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| Nigel Farage butterfly spotting? Our politicians could use some wild reinvention Nigel Farage butterfly spotting? Our politicians could use some wild reinvention | |
| (7 days later) | |
| Barack Obama spent the weekend in Yosemite national park, and made me realise how rarely we see western politicians beyond the built environment. He was the first sitting president since JFK to visit Yosemite and, for all his sincerity on climate change, his trip is so late in his presidency that it appears legacy-building rather than agenda-setting. | Barack Obama spent the weekend in Yosemite national park, and made me realise how rarely we see western politicians beyond the built environment. He was the first sitting president since JFK to visit Yosemite and, for all his sincerity on climate change, his trip is so late in his presidency that it appears legacy-building rather than agenda-setting. |
| Obama has the great statesperson’s gift of looking at home wherever he travels but how often do we see British politicians in the wild? Tony Blair never embraced the countryside. The nearest Gordon Brown got was looking uncomfortable on Southwold seafront (he was on holiday, poor thing) and I can’t begin to imagine George Osborne trading his hard hat for a scythe. | Obama has the great statesperson’s gift of looking at home wherever he travels but how often do we see British politicians in the wild? Tony Blair never embraced the countryside. The nearest Gordon Brown got was looking uncomfortable on Southwold seafront (he was on holiday, poor thing) and I can’t begin to imagine George Osborne trading his hard hat for a scythe. |
| David Cameron’s appearance with huskies in Norway may have been a cynical attempt to detoxify the Tories but at least he recognised that nature could be useful. | David Cameron’s appearance with huskies in Norway may have been a cynical attempt to detoxify the Tories but at least he recognised that nature could be useful. |
| Politicians avoid wild places because here they look small. And nature is unpredictable, as demonstrated by Neil Kinnock stumbling into the surf at Brighton. Mainly, however, wild photo opportunities are eschewed because few politicians take an interest and spinners dismiss “nature” as a visual language that too few people understand. It all contributes to the tragic ongoing absence of the environment in public debate. | Politicians avoid wild places because here they look small. And nature is unpredictable, as demonstrated by Neil Kinnock stumbling into the surf at Brighton. Mainly, however, wild photo opportunities are eschewed because few politicians take an interest and spinners dismiss “nature” as a visual language that too few people understand. It all contributes to the tragic ongoing absence of the environment in public debate. |
| The EU referendum is the latest example, despite our membership being the biggest single shaper of nature and farming in Britain. (The European commission’s investigation into Poland’s destruction of the irreplaceable Białowieża forest is a welcome demonstration of the protective role it can play.) | The EU referendum is the latest example, despite our membership being the biggest single shaper of nature and farming in Britain. (The European commission’s investigation into Poland’s destruction of the irreplaceable Białowieża forest is a welcome demonstration of the protective role it can play.) |
| After this toxic plebiscite, all our politicians could benefit from a spot of sympathetic rewilding. Amber Rudd would make a splash in a canoe, Osborne could yet prove a talented pond-dipper. Nigel Farage might detoxify himself by taking up butterfly spotting. | After this toxic plebiscite, all our politicians could benefit from a spot of sympathetic rewilding. Amber Rudd would make a splash in a canoe, Osborne could yet prove a talented pond-dipper. Nigel Farage might detoxify himself by taking up butterfly spotting. |
| Parliamen-tree privilege | Parliamen-tree privilege |
| The tree-planting politician was once common currency in local papers. Trouble is, they don’t plant trees any more. Despite a growing awareness that trees alleviate flooding, the Forestry Commission planted just 700 hectares of woodland in England last year, massively missing its 5,000-hectare target. | The tree-planting politician was once common currency in local papers. Trouble is, they don’t plant trees any more. Despite a growing awareness that trees alleviate flooding, the Forestry Commission planted just 700 hectares of woodland in England last year, massively missing its 5,000-hectare target. |
| MPs should better grasp the value of trees after arboriculturist Kenton Rogers last week surveyed the 124 trees growing around parliament. This modest greenery stores 40 tonnes of carbon, removes 74kg of pollution and produces 1.4 tonnes of oxygen each year. They only thing it can’t prevent is the production of hot air. | MPs should better grasp the value of trees after arboriculturist Kenton Rogers last week surveyed the 124 trees growing around parliament. This modest greenery stores 40 tonnes of carbon, removes 74kg of pollution and produces 1.4 tonnes of oxygen each year. They only thing it can’t prevent is the production of hot air. |
| Back of the nest joy | Back of the nest joy |
| Springwatch ended with the magnificent Chris Packham introducing a “beautiful, patient” female sparrowhawk as “the Daniel Sturridge of the bird world” a couple of hours after the striker fired England to victory against Wales. | Springwatch ended with the magnificent Chris Packham introducing a “beautiful, patient” female sparrowhawk as “the Daniel Sturridge of the bird world” a couple of hours after the striker fired England to victory against Wales. |
| Springwatch and football tournaments are both expensive outside broadcasts with excitable commentators that are gloriously unpredictable makers of new heroes. | Springwatch and football tournaments are both expensive outside broadcasts with excitable commentators that are gloriously unpredictable makers of new heroes. |
| I’m enjoying Albania in Euro 2016 but the football’s greatest underdog stories will struggle to surpass Springwatch’s blue tit who raised a great tit. The heroic mum (who laid eggs among those abandoned by a great tit) hatched nine chicks. Nine became four (none of her own) who were attacked first by a stoat and then by a jay. Just one fledged. The last we saw was exhausted mum feeding her hulking great child in an oak. Come on you blues. | I’m enjoying Albania in Euro 2016 but the football’s greatest underdog stories will struggle to surpass Springwatch’s blue tit who raised a great tit. The heroic mum (who laid eggs among those abandoned by a great tit) hatched nine chicks. Nine became four (none of her own) who were attacked first by a stoat and then by a jay. Just one fledged. The last we saw was exhausted mum feeding her hulking great child in an oak. Come on you blues. |