There was a report out recently saying that native wildlife species are on the verge of extinction due to loss of habitat.
This didn’t come as much of a surprise to me, unfortunately, as at the moment there seems to be a continual drive to concrete over large areas the country with yet more houses or warehouses.
Why isn’t there an emphasis on regeneration?
Why not take run down areas and rejuvenate them, making them pleasant places in which to live or work?
Wouldn’t this give jobs to builders, electricians, plasterers, plumbers etc? Why do we need to take large green areas and then build on them?
We need to preserve green spaces, to let wildlife flourish – according to Albert Einstein the human race can’t exist without bees, for example. As he was a lot cleverer than most of us, I think we ought to heed his warning.
I recently saw a picture from another country where people were having to hand-pollinate plants as the bees had died out in that particular area. These are not the sort of jobs we should be creating – ‘save the bees’ is a worthwhile mantra.
Back to the UK, and the sad news that the gardeners’ friend – the humble hedgehog – has seen its population decline by around a third since the millennium, its demise being blamed on intensive agriculture and urban development.
That’s a huge decrease in a relatively short time. If we’re not careful, Mrs Tiggywinkle and her friends will be consigned to the history books.
I would urge all councils and planning officers to think carefully when granting planning permission to developments on countryside and other green spaces. Otherwise short-term perceived gain might mean long-term pain for future generations.
No comments:
Post a Comment