Wuthering Moors – 29 The bigger picture
The Walshaw Moor Estate case is important in itself, and we commend again the RSPB for taking a firm stand on it, but it is also indicative of a much wider and deeper Defra malaise. If Defra is not now...
View ArticleStruan Stevenson, do your maximum to yield sustainable fisheries
Tomorrow there is an important vote on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy. It seems likely that a UK (Scottish) MEP may hold the balance of power over whether overfishing continues or begins to...
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Which birds are the greatest Europeans?
By Bohuš Číčel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcicel/) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia...
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Food for thought
Musical Linguist at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia CommonsI expect you have...
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The playing fields of Eton – infinitely level
By Copyright by World Economic Forum, swiss-image.ch/Photo by Remy Steinegger. [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsHave you noticed that Britain’s...
View ArticleLast week’s news
It’s quite difficult to get past the headlines to understand the details of the EU budget agreement. Yes the budget has been capped thanks to some good negotiation by plucky David Cameron but what...
View ArticleMore on the EU budget
Institute for European Environmental Policy. NFU. Martin Harper’s blog. CAPreform.eu Defra website – nothing at all. I am always shocked by the fact that our government doesn’t think it has any...
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Horse meat, Romania, vultures, Oscar Whisky, Owen Paterson and your taxes –...
Horse meat By Richard W.M. Jones [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia CommonsThe connectedness of the world...
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Guest blog – The flight of the neonicotinoids by Matt Shardlow
Bombus humilis Canvey (c) Sam Ashfield Matt Shardlow is the Chief Executive of the Invertebrate Conservation Trust Buglife. Buglife is the only organisation in Europe committed to saving all...
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The price of food
We come back to the price of food every now and again in this blog. It’s not a subject I know that much about but I’m happy to go along with the general consensus that we have cheap food and that...
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Ralph Underhill cartoon and CAP nonsense from farmers (just pretend it’s...
Cartoon: Ralph Underhill The CAP coalition, led by the NFU, the CLA and the TFA, met at the Great Yorkshire Show on 9 July to reinforce their simple message to Government: Keep sending the cheques!...
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Bird Fair 2013 – Day 2
Had a great day at the Bird Fair yesterday – didn’t go to a talk, hardly looked at a stand, but talked to lots and lots of people. It was easy to get in and the weather was wet, then hot, then windy –...
View ArticleWuthering Moors 34 – the Defra response to the EU Commission
Further to this morning’s post, here is the information levered out of Defra on their response to the EU Commission regarding the RSPB complaint to the EU over the Walshaw Moor affair and its...
View ArticleWuthering Moors 36 – FoI/EIR to NE on Appropriate Assessments for Walshaw Moor
Dear Natural England This is a request under the EI Regs and/or Freedom of Information Act. It is a simple request for copies of three documents. It is not a difficult request to fulfill. Please...
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Wuthering Moors 37 – if you go up on the moors today, you’re in for a big...
A track. Photo: Steve Downing A kennel. Photo: Steve Downing A stream. photo: Steve Downing A grouse butt. Photo: Steve Downing Footpath or track – you decide? Photo: Steve Downing Would you say...
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Shuffling two packs
The Government changes In Defra, out go Richard Benyon and David Heath and in come George Eustice (Con, Camborne and Redruth) and Dan Rogerson (LibDem, North Cornwall). I always feel sorry for those...
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An open letter to the new Defra Ministers
To George Eustice and Dan Rogerson. Dear Ministers Congratulations on your new ministerial appointments. You have an unpredictable time, but no more than 568 days (less holidays, the run up to the...
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CAP consultation – here’s one I prepared earlier
This Corn Bunting can’t respond to a government consultation whereas the farmer whose land it inhabits can. The Corn Bunting would ask you to speak up for him if he could. Photo: Steve Riall via...
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More on that 15%
Although the NFU says that it has written to every MP on the subject of CAP reform they don’t put that letter (or those letters) on their website as far as I can see. What they do say on their website...
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Charles Clover’s £398
I like Charles Clover but I don’t (by any means) always agree with him. His column in today’s Sunday Times is entitled ‘Greedy farmers a-milking it, no turtle doves and no partridges either‘ and...
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