shoes of others, seek out unsaid thoughts in the room. Or maybe it’s … Continue reading Freethought conservation
#WoodofStones – a year’s worth of tweets of a tiny National Nature Reserved in Wales