Simon Wightman

Want to import toxic chemicals into Britain with scant scrutiny? Labour says: go right ahead | George Monbiot Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Tory fantasy of a post-Brexit bonfire of regulations is coming true. Our bodies and ecosystems will pay the price, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Want to import toxic chemicals into Britain with scant scrutiny? Labour says: go right ahead | George Monbiot

Labour tells developers: Pay for pollution and you can build faster A nature and conservation fund will be set up to stop wildlife concerns from blocking new homes

A Nature Restoration Fund to help developers meet their legal responsibilities for nature *could* be positive if it's done well, but it mustn't become a free pass for unsustainable building.

A 🧵of some risks and opportunities.

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Although it's new, BNG needs urgent review.

The weaknesses are ones we flagged from the outset:
🏡Enforcement is failing so promised gains never appear.
🏠The 10% gain requirement isn't enough to contribute to nature recovery
🏘️Huge loopholes leave many developments exempt.

@richardbenwell.bsky.social asks if the UK has a culture of non compliance with environmental law. Ongoing failure under Water Framework Directive, advice not to enforce Farming Rules for Water, Water companies routinely exceeding permitted discharges. CIWEM A Fresh Water Future Conference

Juvenile cod underwater

🎣 #Overfishing is emptying our seas of life. It’s time to put a stop to it, but to do so we need proper plans in place for our key fish populations. 🐟

So why are UK Govts DELAYING action on these piecemeal plans? 1/3🔽
consult.defra.gov.uk/joint-fisher...

🌿 Thread: DEFRA confirms ‘mirror’ agreements to avoid gaps in environmental rewards, but why is this even necessary? Let’s unpack the history and urgency of reforming Higher Tier environmental schemes. 👇

This discharge from the M6 to a tributary of Syd Brook causes horrific, toxic pollution every time it rains. We could only find water fleas & blood worms living here. A complete failure of regulation. #ItsNotAllAboutTheSewage

Environmental grants promised to farmers in England frozen Scheme to fund activities such as hedge-planting paused owing to budget constraints, sources say

The capital grants scheme, opened by UK government to allow England's farmers to invest in infrastructure such as slurry storage to stop animal poo going into rivers, has been abruptly paused

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The farmers march on Westminster

unherd.com/2024/11/a-fa... great article but the title doesn’t really capture the story. Over the last decade, farmers have had to deal with policy uncertainty, inadequate budget commitment for agri-environment support, unfair trade deals. This isn’t just about APR.

Thanks Nic, looking forward to some good chat. You know how strong my social media game is!

That photo was taken the time we borrowed your tent

My second post is going to be a photo of somebody else’s slide… Prof Miles Richardson highlights the measurable mental health and other benefits that come from taking time to notice something in nature. NBN Conference. I’ll be checking out his blog for more findingnature.org.uk

Climate change threatens rare temperate rainforests Up to two thirds of the world’s temperate rainforests could fall victim to climate change by the year 2100 according to a new study by researchers at the University of Leeds.

“The UK has more potential for temperate rainforest restoration than anywhere else in the world… UK rainforests are resilient to low & medium amounts of future warming”

But rapid climate action needed to save other temp rainforests

Ace new research by Leeds Uni: www.leeds.ac.uk/research-32/...

Hi everyone, pleased to join the community on Bluesky and looking forward to great conversations. Currently at the National Biodiversity Network Conference in Liverpool and didn’t want my first post to me a photo of someone else’s slide…

Gravel is the unsung hero of healthy rivers.

I think it is (almost) as important for river wildlife as the water that flows over the top.

The sediments, pebbles rocks and stones are vital to healthy rivers but they are also under threat.

Read on to find out why 👇