Now the coalition government intends to strip away protection from our most treasured places, as the chancellor establishes his Republic of Gideon, finally big landowners have their champion of slash and burn capitalism

This article titled “George Osborne’s full-blown attack on the countryside will delight rentiers” was written by George Monbiot, for guardian.co.uk on Thursday 1st December 2011 14.26 UTC

What sort of a world would George Osborne like to live in? I imagine him fantasising about the Republic of Gilead in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Unprotected workers, assigned their places in a fixed social system, crawl over toxic waste dumps, while the upper castes, though rendered sterile by unregulated pollution, live without fear of democracy, trade unions or the minimum wage.

The Republic of Gideon began to take shape on Tuesday, when the chancellor launched a full-spectrum assault on both workers and the environment. In his autumn statement, he curtailed public sector pay and, once again, hammered the tax credits and benefits upon which the poorest people depend. At the same time he gave away £250m in yet another bailout for big business: in this case the UK’s most polluting industries. Read Damian Carrington’s withering exposure of this exercise in crony capitalism, and you will rage and gnash your teeth.

He also snuffed out the government’s attempts to limit the amount of transport fuel the UK consumes, announced the construction of new roads, airports and power stations and reneged on the promise the energy secretary made just a month ago, that there would be “absolutely no backsliding” on carbon capture and storage at the UK’s power stations. Now the £1bn set aside for CCS will be given (in the Treasury secretary’s words) to “different sorts of projects”. Another corporate tax break perhaps?

But perhaps the worst of Osborne’s environmentally destructive proposals was his attack on the laws protecting England’s wildlife and places of natural beauty. These were first introduced in 1994 by the previous Conservative government. He claimed that they are “gold-plating” European rules and “placing ridiculous costs on British businesses”.

He is wrong on both counts. The Davidson report in 2006 found that the European rules had not been gold-plated. The laws defending our special areas of conservation and special protection areas impose costs on business only if business wants to trash the few corners of England which have been placed off-limits. That means spots such as Lyme Bay, the New Forest, Epping Forest, the Norfolk Broads and Flamborough Head.

Why should corporations be allowed to do to these treasured places what they can do anywhere else? Osborne might as well complain that the rules forbidding developers to knock down St Paul’s cathedral and build a new bank there place “ridiculous costs on British business”.

His intentions are spelled out in more detail in the Treasury’s national infrastructure plan 2011. To prevent the protection of our natural heritage from imposing “unnecessary costs and delays” on money-making projects, the Treasury will “give industry representation on a group chaired by ministers so it can raise concerns … at the top of government”.

This, remember, is a government umbilically connected to big business, which has so thoroughly infiltrated Westminster and Whitehall that government and corporations are almost indistinguishable. Now the Treasury claims that business needs even more access?

Worse still, bodies such as Natural England and the Environment Agency, which are supposed to defend our treasured wild places, will now “have a remit to promote sustainable development.” This is a complete inversion of their purpose – from restraint to promotion.

The Country Land and Business Association, representing the class of rentier capitalists whom Osborne appears to see as his natural constituency, professes itself “delighted” with these proposals. I bet it is. The big landowners it represents have been pressing for slash and burn capitalism for years, while simultaneously insisting that the taxpayer stocks their wine cellars and cleans out their moats through farm subsidies. Now they have a government which gives them everything they ask for.

These people will never be satisfied. No ancient woodland, no Bronze Age burial mound is safe: unless it is protected by the kind of rules Osborne now wants to dismantle.

As for stimulating the economy, it’s hard to see how the UK can win the race to the bottom to which he appears to have committed us. If this country tries to compete by tearing up the rules protecting workers, the unemployed, the environment and our quality of life, it will be worsted by China and 100 other nations with cheaper labour and laxer regulation than ours.

This seems obvious to everyone except ministers and officials. UK Trade and Investment, the government body which promotes this country to foreign investors, boasts that “compensation costs [ie wages] in the UK are less than most of the western European countries.” It has “one of the lowest main corporate tax rates in the EU, generous tax allowances and … low social welfare contributions.” And “the UK’s labour market is one of the world’s most flexible.” Come to Britain, where you can treat your workers like dirt.

In the wake of this autumn statement, perhaps UK Trade and Investment will now seek to entice investors away from Guangdong with the promise that there are tax breaks for the biggest polluters, no planning laws worth their name, and special access to ministers if you want to trash England’s beauty spots.

Even if foreign investors can be persuaded that the rules are slacker in the Republic of Gideon than in the grimmest export-processing zones of the developing world, what does “winning” look like in these circumstances? A bit like winning a nuclear war? “Yes, our nation has been reduced to a charred desert. But we’ve come out on top*. Rejoice, just rejoice!

“*Customers should be aware that when, in the previous clause, the government states that “we” have come out on top, it is in fact referring to a subset of the population: namely those possessed of sufficient means to have invested in underground bunkers. The government cannot be held liable if the rest of the population experiences alternative results. If you are not fully satisfied with this outcome, please contact your nearest mortuary assistant.”

In reality, the autumn statement, like much else that Osborne has delivered, has little to do with stimulating economic growth. It’s about transferring even greater powers and resources from the rest of us to an economic elite, the kind of people Osborne hangs out with on Nat Rothschild’s yacht. They are the only winners of the Chancellor’s pyrrhic victories.

www.monbiot.com

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

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George Osborne’s full-blown attack on the countryside will delight rentiers

Blue House Farm Bird Reserve, North Fambridge

Thursday is our new day off, so we took ourselves out of London on the Eastern Railway line towards Southend and then on the little single track branch line from Wickham to North Fambridge¹  .

North Fambridge is a lovely quiet place with big skies, salt marsh estuary, boatyards, a good old pub and loads of wildlife. The flooded fields, dykes and river provide such special habitats for all kinds of birds that the main farm in the area, Blue House Farm, is now managed as an SSSI² nature reserve by the Essex Wildlife Trust.

The large flocks of thousands of geese still haven’t arrived from Siberia and Eastern Europe yet, the weather over there isn’t quite cold enough all along the path but Brent geese were chomping away on the sward and flying alongside the sea wall in several flocks of fifty or more, which is a cheery sight on a mild and bright, relatively wind free morning towards the end of November. Other types of geese included Greylags and Canadas, about 25 Barnacle geese, and a small group of six White Fronted geese.

Back home at Wanstead Flats we are always pleased to catch a rare glimpse of a pair of Teal on the Alexandra Lake, but from the furthermost hide at Blue House Farm we watched a group of about 150 teal being frightened up into the air by a pair of Marsh Harriers hunting along the reed beds. These colourful small ducks can fly really well, twisting and turning almost like a murmuration of starlings. Then one of the Marsh Harriers started to make a move towards a solitary wigeon we’d been watching sitting on the river. The Marsh Harrier approached like an Osprey towards a fish near the surface, talons outstretched to within a couple of feet above the hapless wigeon, who wasn’t in the least bit bothered by the very real threat of impending carvery, the Harrier hovered for a second, eyeing up the prospect, then seemed to think better of it and withdrew. The wigeon still didn’t move towards cover though, and the Harrier came back for a second approach, but again decided that it dan’t want to attack a whole duck right at the moment and headed off back to the reed beds where it was presumably hunting for small songbirds or mammals.

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Blue House Farm North Fambridge

1. The Crouch Valley Line
2. Site of Special Scientific Interest

Leaving the house I could feel the air was cold but on approaching the green open space that is the flats I could see layers of mist suspended over the frosted grass. When the sun poked up over the lines of trees it lit up the landscape with golden light.

Wanstead Flats Sunrise October 15th

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Sunrise on Wanstead Flats

via posterous

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time capsule June 8th to June 22nd, 2010

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time capsule from May 25th to June 8th, 2010

Choose 3 friends and cast them in your ‘Spotted in Atlantis’ video for a chance to win the adventure of a lifetime.It’s easy and only takes minutes.

I think one of the most amazing features of Atlantis The Palm is the fact that the underwater experience is integrated into every aspect of the resort’s luxury facilities, such as the restaurant pictured below. But the real stars are not the fixtures and fittings, but the wildlife creatures including Piranha, Giant Arapaima, Moon Jellies, Moray, Eels and more. Some more Atlantis, The Palm, Features • Ray Feeding Guests are waist deep in the Shark Attack pool and can feed the resident Rays • 17 unique bars and restaurants with different themes and cuisines • 4 Michelin starred chef restaurants • Spa • Dive Centre and it goes on. Try the interactive video and see more for yourself.

Atlantis Hotel

Sponsored Post

Viral video by ebuzzing

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Atlantis has been found in Dubai

This Red Breasted Goose appeared on Alexandra Lake in Wanstead Flats today, having a rest on its way home to Siberia.

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Red Breasted Goose

I think these are just one particular species of parakeet, the monk parakeet which can apparantly cause damage to electricity pylons. The ever increasing rose ringed or ring necked parakeets that we see fly overhead on a daily basis shoudn’t be affected by any cull. They might be able to be shot like pigeons , though, if crop farmers are affected and apply for a license to do so. The local parakeets are a bit noisy as in raucous, so it would be a shame in some ways if they kept on increasing and drowned out the native song birds.

Wild parakeets seen as a threat in the UK
http://www.wildlife-gardening.org.uk/wildlife-in-your-garden/wild-parakeets-seen-as-a-threat-in-the-uk/

via posterous

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Wild parakeets seen as a threat in the UK

Wild parakeets seen as a threat in the UK
http://www.wildlife-gardening.org.uk/wildlife-in-your-garden/wild-parakeets-s…

Wild parakeets seen as a threat in the UK

Because of damaging food
crops and being a threat to native wildlife, parakeets in Britain
living in the wild may be culled. Originally from South America
they were released from captivity in the 90s and the grey, yellow
and green birds are living in the south of England.

There are only between 125 and 150 that live in the entire UK
nevertheless the decision to exterminate them has been taken but
conservative groups are calling for them to be re-homed instead of
being shot.

The Department of Environment’s Food and Rural Affairs
said that as part of the Defra initiative control is being done to
eradicate the potential threat imposed by the parakeets to the
native wildlife, crops and national infrastructure. Significant
damage has been done by the species in other countries through
their activities of feeding and nesting so early preventative
action is being taken to stop the same from happening in the
UK.

These parakeets build very large communal nests and could cause
a threat to the agriculture and our safety since they could cause
structural problems with the national electrical supply, said The
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds but they should not be
shot.

Andy Roberts
http://distributedresearch.net/blogvia posterous

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Wild parakeets seen as a threat in the UK

Well this article arrived just on the same day that Linda reported seeing an enormous flying beetle, shiny green coloured, in the back garden near our small pond. We identified the beetle as the great diving beetle and I knew that these insects are viscious predators, at least in the larval form. I’m not going to panic about loosing frog tadpoles though, or even fish fry. As far as I’m concerned if a great diving beetle chooses to use our small garden pond as a nursery for his aquatic offspring then we should be honoured to play host to such an auspicious example of native pond wildlife. I’m sure the frogs will manage to keep up their numbers one way or another.

Who’d be a tadpole?
http://thegardenpondblog.org.uk/2011/05/01/whod-be-a-tadpole/

---

Who’d be a tadpole?

Who’d be a tadpole?

By Jeremy Biggs

Larva of a great diving beetle feeding on a frog tadpole.

A common question we get at this time of the year is: “Where have my tadpoles gone?”

A common answer is probably provided by this picture from Pond Conservation member Carole Woodall who managed to capture what must be a common fate for many a tadpole. Indeed, it’s probably one of the main fates that nature intended!

And this is not the only way that our precious tadpoles get gobbled up: fish of course are regular frog tadpole eaters and so, to the surprise of many, are our innocent looking newts.

Now of course, almost every normal person loves newts – but not your average tadpole because a tadpole is basically a tasty newt snack.

A common course of events is:

- Pond lover makes pond, frogs arrive in year 1 or 2, pond lover very happy.

- Newts arrive in year 4 or 5, pond lover even happier.

- Tadpoles disappear, pond lover puzzled, calls Pond Conservation.

- Frog and newt lover discovers newts eat tadpoles and realises newts not quite so cuddly as previously thought.

- Pond lover becomes older and slightly wiser!

But it’s not all one-way traffic: our clever little frogs have learnt (excuse the anthropomorphism) to steer clear of the nasty newts, and other predators.

Tadpoles can sense the presence of backswimmers and dragonfly larvae, and take avoiding action.

They can also sense fish too.

Although many may still perish, if you are one of the few that gets through, that’s all that matters.

——

via posterous

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Great Diving Beetle in a small garden pond?

Andy Roberts

http://distributedresearch.net/blog via posterous

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India dabbles in fish genetic experiments

BOOK REVIEW

Many methods have been written about the collection of beetles in the
world.  However, only very specific papers were developed until now,
for example: the traps, or about specific sampling methods of some
families or genera of Coleoptera in the planet.

This book aims provide to the scientific world and for students a
collection of knowledge and experience of the author and others
professionals of entomology, related to methods and capture
techniques, transfer and preservation of Coleoptera, encompassed in a
single work.

This study tool has long been expected. There are many forums
(especially in the internet) which perceived the need for instruction
about this subject.  Our colleagues were the first to applaud this
initiative, describing it as very valuable in relation to its content.

Now the students can count throughout this material, which is
complement of development in the field activities, through practice.

The methods of capture are varied and numerous, such as or more than
the number of families of beetles.

Early detection of environmental damage, which can be detected through
the study of beetles populations and / or endangered species (it
require also knowledge for the capture of different species in
selected environments) will provide help for the implementation of
measures to assist the conservation and protection of the environment.

On the other hand, there is a tacit agreement among entomologists, in
which the number of known species of Coleoptera is very small compared
with the suspected number of existing species.  This reminds us that
phrase regarding the tip of the iceberg, and arouse our interest about
how much we are lacking to know.

This book offers:

1) A brief summary of the physical and structural characteristics of
major biomes in the world.

2) Instructions to collect beetles in every kind of environment such
as savannas, forests, deserts, streams, rivers, mountains, caves,
beaches, mangroves, dunes, etc.

3) Specific details about all beetles families known until now, in
the long chapter “Where do they live? What do they eat? How to collect
them?”

4) A variety of traps chosen according to their effectiveness, and how
to make them by yourself.

Finally, we hope that this tool now available to all supporters of
life on this planet, serve to understand it, preserve and improve it.

Jorge Barrett Viedma
Editor
Naturalia – Scientific Collection
www.naturalia-editions.comvia posterous

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How to Catch Beetles

Facebook: Protect-Wanstead-Flats-and-Epping-Forest

As you can see from the publicity, the message behind this event also harkens back to the historical opposition by local people to enclosure of the Flats. We hope people will see this as an opportunity to come along and celebrate in their own way our right to enjoy our open spaces – although it is late November, so we do recommend that people wrap up warmly!

Leaflets available to download from http://scr.bi/9sZkjy and A3 posters from http://scr.bi/9AgXOE – please ask local shops and businesses to put up a poster, or stick one up in your window (but no flyposting please, as it gets some of us in all sorts of trouble!)

Take Back Wanstead Flats

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Wanstead Flats Campaign

It’s just an old picture of an amazing moth which was later identified as a Lime Hawkmoth up against the dark bark of an urban tree.

Lime Hawkmoth London, UK

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Lime Hawkmoth: London, UK

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Tim Birkhead ‘Wisdom of Birds’ at Do Lectures

To help with identification, here’s a picture of the giant green cricket before it bit me.

giant bush cricket

The location is near St Agnes, Cornwall, UK

Thanks to Barbol on Flickr in Zaragoza, Spain, the monster bug can be confirmed as Tettigonia viridissima, or the Great Green Bush Cricket. Apparently female, too.

These insects inhabit most of Europe, including the South of England , as well as North Africa and the Middle East. One of the largest crickets, the Great Green Bush Cricket reaches a size of 30-40mm, with males generally being smaller than the females. As the name suggests, the Great Green Bush-cricket is brightly coloured shiny green. One characteristic that helps to distinguish crickets from  locusts is the length of the tentacles that start at the head and grow back, reaching almost the length of the body, as opposed to locusts that have short tentacles. Some cricket species can grow tentacles up to three times the length of the body. Both males and females have wings.

Carnivorous.

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Giant Vampire Cricket Bites Man

The new Conservative Liberal coalition government has said the vaccination programme isn’t enough so badgers in TB hotspots will be killed.

Culling badgers to control Bovine TB in dairy cattle is controversial with many farmers facing increased incidence of TB reactors in cattle supporting a cull, and wildlife conservationists pointing out that culling badgers is not effective anyway.

New DEFRA farm minister Jim Paice, Conservative MP for South East Cambridgeshire has confirmed that badgers will be culled in England to combat bovine tuberculosis in cattle. A targeted cull of badgers will take place once the right “hot spot” locations have been identified.

The Badger Trust opposes culling, which they say would be in reality an unselected slaughter. The badger is one of Britain’s best loved and iconic animals and as such is part of our National Heritage. They are a poignant symbol of the British countryside and a protected species.

On culling badgers, Trust chairman Dave Williams says “The overwhelming scientific evidence and research shows that it is not the way to control bovine TB It has been tried for many years in one form or another, and it has never worked.”

Badger

Creative Commons Badger photo by Andreas-photography

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Wild Badgers to be Culled in England

Ram , originally uploaded by gil thorp princess.

I think this handsome ram is at Boulder city farm.

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Ram

by Kate (@radiokate on twitter) via Steve Lawson

Arriving at my home tube station late last night I was greeted by this fantastic/unexpected sight!

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Urban Fox Takes The Tube

The rest of this story can be told largely in pictures, I think. Unless there are any questions.

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Building a log pile