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Q3. What Happens When We Treat the Planet as Disposable?
Our world is one of convenience. Use it, bin it, move on. Fast fashion. Single-use plastics. Endless consumption. Just spend five minutes at a rubbish tip and watch what gets thrown away. This can’t end well, can it? Here’s the thing: the planet isn’t disposable, and its resources aren’t infinite. We contribute to the problem…
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Bridging the Gap: From Government Pledges to Global Biodiversity Recovery
We live in a world grappling with environmental challenges, where every action (even the well intended ones) have an equal and opposite reaction. No wonder nature’s on the back foot. Credit where it’s due, though, the UK government’s latest conservation measures (see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nature-recovery-to-be-accelerated-as-the-government-delivers-on-measures-to-protect-land-and-sea ) present a slither of hope. These initiatives, aimed at accelerating nature…
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The Bee Paradox
Can we agree a bee isn’t just a bee? It’s a signal. A signal that tells us about our health, our planet, and even our future. In their relative silence, bees are surprisingly loud. They’re telling us about the fragility of our ecosystem, about the delicate balance we’ve disrupted. And yet, we often choose not…
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The Climate Crisis: Through Nature’s Eyes and Echoing Maxwell Knight.
In “The Climate Crisis: Through Nature’s Eyes and Echoing Maxwell Knight,” we examine the current climate crisis, drawing parallels with the early environmental warnings of Maxwell Knight. The post delves into the multifaceted nature of the climate emergency, including biodiversity loss and extreme weather events, as highlighted by the WWF Living Planet Report 2022. It…
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COP28’s Climate Milestones:
The conclusion of COP28 heralds a pivotal moment in global climate action. As we dissect the agreements made, it becomes increasingly clear how these (appear to) align with the findings of the WWF State of Nature Report and the mission of FFON. COP28’s Commitment to Ending the Fossil Fuel Era: A landmark decision at COP28…
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Nature’s Alarm: The UK’s Biodiversity Crisis
‘The UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth’ State of Nature 2023. The recent ‘State of Nature 2023’ report unveils a sobering reality: the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth. This stark revelation compels us to reflect on the environmental challenges we face and the urgent…
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Fork in the Road: Envisioning Earth’s Future in 2050
“Fork in the Road: Envisioning Earth’s Future in 2050” presents two divergent global scenarios (blogs) for the year 2050, each illustrating the profound impact of our environmental choices. These scenarios are not just about London but serve as a microcosm for the world at large. The first scenario paints a grim picture of a planet…
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The Heart of Our Oceans: Preserving Marine Biodiversity
Today, let’s embark on an aquatic odyssey to explore and protect our vast, pulsating oceans. These mysterious blue realms, brimming with a symphony of life, are Earth’s lifeblood, yet they stand at a critical juncture due to human influence. 1. The Oceans’ Diverse Tapestry: Covering over 70% of Earth’s surface, our oceans are home to…
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Where Have All Our Butterflies Gone?
By Dr. David Glynne Fox This article is based on almost seventy years of personal observations in the wild, primarily in and around my home county of Nottinghamshire, although these results sadly also apply to much of the UK. Many theories have been put forward as to why many species of British butterflies and moths…
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A more optimistic long view of our place in nature
By Dr Valerie Jeffries. Walking along briskly for my lockdown exercise I was watching the starlings congregate for their evening swarm on the TV aerials, and listening to quarrelling sparrows and the raucous yells of the seagulls way inland. Many birds have adapted to live alongside humans in our urban landscapes, some like the house…
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President Donald J. Trump’s masterclass: how not to engage with people who care about the planet
I imagine we’ve all now seen climate activist Greta Thunberg’s impassioned speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit and the scowl she gave President Trump. It took significant guts to make that speech. The President’s response to this courageous teen’s talk and her palpable sense of loss was predictable and came in the shape of yet another throwaway tweet. I…
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Challenges facing the planet
This was one of my (Simon) favourite talks from the Maxwell Knight Symposium and we’re very grateful to Paul Pearce-Kelly for allowing us to share his slides on the FFON website. The Frightened Face of Nature Paul Pearce-Kelly, ZSL Abstract If Maxwell Knight were writing his prescient Frightened Face of Nature today he would no…
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Is the climate finally right for a change?
There are a few subjects best left off the table at dinner parties – Brexit is one, Climate Change is another. Both have the propensity to split the room equally and leave guests reaching for the after dinner mints before the main course is out of the oven. But are things about to change when…
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The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by Her Majesty to invite me to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. (It turns out I’ll be walking in Maxwell Knight’s footsteps…).
I’ve received an invite to the Royal Garden Party (May 15th) and can’t wait to step through those imposing gates and join Her Majesty for tea and cake in her splendid garden. I wish I could take all readers of the FFON with me. The invite came via the Lord Chamberlain and was requested by…
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Maxwell Knight Symposium coverage in the IAT Bulletin
Thanks for the generous coverage of the MaxwellKnight Symposium in the IAT Bulletin.
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Is this British agriculture’s chance to be more nature-friendly post-Brexit, or will the efforts of more than 100 farmers, with a new vision to ‘restore British wildlife, reverse declines in soil quality and help manage impacts of climate change’ fall on stony ground?
I’ve written numerous articles about farm birds declining by more than 50% since the 1970s. The problem is that we see this kind of figure brandished about so often that we eventually become immune to bad news, and then it becomes the norm – the new baseline data. In other words, birds can continue to…
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“Warning of ‘ecological Armageddon’ after dramatic plunge in insect numbers”
The Guardian reported in October that “Three–quarters of flying insects in nature reserves across Germany have vanished in 25 years, with serious implications for all life on Earth, scientists say.” It’s funny how scientists often confirm what we instinctively know. Anyone who’s driven a car this summer will have noted how few insects there…
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Trump administration’s stance on the environment is ‘willful ignorance’ says DiCaprio
According to The Independent, actor and environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t mince his words during an encounter with Donald Trump. In an attempt to encourage Mr Trump to see the opportunity to make nature great again, DiCaprio tried to sway him to take another look at the Paris Climate Agreement. Reverting to type, Trump claimed that the Paris…
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Green Brexit: Farm subsidies ‘must be earned’ – Michael Gove
Michael Gove, as environment secretary, has made Greenpeace UK’s day by saying that farming subsidies must be earned and benefit the environment. Looking for a ‘green Brexit,’ Michael Gove may only be prepared to hand out payments when farmers agree to protect the environment and enhance rural life. “Huge news! Michael Gove has just said…
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Should urban developers be forced to contribute to nature’s recovery in the UK?
By Simon H King With one in seven of the UK’s wildlife species at risk of *extinction should property developers be encouraged (or forced) to contribute to nature’s recovery? (*State of Nature report, 2016). ‘The natural world needs our help as never before,’ warns Sir David Attenborough in the forward to the State of Nature…
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Trump pulls plug on Obama’s clean power plan
Jane Goodall calls Trump’s climate change agenda ‘immensely depressing’ Trump climate: Challenges loom after Obama policies scrapped BBC News–4 hours ago Opponents of President Donald Trump’s decision to scrap his predecessor’s climate change policies say they will organise a public campaign … EU leads attacks on Trump’s rollback of Obama climate policy The Guardian–15 hours ago…
