Category Archives: Habitat

Pope Francis

As expected Pope Francis is about to release his encyclical concerning the environment and climate change. The Guardian article below explains much of what is likely to be included in the Bull. The Pope concurs with many of our ideas here at The BA. One important aspect is the cultural & aesthetic appreciation of Nature in its own right. Remember too that the Vatican has a voice at the UN and is a country in its own right; as well as speaking for over a billion Catholics worldwide.

Also as expected the Yankee Republicans said “the pope should stick to his job!”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/13/pope-francis-intervention-transforms-climate-change-debate

Another important e-petition asking for help

They only need a few thousand more signatures for this to go to Obama. Any help welcome, thanks. If you are unfamiliar with the impacts of such things take a look at Vieques in Puerto Rico. Michael

https://www.change.org/p/united-states-department-of-defense-do-not-use-the-inhabited-us-islands-of-tinian-pagan-as-a-high-impact-bombing-range

Poyang lake, China - CCTV

China’s wetlands

: Poyang lake, China - CCTV

A useful article on China’s wetlands. I liked the fact that they report the impacts of human activities, such as Three Gorges dam, whereas western media tries to pretend we have no impact. Another article says that China has 10% of world’s wetlands.

http://english.cntv.cn/2015/05/19/VIDE1432040282288536.shtml

Ortolan bunting - Roger Tidman, Corbis

Europe’s birds

: Ortolan bunting - Roger Tidman, Corbis

Early warning here. I imagine the report itself, once released, will be illuminating. There are several other links off the Guardian article below.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/14/a-third-of-europes-birds-under-threat-says-most-comprehensive-study-yet

Rotoroa Island - Rototoa Island Trust

Rotoroa: Creating a novel ecosystem

: Rotoroa Island - Rototoa Island Trust

I like this story: for far too long people have ben accused of ‘playing God’ whenever they’ve tried to do something positive for our natural world. On the other side of the fence sits the business-as-usual crowd wilfully destroying habitats and species so that the economy can keep growing. Here at last we may be seeing a far better approach. Michael 🙂

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2015/apr/21/rotoroa-new-zealand-birds-wildlife-rewilding

Great Green Wall

This article is from 2012, I’d never even heard of it, but it’s an excellent idea. I was in West Africa a few years ago, including Senegal ~ many of the people are poor, living mostly subsistence lives. I’ve also experienced the increasingly-frequent sand-filled winds blowing from the Sahara to the Mediterranean, they are hard work. Mike 🙂

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/12/senegal-great-green-wall