environmental commentator
A short two-part conversation with Professor Sir Charles Godfray. Part 1 is about the role of scientists as honest brokers/advocates and scientific research around environmental issues. Part 2 is about land use, farming, food, sharing/sparing and trade-offs. (The two parts are not mutually exclusive) This is a lightly edited version from a transcript of a … Continue reading A conversation with Professor Sir Charles Godfray
What do stoats and a letter to the Editor of The Times have in common? Both are tricky to ‘catch’ as they are both suspicious of the anything too obvious – whether a trap or correspondence. The trick on the latter is to be pithy. Though this brevity to secure publication tends to bleed out … Continue reading Conservation context
Chopping wood this week made me think about parallels on writing my blog to reflect the past year while looking forward to the next year (2022). Celebrate what’s been learned. Acknowledge the knotty stuff. Not take for granted any sweet spots. Reading the grain to cleave out workable pragmatic solutions. All of which, not surprisingly, … Continue reading Green axe challenge
The amount of science out there is staggering. Some of it dense. Hidden behind paywalls. Lots of it fascinating. Sometimes hard to replicate. Much of it uncertain. Often unread. So that’s why I set up a Rural Science page. There’s quite a smorgasbord of science on the page. Ecological is everyone’s fav. Obviously. Works best … Continue reading Science rocks
Last year two individuals, both interested in ‘preserving wildlife’ and ‘birds, science & environment’ respectively, tweeted their own view of the same Scottish sky. Field intel Two people, who may not share the same values, may have common purpose over working for the environment. This was evident with those I met on my field intel … Continue reading Neutral sky, common ground
“What makes a freethinker is not his beliefs but the way in which he holds them” Bertrand Russell. If you ask awkward question, voice unsaid thoughts, hang out with diverse company at farming conferences, wish to find common ground between polar views over a beer – be prepared to hold onto your hat. At a … Continue reading Freethought conservation
Extraordinary experiences with raptors make for deeper thoughts (refreshed Nov 2022, Jan 2024) I lie in a rowing boat, rod to one side, drifting across the lake in the Welsh mountains listening to brown trout rising. Gazing up, my eyes focus on two spots getting larger by the second…they loom into view, I realise it’s … Continue reading Raptor brutal
