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[Shadyglade]

As the news reports come in it is clear that this has been a devastating event. We have been warned that climate change will increase this sort of catastrophe and that prospect is very worrying.

Heaven knows how many people have lost their lives there but it will take years for those countries to recover. It make me so frustrated that there is so little that ordinary folk can do to halt climate change if governments continue to take little action.

[CLKD]

  4 raising this.

It is sad.  How frightening too.  But de-forestation has a lot to answer for World wide, because it allows mud slides etc. as there's nothing to stop it.  We need trees etc..

[Shadyglade]

A decade ago there was talk of introducing a carbon credits system where everyone would have so many credits and then they got used up as you undertook pollution creating activities. I was looking forward to being able to sell mine as I would hardly use any not having a car or going on overseas holidays requiring air travel!

Carbon Credit does exist but applies to countries not individuals.

They are very distructive as they are bought so that high polluting companies can continue without introducing green measures.

[Shadyglade]

  You've always got an answer shady.

Sorry, I can't help my self. I have always had huge curiosity. I know a little about lots but not all that much about anything in particular.

[CLKD]

Bit like me then 

We are less self sufficient than 200 years ago so great tracts of forests etc. have been taken down to feed 'us' etc. etc..  Too late to find out that leaving areas tree-less causes problems.  Bit like building on the flood plains across the UK .......... and the Grade I building in Wales .......  affected by last week's storms trees standing feet deep .........

Water always finds it's own level.

[CLKD]

Don't get me started on HS2  and I saw on the News yesterday that another area of the UK is going to have a battle about destroying SSII ........ their Council are having a consultation weekend, well yep.  That's a Legal requirement, it doesn't mean that the locals will be listened to 

We have planted as many trees as we can fit into our garden : the almond looks lovely right now, the fruit trees are budding, the silver birch and rowan won't be far behind  but in the 3rd World, they have to get their money when ever possible and if that means grubbing out acres for palm oil etc..   

I don't know how much woodland has been destroyed for housing?   Around the Midlands it's green field sites that are under threat due to the expense of cleansing brown sites after industries have disappeared.  We had 3 wood yards locally which all went for housing but it took several years go clear the land of mercury etc..  It's hedge rows that makes me angry when those are grubbed out 

[Shadyglade]

Joining your local Wild Life Trust is a good way to be involved in your local ecology.

My husband and I both belong to the Kent Wild Life Trust and he volunteers twice a week.  Interesting news letters as well as to what is going on locally with talks and walks you can go on.

[CLKD]

Sadly they can't stop what happens with issues like HS2  which is ploughing it's way through 5 SSII s etc..

We were Members of our local one for a few years: we have been Members of the Wildlife and Wetlands based in Slimbridge.  We used to count bats for the local Trust and we have the hedgehogs.

Someone on Jeremy Vine yesterday was saying that the UK will be 'out of water' by a date which I can't remember and there were ideas on how to cut back on usage.  Useful then if the Water Companies plugged all the leaks and if the UK stopped building houses without water collection tanks to use for grey water which is apparently, a legal requirement from the EU but has rarely been put into practice.  The 1 'green' estate of over 1,000 properties in our area had problems because the pumps for the grey water tanks failed but no one would take responsibility for maintenance  you really couldn't write it  .   Builders had moved on; management company went bust; LA couldn't afford to take the maintenance on.  Pumps lasted 7 years  so good idea at the time.

We try to save water when we are able to.   We also have holding barrels/tanks in the garden rather than using tap water.  Would love to be able to retro fit a water system for grey water but there isn't enough room here.  We plant trees .........

[Shadyglade]

We actually do quite well, as far a trees go, in this country.  I think only between 5 and 10% of land is built on.  The South East, particularly Sussex and Kent, has the highest tree density.

The problem with HS2 is ancient woodland.  That cannot be replaced.  However, wherever it is routed will result in tree loss.  Also, don't forget that historically the greatest tree loss has been due to agriculture.

[CLKD]

That was long B4 we were aware though 

HS2 isn't necessary.  It has caused so much heartache 

[Shadyglade]

That was long B4 we were aware though 

HS2 isn't necessary.  It has caused so much heartache 

I can't comment on that. Not my area.

[CLKD]

Your area has problems but at least those lorries will, eventually, move on 

More on the news today about lack of help getting to the various areas - I had to look up those parts of Africa as I'm not familiar with the country as a whole. 

[Shadyglade]

Here is an interesting article. 

Perhaps the UK is not doing as well as we hoped?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/22/ukmiss-almost-all-2020-nature-targets-official-report-admits

[CLKD]

Yep.  By allowing building; HS2; hedges being covered as soon as the Big Boys buy up land for future development  how can we meet targets?   It's a bit like the pebble in the puddle, if we each do a small bit - but I often feel thawrted by Government [what, Moi  ] when I read that there isn't yet a recognised system for recycling etc. across the UK.  Start small perhaps?

Then I see that the Rescue Shelters can let healed grey squirrels lose into the countryside under 'special licence' from DEFRA  .......