keeping
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keeping
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Where have All the Birds Gone? Wild bird population in the UK down more than 65% in 30 years. A third of Britain's native mammals also in steep decline. In 1996 an environmental report was released on the "indirect" effects of pesticides on British bird life. It said that lack of food is literally starving our bird population to extinction. In May 2000 The Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer,
Dunnock and Sedge Warbler all went on the endangered species list as their
species have now fallen by 45 percent. The Ringed Plover, Meadow Pipit,
Lapwing, Moorhen, Linnet and Reed Bunting have also gone on the list. Birds such as the the Mistle Thrush, Night Jar and many other native song birds are quickly declining in numbers across the country. The sparrow population, once a thriving community about our towns and cities have also disappeared. The environmental report's wording of "indirect" technically means that birds and some animals are not "directly" being killed by the pesticides... but their food source is. Modern farmland (and garden) pesticides target and kill insects and grubs etc. leaving animals relatively free from direct harm. However insects are the main food for birds and their young. No insects mean starvation of the bird population on a massive scale. The effect is also devastating the global amphibian population as frogs and toads are declining by 2% each year. The continuous destruction of hedgerows and natural ground coverage is also contributory to this major tragedy. Also to blame for the huge decline of Britain's mammals are recent rapid building developments eating into the countryside. Fragmented woodland areas and modern practices in woodland management have also been blamed for the serious decline. By removing dead wood in woodlands, insects and habitats are destroyed, meaning less food for birds. In 2000 the final nail in the coffin was hammered in by the the proposed go ahead of genetically modified crops. These are designed to grow without the need of pesticides because their cell structure has been artificially modified to repel insects... the food of wild birds, mammals and amphibians. The implementation of such "Frankenstein" technology means the high risk of cross fertilization affecting vegetation and plant life outside the borders of G.M fields. The prospects are frightening. The remaining pockets of our native bird population stand no chance as the natural food chain completely collapses. In France the yearly national country sport of shooting wild birds on migration continues regardless of the current situation. As part of the Global Green Law concept mentioned elsewhere at VeggieGlobal we propose:
Suggested reading linked to these issues Organic Awareness... How YOU Can Help. Buying organic has become far more popular in the last eight years, a trend which is no bad thing either. But you should also consider the positive effects in the environmental chain, which this trend generates. We remind you so that the organic revolution does not stand risk of loosing momentum. Here we describe to you how your vegetable and fruit buying trends can help save wildlife. And for those of you who haven't considered converting to organic this section applies to you also. At the moment organic is a little more
expensive, but the more of us who make the effort to spend those few extra
pennies, (instead of that cream cake!) will be making all the difference.
Higher demand for organic veg will soon bring the prices in line with
undesirable (but more aesthetically pleasing) pesticide covered produce.
The difference in taste is amazing too, and so much healthier. You can
actually feel the effects of the nutrition value in organic fruit for
example. As more and more farmers convert to organic through demand, their
pesticide free techniques will slowly help re-establish the remaining
population of the country's birds, mammals and amphibians. Your choice
in fruit and veg has a direct effect on the survival or extinction of
natural wildlife. Copyright 1996-2000
Tales of a Garden Wonderland by John O'Donnell Once I lived in a house in Surrey, England. One half the garden was allowed to do its
own thing, finding its own balance through natural selection as native
plants that thrived in that area of England seeded and grew. The other
half of the garden was arranged for the recreational benefit of its human
inhabitants: mostly grassland, but even there daisies, buttercups and
dandelions (which shortsighted gardeners call weeds!) where allowed to
grow and flourish. Amongst the wild areas, I cut narrow paths so we could
explore the abundance of wildlife without trampling all over their delicate
habitats. Amongst the profusion of wild flowers and sun-dappled corners
under flowery shrubs, animals came and explored ... and because they soon
realized that they were in a safe place, they stayed because it was a
safe haven between the sterile gardens in rest of the neighbourhood. The time came when I was forced to move from that house and I could only hope that its new occupants would be kind-hearted spirits who might recognize the gardens magical, natural qualities. But ass I was to find out, that certainly wasn't to be the case. As things turned out, and again because of unpleasant circumstances, (which is not part of this story) I ended up having to stay in the house next door. One evening at dusk, I was working on my computer in an upstairs room of the next door house. Through the window I could see sparks of fire blowing across from my old house. I leant out of the window to see what was happening, and to my horror I could see the whole garden cut to the ground and burning on a giant bonfire, where once a miniature rare wild flower meadow grew. To top it off, a few days later an earth digger appeared - with one huge shovel it filled my wonderful wildlife ponds with rubble and earth, killing hundreds of frogs toads, newts and dragonfly larvae. (It turned out that this pond was another of only thirteen reported breeding grounds of this dragonfly species in the UK.) At the same time, one of my old bird boxes, which I had been observing for weeks from the house next door, was ripped from its post and disposed of... it was carrying a whole family of tits. There was never any point in discussing
the preservation issues with the mindless, ignorant new occupiers who
did this, because these typical consumerist "home makeover"
couples - with no vision beyond their passion to redesign their self-serving
lives - will never give pause for thought about the environmental effects
caused by their destruction. Later that Year Suggested reading linked to these issues
Armchair Tree People by John O'Donnell One of the more positive aspects of TV broadcasting are rare documentaries highlighting environmental damage created by humankind. A few years back one such localized issue was broadcast coinciding with building works that were about to start in the area where I lived in Surrey, UK. The program highlighted the effects on trees when cutting machines sliced deep channels along pavements to lay cable for communications like cable TV. Digging gangs get paid by the mile to do this job so the quicker they work the more money they earn. The TV program showed areas around the country where cables had been laid using this slicing method five years earlier. Since then, hundreds of trees had died because their main roots had been cut in half by the digging machines. Whole streets of hundred year old trees had been killed. It takes time; five to ten years for the effects to show, by which time the cable companies have long gone. After watching the programme, and with a spontaneous burst of inspired motivation I grabbed my computer and began to write. Two days later I had delivered more than 1500 letters to all the houses in the area explaining my concern... Basically I covered all the roads that were due to be dug up by the local cable company. The roads in question were home to thousands of old and large species of pines, redwoods and other established trees in that unique part of the Surrey Downs. All these trees are habitats to an abundance of wildlife. Meanwhile, the cable company had also done their own house to house delivery. They had invited residents to a publicity evening where "couch potatoes" could learn of the wonderful world of Cable TV. In my letter however, I had also told the neighborhood to attend this meeting... but they were going for quite a different reason! I also mentioned in my letter that laying cables for an aging cable TV system was an archaic and unnecessary country-wide operation (being professionally knowledgeable about broadcast delivery in the media), because we would all be receiving digital TV through our ordinary aerials and telephone cables in two or three years ... which is exactly what has now happened) The Cable TV publicity evening arrived, and instead of a gathering of a few couch potatoes, eager to buy into a package of sports channels, the cable company were somewhat surprised when hundreds of people from the town poured into the hall, including local politicians and the press. A riot of shouting and protest ensued. I remained completely quite and illusive. However one person in the audience was getting particularly verbal against the surprised cable TV representative and was almost removed from the building. To my surprise, by the end of the evening the cable company agreed to manually dig around the main tree roots when laying the cables. The story made front page headlines but until this day I have remained anonymous. The point is that any Joe Public sitting in front of the telly has the power to make a difference if he or she takes the task to hand and does something about it. That's true politics at the very root level... (in this case literally!) Not hypnotized lefty, righty or whatever party members handing out leaflets on polling day down at the shopping center. Its certainly not the politicians fault that they didn't take the ground level action as I did. They have a hundred issues on different levels to juggle around. I am sure they would hope that more ordinary people took an issue close to their heart and act on their aquired knowledge themselves ... still within a legal and diplomatic manner.
FOOTNOTE: We'll only know in a few years time if the cable company stuck to their promise ... if all the trees are still standing. Suggested reading linked to these issues
Suggested Reading Linked to These Issues United Kingdom I USA (and rest of world) Books United Kingdom:
Bird
Life (Collins)
The
Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
The
Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control : A
Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden & Yard Healthy Without
Pesticides
Complete British
Wildlife Paul
Sterry
Collins
Wildlife Trust Guide: Trees of Britain and Europe
Collins
Pocket Guide: Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe
101
Questions & Answers About Backyard Wildlife
The
Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
The
Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control : A
Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden & Yard Healthy Without
Pesticides
The
Atlas of Endangered Species
Endangered
Species (Pocket Companion)
Amphibians
in Danger : A Worldwide Warning
Look
Closer: Tree Life
Ancient
Trees
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Wildlife Files - Discovery Part One
