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200 species at risk of extinction, UK study finds
Earth and Leaf Editorial – Title The Merlin could disappear in worst-case scenario, with British isles facing ecological ‘point of no return’ This is the very bleak picture the UK faces. Agriculture must change. This starts at the top in two distinct ways; With our moorlands and uplands and our politicians. The way our uplands are managed is one of the last remaining examples of feudal heritage. Large estates with tenant farmers scraping a living, whilst the land is managed for sport privilege for a few wealthy individuals. Grouse shooting must end and our politicians must drive this. Researchers warn of 20-year window for decisions on climate and land use,…
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Remembering Gerald Durrell at 100
I will be remembering Gerald Durrell at 100 which is what he would have been yesterday. I devoured Gerald Durrell's books as a child. I read the lot, several times over. I fell in love with nature and our environment long before I fell in love with farming. Our family farm was pretty unintensively managed. My life has gone full circle and now I am fighting for nature and farming.
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Losing Noahs Ark
{Losing Noahs Ark – Earth and Leaf editorial} {extract below} As the evening sky turns violet, the animals of the Pantanal gather near the water. Capybaras swim in tight formation, roseate spoonbills add smudges of pink to the riverbanks, the rumble of a jaguar pulsates from the forest. This tropical wetland is the largest on Earth, stretching across Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, and playing host to some of the greatest gatherings of animals anywhere. Now, scientists say the survival of the entire biome is at risk. Losing Noahs Ark: The Pantanal “The Pantanal is like Noah’s Ark. It is home to animals that are disappearing … a place where…
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Elon Musk Could Avert Global Species Extinction
{Elon Musk Could Avert Global Species Extinction – Earth and Leaf editorial – he is not going to of course} {extract below} Elon Musk could avert global species extinction Only a portion of Elon Musk’s wealth could halt over half of global species extinction. The most vulnerable countries are Madagascar, Colombia, Philippines, Brazil and Indonesia. Can we save thousands of the world’s most threatened animals and plants from extinction by protecting just a tiny fraction of the Earth’s surface? A new study in Frontiers in Science suggests that safeguarding just 1.2% of the planet’s land surface, about 1.64 million square hectares (633,200 square miles), or an area slightly smaller than…
