Category Archives: Planet Earth

A Pointless Waste

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How sad to learn of the shooting of a captive Jaguar, one of the most magnificent of all the big cats, at a ceremony to promote the forthcoming Rio Olympics. Evidently, some bright official decided it would be a good idea to have this beautiful creature tethered alongside the Olympic torch for a photo-shoot attended by crowds of people, television cameras and photographers with noisy flash cameras.

Predictably, the animal took fright and, breaking free of its restraints, tried to escape. Handlers fired tranquilising darts to try to subdue it but failed and the poor creature was shot dead by a nearby soldier.

What a tragic and pointless waste and yet another chapter in the sad catalogue of stories of animals coming to grief whilst in human captivity. Remember the story of the gorilla shot dead in an American zoo a few weeks back?

Can there really be any reason or justification, in this day and age, for keeping wild animals in captivity, particularly in zoos and, even worse, in circuses? The only exceptions should be reserves created for animal protection or refuge-type zoos where injured animals are kept until they can be released or where they are confined due to an inability to fend for themselves.

It is understandable that people want to see the world’s wildlife but isn’t it better for us, under strict supervision and control, of course, to go and see them in the wild? As an alternative, surely it must be possible, in this world of advanced computer and digital technology, to create virtual zoos so that we and future generations can learn about our planet without destroying it? It has to be worth looking into.

Triple Tragedy

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Over the weekend a 22 year old man stripped his clothes off and then, fully naked, threw himself into the lions’ enclosure at a zoo in Santiago, Chile. The lions responded in a predictable manner and as a result two of them, a male and a female, were shot dead. The man, who had left a suicide note with his clothes, is being treated in hospital for “serious injuries”.

This is so sad on a number of levels. Firstly, that a human being (particularly a young human being) felt so desperate that he attempted to take his own life.

Secondly, that he did it in such a way that two magnificent beasts were killed because of the method he chose.

Thirdly, why do we continue to keep animals in captivity, depriving them of a natural life, just so that we can look at them from behind bars?

Blue Belt

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Earlier this month the Marine Environment Ministry announced that twenty three new marine conservation zones had been created around our coastline in addition to the existing twenty seven zones created two years ago.

These fifty zones, in effect a marine national park comprising 20% of British coastal waters, have been designated “blue belt” (a bit like “green belt” on land) meaning that sea life will be protected from the excesses of mankind such as dumping, pollution and even uncontrolled fishing.

What a great idea and what a wonderful piece of news for one of the world’s finest coastlines. Let’s hope that there are enough Marine Environment personnel available to police and protect it from  over-zealous European fishermen.

 

Fighting Litter

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A couple of days ago it was announced that new legislation is to be introduced to deal with the problem of littering in the UK. We all know that littering is a serious problem in our country and I’m sure we’re all tired of seeing drinks cans, fast food wrappers and plastic bottles blowing around our high streets and country lanes.

The response of the Government is to increase financial penalties for littering convictions and to encourage citizens to report transgressors to police officers. The first part is good since people tend to respond to attacks on the pocket but the second part maybe not so.

It is always a little disconcerting when the Government urges us to spy on our fellow citizens and report them to the authorities. It seems to indicate that there are insufficient numbers of law enforcement officers, namely police, to deal with the problem and, following the constant cuts in police forces up and down the country, this is indeed the case.

By all means encourage the reporting of waste-disposal in public areas (commonly known as fly-tipping) to the authorities but asking the public to report individuals for dropping litter on the high street is to ask for trouble. Firstly, is it not risky to attempt to apprehend or remonstrate with a stranger after he has, for example, thrown his cigarette pack or beer can on the pavement? Secondly, is this policy not likely to encourage busy-bodies to report minor infringements, for example the old lady who inadvertently lets slip a sweet paper or tissue from her handbag as she is walking down the street?

Yes, we do have a problem with littering and, yes, most of us are sick and tired of seeing rubbish blowing around our high streets. The problem has to be properly addressed but, whilst increasing the severity of the punishment is a good idea (how about enforced street litter collection by serious offenders? No good, breach of Human Rights and Health and Safety!) that alone will not solve the problem.

What is also required is education; education in the classroom so that kids can be taught what their parents should have taught them in the first place and education provided by a public awareness campaign on television and large billboard notices for those who still don’t get it. Add to that a return of police officers on the beat and we have a good chance of solving the problem.

The Dancing Lady

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Another year bites the dust as most of us, I’m sure, shake our heads, smile wryly and wonder where the hell it all went! Can those 365 days really have gone by so quickly? Will the next year disappear just as fast? Yes and yes! Still, we can now pause for breath, make a mental note of our resolutions for the new calendar year and start all over again.

Every year there is a common wish that the world’s peoples can somehow get along together and live in peace and harmony. Sadly, it’s more a forlorn hope than a realistic wish but we mustn’t stop hoping. If only people the world over could realise the true value of life, the value of their own lives as well as those of others. If they could realise that life doesn’t really last that long so why not try to enjoy it and let others do so too. It really is simple and it is the simple things in life that can make us happy be it a cheerful blackbird on a roof top or the unbridled laughter of a child playing with his friends in the back garden.

A couple of days ago, I was sat outside a café, enjoying the sunshine and listening to some relaxing, happy up-tempo music, when a woman nearby began to sway, slowly, subtly and unashamedly to the rhythm. It was a spontaneous expression of joy that comes natural to human beings. That’s what people do when they are happy, they laugh, they sing and they dance.

Sadly, there are those within our societies – fanatics from a darker age – who preach that singing and dancing are the work of the devil and are examples of the debauchery of a corrupt decadent world. They would rather our bright, beautiful and wonderful world be smothered by the cruel discipline of their religious bigotry, forcing us to live for ever more in darkness and misery.

They are wrong and misguided and we must not allow their primitive, prehistoric ideology to overcome and destroy us. This is our world, these are our countries and this is the way we choose to live. We must protect our lifestyle and our people with every force available to us. The dancing lady must be free to sing and dance whenever the mood takes her.

A Very Happy New Year to us all!

Getting the Balance Right

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Last week saw the end of the hugely important world conference on climate change. After weeks of speeches by environmentalists, and the usual hot air and back-slapping by politicians, sincere promises were made (for the cameras at least) that positive action will be taken.

We were told that the world’s big industrial powers will finally put in motion measures to reduce pollution, combat global warming and thus save the planet.

It sounded quite encouraging until some independent scientists and environmentalists announced that the proposed measures, costing billions of dollars, will actually achieve nothing! So who are we to believe?

I recently read an excellent book, “Iron, Steam and Money – The Making of the Industrial Revolution” written by British author Roger Osborne in 2013. The book tells of the history of modern industrialisation, which of course began in England in the 18th century and spread throughout the world changing the way human beings lived, seemingly forever.

The book ends with this paragraph,

“Life before industrialisation was, for most people, a continual struggle to survive; without reliable sources of energy we cannot live secure and comfortable lives. Any answer to the twin problems of global resources and climate change must begin with that stark truth”.

The question is therefore, are we prepared to sacrifice the security and comfort provided by industrialisation (with all of its side effects) to save our planet?

Uncharitable Thoughts

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This is a very uncharitable thought, particularly at Christmas, but watching the harrowing news of the dreadful floods in the north west of England and seeing footage of the fine historic town of Carlisle looking more like Venice, I couldn’t help myself.

The Government has promised to address the problem and the Prime Minister was very quick to visit the area and present himself for the usual rounds of grim-faced photo opportunities. Mr Cameron expressed his sadness and concern that people’s homes and livelihoods have been destroyed (42,000 homes said to be affected) and the Chancellor, George Osborne, has promised £50 million to help alleviate the suffering. The problem is that experts have predicted that the economic damage could well reach ten times that figure, namely £500 million.

My uncharitable thought was this, why don’t we divert some of the £12 billion earmarked for foreign aid next year or some of the £5.8 billion due to be paid over the next 5 years to the International Climate Fund (more than double the figure set aside to combat UK flooding) to help our own people?

As this blog has commented on more than one occasion, whilst we should always be mindful of our moral obligations, charity begins at home. We must take care of our own and if anything is left over then we can consider charitable donations elsewhere. In a question of priorities why would any rational person ignore the urgent needs of his nearest and dearest?

Broadening the Mind

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One of the greatest benefits of living in the free world is our freedom of movement and the ability to travel virtually wherever we want. I am lucky enough to do it for a living and one thing I have learned is that there is nothing better than travel for developing an understanding of what is going on in the world around us.

Travel puts a true perspective on our own lives and makes us realise that, once we leave our little bubble of familiarity and comfort, we are actually not quite as significant as we may think we are.

One of the most important lessons of travel is surely not so much what we see but what we learn. That is the subtle difference between a tourist and a traveller. The tourist takes his photographs and buys his souvenirs but the traveller not only does that but, travelling with an open and receptive mind, he learns from what he sees and the people he meets, giving something back to those with whom he interrelates.

Probably the greatest hope for humanity is that youngsters all over the world take to the seas, skies and roads and travel as far and as wide as they possibly can. They would then learn one of life’s great truths, that fundamentally, irrespective of skin colour, religion, culture or belief, human beings are pretty much the same.

The true value of travel is therefore not so much the places we visit but the people we meet along the way and if life’s extremists could only open their minds and travel a bit perhaps we might end up with a safer world.

As Mark Twain once famously said “I aint never seen a well-travelled bigot”!

 

A Fine Memorial

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Over the weekend I visited the One World Trade Centre, New York, the building also known as the Freedom Tower, constructed on the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Centre once stood.

I visited this place many times before the atrocities of September 11th, 2001 when nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, and have visited many times since. I have therefore taken a keen interest in how the building recovery has taken shape.

The results are at once spectacular and moving. The new tower is truly beautiful and the area where the original towers stood, now converted to square shaped memorial pools, is a fitting tribute to the victims. The water is said to represent not only the regeneration of life but also the tears of humanity for what happened over 14 years ago.

To read the names inscribed on the memorial, particularly the names of the policemen and firemen along with the numbers of their fire trucks, is heart-rending. Over 400 police and fire officers gave their lives trying to save others and that is perhaps the saddest part of the tragedy.

Glancing up at the magnificent tower gleaming in the Autumn sunlight I realised that the impressive structure is not only a fine work of modern engineering and a moving memorial to all those lost lives but a testament to the courage and resilience of this great city.

Plastic Killer

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This week the results of an investigation by oceanographers and other marine researchers into the effects of plastic waste in our oceans were published in the  journal “Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences”.

The investigation revealed that nine out of ten species of seabird across the planet now have some sort of plastic rubbish lodged in their stomachs. Whilst the plastic doesn’t usually kill the birds outright it can have an effect on reproduction and when death does occur it is usually slow and painful.

To illustrate how bad the problem has become (and how bad it’s going to get, unless  checked) the journal revealed that, 50 years ago, in 1960, it was discovered that plastic was present in the stomachs of 5% of seabirds examined worldwide.

By 2010, that figure had increased to 80% and by 2050 it is estimated that 99% of seabird species and 95% of individual seabirds will have swallowed plastic of some sort or other, whether plastic bags, bottles or other  waste thoughtlessly discarded by human beings.

It’s not just seabirds either, since whales, dolphins, turtles and countless other species are and will continue to be similarly afflicted.

I know this blog has touched on this subject more than once over the last couple of years but, frankly, it is a subject that needs to be repeated and emphasised time and time again. When are we, and more particularly our politicians, going to realise what we are doing to our beautiful planet and when, finally, are we going to do something about it?