MSN Food Blogger: Blog

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Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:57:28 GMT

I am still getting lots of your pictures of the countryside after a recent feature we ran.

Here's a few more of them.

Halesowen, 9 miles southwest of Birmingham city centre

Glencoe in Scotland

Woldgate, Yorkshire

Keep emailing them in and I will include the best ones in a gallery soon. ukenv@microsoft.com.

Aside from this one of the biggest issue you've been talking about this month is bottled water. Why do we buy it when it costs so much and has such a high environmental impact?

"It's perfectly understandable when you live in an area where your tap water tastes horrible and is basically undrinkable but, when you live in an area where your tap water is fine and you can't complain about it, what's the point?" Says Lucy_12.

Quite right Lucy.

Join the message board debate if you have a view

Why Food Matters

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:21:03 GMT

Some fascinating facts from a UK Cabinet Office report on food, published this week.

Cereal production needs to increase by 50% and meat production 80% between 2000 and 2030 to meet world food demands. But this will need to be achieved in a changing climate and in a world where natural resources – especially water – are becoming more scarce.

UK consumers waste £10 billion worth of food each year.

Half of the food eaten in the UK is home-grown, nearly 70% of the rest comes from elsewhere in the EU. Everything else, from tea to pineapples to prawns is sourced from across the world.

The food chain creates 18% of UK greenhouse gas emissions.

A third of the food bought for home consumption is wasted – 6.7 million tonnes. Most of this could have been eaten. Wasting food costs the average UK family £420 a year.

If UK diets met nutritional guidelines, 70,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year. On average, adults and children eat more salt, fat and added sugar than is good for their health.

Eating well makes all the difference

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:40:02 GMT

It really does make a difference what we choose to eat - to our health, our bills and not to mention the planet.

So from now on that's what this blog is going to be all about.

There are stories about food almost everyday. So much so that it is almost impossible to keep tabs on what we can and can't, should and shouldn't be eating.

This blog is going to pick up and explore or "dig" into these issues and more.

So look out for the first post coming soon...

Yours,

Food Digger

A home for climate change refugees

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:02:27 GMT

A great plan for dealing with an inevitable problem? Or just a nice idea?

Architect Vincent Callebaut claims the self-sufficient amphibious cities are a "tenable solution" to the problem of rising water.

He reckons the floating cities, inspired by the Amazonian lilypads, could accommodate up to 50,000 what he calls "climatic refugees".

Britain could lead the world on renewable energy

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:28:31 GMT

It sounds ridiculous at first glance because we are so far away from that at the moment.

It's going to cost us £100 billion as a nation and upwards of £4,000 per household to reach the EU's target of generating 20 per cent of our power from renewable sources by 2020.

As of today we are generating, wait for it, a tiny 2% of our power needs from renewable sources. Oh dear. The other 98% is largely made up of coal, gas and nuclear.

But, we do have the potential to meet that 20% and much more and the reason why is wind and water.

As a windswept island we are surrounded by a pool of energy far greater in potential than North Sea oil. According to Greenpeace, the UK has enough wind, wave and tidal power to meet our entire energy needs.

If you are interested, we've analysed the issue in greater depth on MSN Environment.

Iconic Britain

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:13:22 GMT

What image best sums up Britain? Salty vinegar flavoured fish and chips? A green country field dotted with sheep?

Join in the search for the most iconic image with the MSN Iconic Britain competition.

Either search for an image to vote for or submit your own image that you have taken.

For those of you wishing to hunt for eco-type images there is a special wildlife category.

Lazy green employees

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:55:57 GMT

What's your company doing to reduce its environmental impact? Not a lot according to research out today.

Refurbishment specialist Morgan Lovell (perhaps looking for a bit of work off the back of this one) say 60% of the UK's largest businesses are encouraging employees to behave in a more sustainable way in the workplace while doing very little themselves!

The excuse being trotted out by most of them is the perceived cost. But making improvements around the office needn't cost much at all.

For example how many offices still allow bins under desks? Sort out the recycling bins and watch the rubbish levels fall away...

Living it up in the city

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:52:47 GMT

I complained about the lack of environmental focus in the latest Mercer ranking of cities.

Well now we've taken our own look at cities that are trying to improve their green credentials, 'Why City Living Can Be Green'.

Some of what we discovered is quite surprising. For example, who would have though that city dwelling actually produces less carbon dioxide than living in the countryside?

Do we really need a third runway anymore?

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:05:56 GMT

Surely we do given the current boom in demand for air travel. Well maybe not, according to an alternative hypothesis.

The current case for airport expansion is based on the premise that air passenger numbers will go up and up.

But higher oil prices may actually reduce future air passenger numbers as people struggle to afford the resulting higher air fares.

Environmental groups are using this argument to force a Government U-turn on support for a 3rd runway at Heathrow.

The WWF, who commissioned some research into the issue, say if oil prices continue to rise then the Government's estimate on air passenger numbers will be redundant or in their own words, "pie in the sky"...

Your Countryside Pictures

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:33:58 GMT

After a recent gallery of photos of the British countryside many of you sent in your own images.

I've posted a few of the best of them here. Judging by the quality of the entries I think it would be well worth me trying to get MSN to run a photo competition soon.

In the meantime any budding photographers can enter our current competition to win a VIP photography trip to the world famous Bass Rock in Scotland.

Your Photos

The Bristolian' steam railtour passing Brinkworth near Swindon from Paul Rerrie.

With memories of coming home with armfulls of bluebells to occupy every vase, jug and bottle in the house for the next two days from Alan Hiller.

A woodland that feels like another world yet is on her doorstep from Maria Luis.

An English country view for an ex-pat living in China from Lee and Penny Cordes.

The Tamar River greenbelt under pressure from developers from Ross Miller.

Green city living

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:48:13 GMT

The consultancy firm Mercer is publishing it's ranking of cities tomorrow. I am pretty sure it'll be the Swiss and Germans that will dominate the top of the quality of living ranking.

The report ranks cities on issues such as; political stability, health, safety, facilities, housing, public services and entertainment.

But what about the environment?

Many people cite access to open space and a tranquil life for swapping city life for the countryside. They shouldn't have too.

We should be creating green living cities that will make people want to stay in rather than migrate away. Cities like Freiburg in south west Germany are the templates that other cities should follow.

Meanwhile, I am going look into whether or not Mercer's latest top ten cities are doing anything to keep people seeking a greener living.

Rowing the River Wye

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:53:50 GMT

Is this the most beautiful river in Britain? In bid to find out I am going to be rowing the navigable length of it in two weeks time, from Glasbury to Chepstow.

ll be taking my tent to camp along the way too so il get the full river experience!

I am a complete novice when it comes to river rowing but thankfully there are some great resources out there. The Environment Agency for one has produced a complete map of the river route from Glasbury to Chepstow and also include a guide to the route as well.

The EA's route splits it into 5 days but we're going to have to cram it into 4 days so 25 miles of rowing per day.

Will we do it? Or will it all go wrong...? Il report back soon

Environment Site Changes

Fri, 30 May 2008 12:12:13 GMT

We've been making some changes to MSN Environment over the past few days. This will continue over the weekend as well.

Firstly, apologies for any errors you encounter in this period.

We hope that once everything has settled down the site should be both a better resource for users as well as being much easier to navigate.

The main change is the creation of separate topic areas; Climate Change, Wildlife and Green Living.

We're also going to work on improving the Take Action section as an area of the site where you can find as much tips and tools as we can possibly fit on to help you reduce your environmental impact.

In case you missed it, we've also now have an exclusive daily environment news round-up courtesy of ITN. It appears on the site at around 1pm everyday.

As always, any suggestions, problems or complaints please feel free to contact me: ukenv@microsoft.com

China Bans Plastic Bag

Thu, 29 May 2008 17:17:16 GMT

China is banning the production of ultra-thin plastic bags from this weekend. In addition, supermarkets will be barred from handing out free carriers.

While most of us in the UK still dither over the plastic bag debate, the Chinese authorities say the move is needed to combat 'white pollution' & conserve resources.

The move has already, according to PA reports, forced the closure of Suiping Huaqiang Plastic firm in Henan Province, the biggest producer of China's daily estimated total of 3bn plastic bags and an employer to approximately 20,000 people.

So what's the UK doing?

Well M&S has already introduced a 5p charge on all plastic bags in a bid to encourage more people to re-use bags. Now Asda is launching a 'bag on request' initiative.

It sounds like a cop-out to me from a supermarket that is too scared of customer backlash to introduce a charge.

Asda's scheme will mean customers will be required to ask for plastic bags instead of being offered them.

Studies have shown plastic bag use can be cut by as much as 20% when shoppers are forced to ask for bags.

We'll have to wait the result of both of these UK initiatives. Otherwise the pressure for Government action rather than more warnings will grow.

Does this annoy you?

Fri, 23 May 2008 13:26:09 GMT

It really annoys me. It's just pure laziness. If you can't find a bin just hold onto it. I am fairly sure most of the people who stuffed their rubbish in this newspaper-recycling bin knew what kind of bin it was - they just couldn't be bothered to care.

It's bad enough the amount of waste newspapers cause in the first place. Bins like these are meant to be there to help. They are going to do no good at all if they're full up with coffee cups and fast food waste.

I am going to start collecting a photo gallery of these type of pictures, 'The Shame Gallery' or maybe 'Lazy Britain'.

If you can do better than the above picture for annoying environmental behaviour, email me your phone or camera photo to: ukenv@microsoft.com

Are you suffering from Green Garden envy?

Fri, 23 May 2008 11:00:59 GMT

Apparently we're all getting very jealous of our neighbour's vegetable patches!

Right on cue for the bank holiday rush, a B&Q study has revealed that we're all desperate to improve our green credentials and especially so in the garden.

And the top 5 most envied items?

1. Vegetable patch

2. Chicken coop

3. Wild area to encourage wildlife

4. New car

5. Water-efficient plant watering system

Meanwhile, if you're looking for some garden inspiration check out the following we've published on MSN Environment this week:

Chelsea Flower Show Photos

Video Diary: Roof Gardens

Toxic consoles...

Wed, 21 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

Greenpeace has turned its anger at the computer games industry this week. It is accusing console makers of failing to use environmentally-friendly hardware.

"If manufacturers only looked at each other's products, they'd quickly see ways of replacing their own dirty components with toxic-free materials," The group said on its site.

"A greener, cleaner game console is possible. There's no excuse for playing dirty."

Natural disasters or man-made?

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:58:05 GMT

Interesting to see the results of a poll that has been running on msn environment recently - 50 per cent of respondents so far think climate change is to blame for the recent spate of natural disasters.

I've yet to hear any scientist stand up and defend this link. I think we're unlikely to either.

But, there have been some interesting observations made about the impact man-made actions are having on exacerbating natural disasters.

See the following post from a couple of climate change analysts: http://theclimatereport.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!6429F834222F19FC!289.entry

Boris's big tree idea hits the streets

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:02:35 GMT

Boris wants to plant 10,000 trees on London's streets by the end of his 4-year term in 2012.

A great idea for improving the look and feel of some streets, extra wildlife havens and providing some health benefits from the trapping of road pollution.

He claims may trees are being dug up across the capital - a trend he wants to reverse.

But, has he thought about why they are being dug up? A professional gardener told me recently that street trees far from adding to the house value are in some instances causing problems to house foundations and structure.

I don't want to be a boring sceptic here but I hope whoever does the planting checks with the owners first. Otherwise 10,000 planted trees will surely not last long!

Sir Paul furious over Airmail

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:49:50 GMT

I can't say I was surprised to hear about this news. Apparently, Sir Paul McCartney's new eco-friendly car was delivered by jet.

Thus creating a carbon footprint almost 100 times bigger than if it was shipped!

Are you happy to pay for the view?

Tue, 13 May 2008 11:12:15 GMT

Farming, rural lobby groups and even the Government has been arguing that we will have to pay farmers to keep farming the land and maintaining the landscape we know and love.

Are you happy to do this? If it's open and accountable then I can see it being supported by many people. Anything has got to be better than the dreaded CAP which effectively pays farmers for owning a farm.

Also, while we're at it lets make farming more open. If we're going to support skilled people for maintaining hedgrows, keeping livestock on the land etc then lets make it a profession that is open to everyone.

Farming is pretty much a closed shop these days - with land so expensive and the tenant farms being sold off by local councils to make way for housing and other development, getting on the farming ladder is nigh on impossible.

Why I'd still buy imported food

Fri, 09 May 2008 16:29:59 GMT

I'd like to say I wholeheartedly agree with Gordon Ramsay's view that restaurants should be fined if they sell out-of-season fruit and vegetables.

http://environment.uk.msn.com/news/headlines/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8271065

But, it shouldn't be taken as a cue to ban all such food imports.

While restaurants should strive to buy and source locally, (just as I do) there is still a strong ethical argument that we should continue to buy imported fruit and vegetables where they provide trade to developing countries.

For example green beans from Kenya, mostly air freighted into the UK.

I may be in a minority now though because even the Food Ethics Council (usually the voice of ethical reason on these matters) seem to be siding with Ramsay on this one. It's executive director Tom MacMillian has said:

“Eating with the seasons can cut our carbon footprint and many people find it a real pleasure.

"More effective than a ban would be to have a strong, positive government-backed campaign, a clampdown on misleading ‘seasonal’ marketing and policies that mean we meet the high environmental costs of producing food out of season.”

Oil drilling in the South Downs

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:28:10 GMT

Blimey, oil in the picturesque South Downs!

http://environment.uk.msn.com/news/headlines/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8264542

Surely that's not going to help those pushing for it to be given National Park status?

I can just see visitors being very happy with seeing their beautiful woodland view obscured by drilling equipment.

I've put a call into Northern Petroleum Plc to try and find out more about their plans but have yet to hear anything back.

If you want to know more about them this is their website: http://www.northpet.com/. Not much about any potential drilling in the South Downs.

Biofuels - We're in for the long hall

Thu, 01 May 2008 17:35:23 GMT

Despite all the recent negative coverage the message that stuck with me strongest from a biofuels conference this week was that biofuels are here to stay.

Greenpeace and others may want to scrap the RETFO (the mandatory obligation for petrol sold in the UK to include at least 2.5 per cent biofuels) but that's unlikely.

We may not know the exact carbon saving, if at all, we are getting from the various biofuels out there but surely it's better to stick with the technology rather than scrap it?

And maybe just maybe that algae might just deliver the renewable low-carbon fuel we're all waiting for...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A hello from Tom the new blogger - I've just taken over the environment editor's blog. Il try to be as informative as possible but feel free to disagree.

Small steps towards a carbon deficit

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:54:37 GMT

Readers of MSN have intimated to me that they can be put off the whole notion of reducing their carbon-footprint when faced with a long-list of ideas and initiatives designed to help them. “Where do I start?” was the general tone of the e-mails.

My advice would be don’t try and save the world in one go; begin the process with one or two changes around the house, including recycling household waste, ensuring your property is well insulated and making sure you turn off lights and appliances when they are not in use. Please visit www.wasteconnect.co.uk and type in your postcode to find out the nearest recycling facilities to you.

Encourage yourself with financial gain so that you can benefit personally as well as the world. Take your household electricity reading for 24 hours, then introduce the changes before taking another reading a day later.

Further to this, each household could endeavour to buy UK produce, thereby reducing the need for air and freight transport from all points around the globe. At www.wasteonline.com it is claimed that “a typical basket of 20 everyday grocery items from a supermarket could clock up over 100,000 'food miles' if you include air-freighted goods, such as sugar snap peas from Kenya, Danish bacon or New Zealand apples’. Food transport is a major contributor to greenhouse gases and global warming, so stick to the best of UK-grown seasonal food if you can.

My favourite way to reduce the carbon footprint in our household is to take advantage of seasonal freebies. It’s the perfect solution. You get to wear a ‘green halo’ and enjoy wonderful flavours for free. Right now, rowan (mountain ash) berries are ripe for the picking, but make sure you know which tree to harvest. You will need to move fast as the thrushes have already begun to feast. Check out www.the-tree.org.uk/ to make sure of your ID.

Follow my recipe for rowan syrup and you could easily make enough to keep you going for a year. It is sweet and sour, is delicious on pancakes and ice-cream, outstanding with game and if you add the syrup to gravy, your guests will never leave.

Bleak House Rowan Syrup is made purely from rowan berries and cane brown sugar. Preferably you should use recycled jars, and re-use three plastic bags to collect the berries. Three full standard plastic bags should provide enough for your own use and around 10 standard jars to give away as Christmas presents.

Wash the berries and pick off any stalks. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the fruit through a scalded jelly bag, pair of tights can do the same job. Leave to drip for at least 30 minutes and DO NOT squeeze the bag, the juice will become cloudy; be patient. Use 450g of sugar for every 600ml of juice. Warm the juice and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Simply boil gently until liquid reduces and reaches the required syrupy consistency. You could add apples and lemon juice to the mix. I made one batch this year with brandy. Two things to remember, do not eat rowan berries raw and avoid wild food you are not sure of. Visit www.seanthewood.com for other ideas.

The impact of the floods - a clearer picture

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:18:13 GMT

Two months down the line after the summer floods receded, it is only now that a more comprehensive picture is emerging, of how the wildlife in the affected areas has suffered.

Wildlife Trusts, and many other conservation organisations are still in the process of clearing-up after the devastation, a job which needs to be completed before any assessment of the long-term situation for some of the U.K’s rarest animals can be undertaken, but early estimates are not good.

The bittern, a scare brown heron, which only nests in four areas of the U.K. was virtually wiped out in Suffolk when seven of the nine recorded nests were washed away, and the young birds died in the low temperatures. "It was cold and wet right across the bittern's breeding range," said Mark Avery, the RSPB's director of conservation. "One wet cold weekend dealt a devastating blow to one of Britain's rarest birds."

The snipe, a long-billed wader, with cryptic-brown colouration, has been decimated by up to 50% in some areas; and this in the face of a declining population prior to the floods. Other waders to suffer include the lapwing and redshank.

The grey partridge, a medium-sized gamebird with a distinct orange face, has been hit particularly hard, according to the Game Conservancy Trust.

"The wet summer has been a total wash-out for young partridge chicks struggling for survival and urgent conservation action needs to be taken by all those with a responsibility for managing the British countryside," said Nick Sotherton, head of research at the trust. The grey partridge had already suffered an 86 per cent decline in the past 30 years and was on the brink of extinction in many areas.

The purple heron, a close relative of the common grey heron, was thought to be breeding in this country for the first time at the RSPB’s Minsmere Reserve. The deluge possibly persuaded the birds to migrate back to Southern Europe.

"Purple herons are fantastic birds, one of the more charismatic members of the heron family, and certainly one of the most beautiful," said the RSPB's Graham Madge. "This would have been a new species nesting in Britain and we are extremely disappointed."

Mammals such as the water vole, already much reduced in number because of predation by the non-native American Mink, have also been hit very hard.

Brian Eversham, of the Bedfordshire Wildlife Trust said, "It's because many of the water vole populations are now small and isolated, if they are wiped out in an area, there may well be no other nearby population to re-colonise it."

The one small glimmer of hope for the water vole comes in the shape of Severn Trent's reserve in Gloucester where a population of water voles was introduced in 2005.

Jane Willmott, of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust said: "The tide mark on the vegetation showed water levels had been about four feet across the reserve, and things didn't look too rosy for our resident water voles with no high ground nearby.

However I found evidence that water voles had been using rafts left on the water for us to check on them. It appears that some of the water voles had used the rafts as their very own Noah's Arks to escape the rising water levels.”

The reduction in small mammals, including voles and mice, has undoubtedly had an adverse effect on owls, especially barn owls, with many tree-hole nests being washed out. The Hawk & Owl Trust have launched an Adopt A Box scheme, check out www.hawkandowltrust.org for details.

One of the most beautiful butterflies, the extremely rare swallowtail, which only breeds on the Norfolk Broads, has had a poor season, not least because the flooding drowned many caterpillars, but also because their main food plant, milk parsley was flattened.

Gloucestershire’s ‘heartland’ nature reserves in the Severn Hams have been left devastated by the floods according Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, which has launched an urgent appeal for funds to help repair the worst of the damage before winter.

Now the floodwater has retreated, the Trust has been able to assess the impact of the flooding in this normally wildlife-rich area, but fear that nothing has survived.

Just as individuals and communities in Gloucestershire are recovering and rebuilding following the worst floods to hit the county in 200 years, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust needs to rebuild and repair the wildlife habitats swept away – but must raise £300,000 to enable birds, mammals and insects to return successfully.

“The people of the Severn Vale don’t deserve to lose their wildlife habitats on top of everything else,” says Dr Gordon McGlone, chief executive of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. “The Severn Hams nature reserves flood most winters, but not like this. The scene is still shocking. Everything’s covered in a filthy brown slime, the ditches choked by debris and the stench of rotting vegetation is overwhelming. But worst of all is the silence. It’s a wasteland. We have a tiny window of opportunity to get the restoration work underway before winter, which is why we’ve launched the appeal so quickly.”

The reserves affected represent a key strategic defence for the wild flora and fauna in the Severn Vale, and include Coombe Hill meadows and canal, Ashleworth Ham, Meerend Thicket, Chaceley Meadow and Mythe Railway.

Already a long-term corporate supporter of the Trust’s work has pledged a substantial amount of the money needed. Grundon Waste Management, an environmentally responsible company, has promised £250,000 over the next three years as long as it remains operational at its local site at Wingmoor Farm. But this still leaves the Trust with more than £30,000 to raise through an urgent Severn Hams Appeal.

If the appeal is successful, one of the first actions will be to appoint a warden to co-ordinate volunteers and contractors in a huge clean up task. Gates, fences and hides will need to be repaired, and rubbish and debris removed. The worst of the rotting vegetation has to be removed urgently so some of the more vulnerable species can return before winter, which is essential if they are to stand a chance of breeding again next year.

Among the species to have fallen victim to the flooding are ground nesting birds such as lapwing, skylark and redshank, which will all have been rearing young. Many 'low scrub nesters' such as chiff chaffs, willow warblers, sedge warblers, passerines and reed buntings will also have been washed away.

“Ultimately our aim is to connect the Severn Hams reserves with adjoining habitats to create one huge wildlife highway stretching the entire length of the Vale,” continues Dr McGlone. “Only then will vulnerable species stand a chance of survival, especially if severe weather events like this happen more frequently due to climate change.”

For further information on the appeal please e-mail info@gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk or to check out your part of the country log on to www.wildlifetrusts.org

If you have any stories or pictures to share about animals in the floods, domestic, farm or wild please e-mail sean.wood@talk21.com

If 'Set-Aside' goes, so will the birds that have benefited

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:52:23 GMT

The rare stone-curlew, one of England’s most elusive birds, has thrived on farmland called 'set-aside', which has also helped declining skylarks, yellowhammers, lapwings and barn owls.

Set-aside – land on which wheat, barley and other food crops cannot be grown – will be scrapped next year but the government has no plans to replicate its benefits despite its 2020 target to reverse farmland bird declines. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn will today (September 3) consider conservationists’ pleas for replacement measures.

Dr Sue Armstrong Brown, the RSPB’s Head of Countryside Conservation, said: “The loss of set-aside with no replacement is about the worst thing that could happen to stone-curlews and other farmland birds, at the worst possible time. More than a quarter of stone-curlew chicks are raised on set-aside and far more skylarks nest on set-aside than on fields with crops. In winter, set-aside becomes a giant bird table for many species including skylarks, corn buntings and linnets.”

All of these birds have government action plans to boost their numbers but none are likely to hit recovery targets if set-aside goes, unless its benefits are reproduced by other means. Set-aside was never intended as a conservation measure but has turned out to be a boon for wildlife. Ten years of work to help stone-curlews, led to the bird hitting its 2010 recovery target of 300 breeding pairs, five years early. The species, one of the UK's strangest looking birds, suffered one of the most spectacular declines of all wildlife after the Second World War because the bare or sparsely covered fields it used for nesting disappeared.

Stone-curlews are about the length of a crow but slimmer, more elegant and with much longer wings. They have long yellow legs and large yellow eyes. They have been known by the vernacular names, thick-kneed bustard, goggle-eyed plover and wailing heath chicken.

The bird used to number more than 1,000 breeding pairs in England before habitats were lost to arable farming and forestry after the Second World War. The bird was found in 23 English counties in the nineteenth century, stretching from the Yorkshire Wolds to Essex to Dorset but by 1985, numbers had dropped to about 160 breeding pairs. Their strongholds now are Wessex – mainly Salisbury Plain and Porton Down – and the Brecklands on the Norfolk/Suffolk border.

Set-aside became compulsory in 1992 as part of the Common Agricultural Policy, to reduce Europe's grain mountains.
When set-aside was cut from 15% of farmland to five per cent in 1996, the most recent large-scale change, farmland bird numbers dropped by five per cent. In East Anglia, 80 per cent of linnets spend the winter on set-aside, compared to one per cent on winter cereals.

In France, the little bustard is dependent on set-aside. In Austria, set-aside is important to birds of prey in winter and many farmland birds.

Set-aside has also improved water quality by keeping land next to watercourses free of fertilisers. In this way, it has partly compensated for environmental damage caused by agricultural intensification.

More than 150 farmers and landowners work with the RSPB to help stone-curlews. Some farmers now say that they will be unable to continue that work if set-aside goes.

The UK Bio-diversity Action Plan

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:15:14 GMT

So, the government has decided to add a few animals and plants to the list of 'at risk' British wildlife. That's the good news. The bad news is that in some cases, the action may be too little, too late. Cute pictures of hedgehogs on the national news do not cut the mustard. There needs to be a real will to anything about the present situation, and that means money. Money to finance a major nationwide initiative to protect what is left, and money to invest in tackling the problems which have caused the decline of any particular species in the first instance.

The cuckoo has been placed on the list, but there is perhaps no obvious reason for their decline, except for continued droughts in the Sahara, which they negotiate twice a year during migration, and a shortage of food in their African winter haunts; however, the answer for other species, such as the water vole is much closer to home and involves an alien species, the American mink.

This adaptable, opportunist and indiscriminate hunter, is credited with having wiped out 90% of water voles and has now colonised virtually the whole of the UK after escaping from fur farms at various times during the last century. Some managed to escape when mink coats went out of fashion and fur-farms were neglected, still more gained access to our countryside when their keepers were called up to fight for the British Army, and latterly, many were deliberately released by animal rights activists.

Twenty years ago I discovered their droppings high in the Peak District Hills, at 700 feet above sea level, on the banks of a small stream near my Bleak House home; they contained feathers, scales and fur. In other words, they were preying on brown trout, small birds and mammals, including the scarce water-vole. They may even have some impact on cuckoos which use the nests of ground-nesting birds to lay their eggs in.

Being semi-nomadic, they go where there food is; I was hoping that they would soon clear off, but no such luck. Recently they killed my chickens in broad daylight and although they shot off when I shouted, they came back allowing me to take the pictures seen here.

Of course, I have nothing personal against the mink, it’s a great survivor, but I would certainly like to see the back of it. Teams of pest-controllers need to be employed across the country if anything is to be done about the mink.

In the early eighties, another alien was completely eradicated from Norfolk and East Anglia, the giant coypu. The animal’s habit of undermining the counties dykes and riverbanks ensured an early exit from these shores.

Most 'incomers' or non-native species cause no problems for our native flora and fauna, but others such as the water primrose and Japanese knotweed, from South America and Japan respectively are particularly troublesome. Japanese knotweed, for example, is perhaps the most invasive plant in the world, and has been a particularly difficult hurdle for the 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to overcome, because although it was only found on a small percentage of the total area of the site to be developed, there was no easy way to get rid of it and only time will tell whether they have been successful. During the past 12 months they have dressed the affected area with herbicide, before cutting back the large stems, but so powerful is the Knotweed, the authorities’ best efforts may not be enough, as the plant resists destruction, its roots can penetrate several metres through concrete, and even if buried deep below the ground in landfill sites, it can grow again after laying dormant for many years. The species also causes problems in terms of flood management. It increases the risk of riverbank erosion when the dense growth of the plant dies back in the autumn exposing bare soil. It can also create a flooding hazard if the dead stems are washed into the streams and clog up the channel. A fragment of root as small as 0.8 grams can grow to form a new plant.

The plant brought to England and planted by the Victorians, is now on the government hit list because of the threat it poses to native species, and there are strict conditions about its removal and disposal, with large fines for those who ignore them. The cost of a national eradication programme using current techniques is prohibitively expensive, estimated in the Defra Review of Non-native Species Policy to be in the region of £1.56 billion. However, the Environment Agency does take local measures if flood defences are compromised (using risk assessment and local knowledge).

The Japanese Knotweed is just one of many alien species of plant and animal to have found their way to these shores, some by accident, some by deliberate introduction, and perhaps still others because of warmer weather. In whatever manner that they managed to get here, some have caused untold damage to our native flora and fauna, and if I could press a button now, and they would vanish from these shores for ever, consider it pressed.

North American Ruddy Duck: Defra's European and Non-native Species team oversees the eradication programme of the North American ruddy duck, as a part of the policy to save the European white-headed duck from extinction. Control of the ruddy duck population in Europe is necessary, as cross breeding with this non-native species is a threat to the white-headed duck's long-term survival. For more information please follow the links below:

Grey Squirrels: The grey squirrel was introduced into this country from North America in the 19th century and has spread widely, especially in lowland areas, with a population now estimated at over 2 million. They are regarded as pests by a number of groups because of the damage they cause to woodland. They are largely responsible for the decline of the red squirrel in England because they are stronger and more adaptable than the red and they carry the Squirrelpox virus, which is lethal to red squirrels. More information is available on the following Defra News Release http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2006/wildlife-0123.htm

Signal crayfish: Introduced non-native fish such as Zander and signal crayfish can have direct effects on native species, for example by predation, or can upset the natural ecological balance. Non-native fish can also introduce novel diseases and parasites to which our native populations may have no resistance. In addition to the 1981 Act, further legal controls on the keeping of non-native crayfish were implemented in 1996. In England and Wales, The Prohibition of Keeping of Live Fish (Crayfish) Order 1996 was made as an Order under the Import of Live Fish (England and Wales) Act 1980. See the efishbusiness website and information on non-native fish and crayfish.

Aquatic plants: eg. The water primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora) Ludwigia which is currently unmanageable in France, is an aquatic plant native to South America. It can spread rapidly and the very dense mats which it forms can present a threat to many aquatic species by depriving the submerged plants below of light, causing problems for aquatic invertebrates, clogging waterways and exacerbating flooding risks. It can lead to more algal growth in more static water and crowd out the space needed by fish. It may also provide perches for cormorants and herons, leading to increased predation. In 2006, Defra commissioned the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to trial methods to eradicate the weed (helped by the Environment Agency). The signs are that as the trial continues the "problem" is diminishing and complete eradication may well be feasible. More information is available on the following Defra Focus story http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/issues/2007/environ-0102.htm

Ring-necked or rose-ringed parakeet: A native of India and sub-Saharan Africa which has been recorded breeding in the wild in Britain for over 30 years. It has built up substantial populations in parts of south-eastern England, with particular increases in population size in the last decade. This species is the most widely introduced parrot species in the world and has also built up substantial populations in continental Europe, particularly in urban areas.

The impact of this species on native species is poorly understood although there has been the suggestion that it may compete for nesting sites with native hole-nesting bird species (e.g. nuthatch). In its native range it is also a serious pest of agriculture, and there is growing evidence of impact on a range of crop species (apples, pears, grapes and other top fruit) in England. As well as the ring-necked parakeet, there are three other species of parakeet that are breeding in the wild in Britain. These are the Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus, Alexandrine Parakeet P. eupatria and Blue-crowned Parakeet Aratinga acutaudata. Despite their large and growing populations there is a dearth of information on the impact and likely future development of parakeet populations in England.

The Audit of Non-native Species in England (2005) reported a total of 2721 non-native species and hybrids present in England, with 1413 species after garden animals, fungi and rarer vascular plants were removed. In a similar survey, the Audit of Alien Species in Scotland (2001) reported 988 non-native species (not including fungi). However, only a small minority of non-native species become invasive, posing a threat to the environment and the economy. The majority of non-native species are beneficial to man e.g. most of our crops and domestic animals. www.nonnativespecies.org

English Nature also completed an exhaustive survey on non-native species which can be seen at http www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/publication/pdf/662.pdf