A Handful of Winners and Far Too Many Losers as the National Trust Reviews a Difficult Year for Nature.

 

The National Trust, the charity ‘committed to promoting and preserving places of natural beauty and historic interest in the UK [1] has published its 2021 review of the state of nature in the country.

 

For 126 years the trust has worked to preserve historic houses and other buildings, it also has in its care significant areas of countryside and coastline.

 

The 2021 Weather and Wildlife review [2] highlights the impact climate change is having on species and the habitats that support them and identifies ‘winners’ and ‘losers’.

 

The year ending has presented challenges for the natural world in the shape of, as the report describes it ‘extreme weather events and untimely seasonal conditions’ that have ‘wreaked havoc on moorland, coastal and woodland habitats.

 

These include in the Spring and Summer an unusually dry March followed by late frosts in April and May, then a Summer that fell within the ten warmest on record. Following on from this a ‘settled and warm’ September causing trees to shed their leaves early, as Autumn gave way to Winter Storm Arwen swept in causing widespread devastation. Overall winters are getting milder with warm and wet conditions triggering diseases damaging to trees with many having to be felled.

 

Among the species emerging as ‘winners’ are beavers with record numbers of pups expected to be born, numbers of rare spiders have also increased with the endangered species Zora silvestris being discovered at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. A dry April followed by a warm June made 2021 a bumper year for wildflowers and a warm and damp autumn saw similar growth in fungi.

 

Losers include the substantial number of trees having to be felled following a resurgence of diseases such as ash dieback, which led to 30,000 trees having to be cut down across the country. Thousands of larch trees were also lost in the Lake District after an outbreak of Phytophthora. Storm Arwen caused devastation to forests in northern England and North Wales, the bill to replace these could exceed £3million.

 

Guillemots, razorbills and other seabirds were found dead or dying along the south coast during the summer, part of a pattern of unexplained mortality seen across Europe. Although not officially tagged as ‘losers’ it was a tough year for terns, with some species suffering as high tides flooded their nesting sites, Brent geese also struggled with a smaller than usual number of young birds making the arduous flight over from Canada.

 

Ben McCarthy Head of Nature Conservation and Restoration Ecology at the National Trust said 'Climate change is making some forms of extreme weather events the new normal. Heatwaves and heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent and more intense’.

 

Adding that 'What we’re seeing in the UK with the impacts of wildfires and severe storms such as Arwen and Barra, is how climate change is altering our landscapes forever.'  

 

The National Trust now see dealing with the impact of climate change as one of the major issues driving how it preserves the buildings, collections, and landscapes for which it has responsibility.

 

In a statement on their website, they describe how they are ‘having to make building alterations to cope with flooding and manage the effects of a changing coastline and rising sea levels. Almost three quarters of the most important land in our care is vulnerable to climate change. Not only do these landscapes support wildlife, they also store carbon’.

 

Going on to say they are working to tackle the ‘causes of climate change by reducing emissions, caring for the land that captures and stores carbon, nurturing wildlife habitats and putting pressure on the Government to adopt policies that will help us all look after the places their members love to visit’ [3].

 

Serious though it is for the landscapes the National Trust looks after climate change is a global phenomenon, with a report published by Christian Aid estimating that the ten worst extreme weather events including Hurricane Ida and the flooding across much of western Europe in July caused $1.5billion in damage.

 

In August the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its sixth saying that it now had ‘high confidence’ that the evidence for human influence on extreme weather events has been strengthened [4].

Despite hopes that the COP26 summit held in Glasgow earlier this year marked a change of pace in moves to address climate change as leading nations including the United States and China struggle to turn fine words into concrete actions. Concerns are growing that any steps made will be too hesitant to make the dramatic impact needed [5].

 

Designating ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in how species and the habitats that support them adapt, or fail to, to climate change is a useful means of gaining media attention. It shouldn’t though detract from a far more important message.

 

Climate change is a real and present danger, one that will do more harm to every nation than the two world wars of the last century and the pandemic put together. Governments need to stop manoeuvring and horse trading and recognize that without concerted and coordinated action there will soon be no winners only losers.

 

 

 

[1]https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/for-everyone-for-ever-our-strategy-to-2025

[2] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/2021-weather-and-wildlife-review

[3] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/tackling-climate-change-together

[4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59761839

[5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59744522

 

Video Highlights Shocking Failure of Leadership at Newcastle Borough Council.

 

Green Party activists in North Staffordshire have welcomed a video highlighting the actions of the Conservative group on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and in particular council leader Simon Tagg around the sale of green sites.

 

The video was created by members of Save Newcastle’s Green Sites (SNGS), a campaign group set up to protect green spaces threatened by development as part of the council’s local plan for housing.

 

In a statement on their Facebook page SNGS describe the way the borough council has gone about preparing and consulting on its ‘strategic options’ for building housing in and around Newcastle as ‘dubious.’ They also draw attention to the harm poorly thought through development will do to wildlife and the health of people living in the area.

 

The video gives a breakdown of the council meeting on 17^th November at which the strategic options were debated.

 

A spokesperson for North Staffs Green Party said, “this is an eye-opening takedown of the worrying practices of the council and in particular its leader.”

 

The focal point of the video is a speech by council leader Simon Tagg in which he deliberately misinforms the meeting six times and attempts to deflect blame for the failings of the plan onto the previous Labour administration on nineteen separate occasions.

 

Throughout his tone alternates between self-justification and thinly disguised sarcasm, the spokesperson for North Staffs Greens described Mr. Tagg’s performance as, “one of the most disappointing things I have seen in twenty years involvement with local politics. He makes no attempt to engage with either the questions put to him by fellow councillors, or the concerns articulated by members of the public over the local plan.”

 

Those concerns were expressed at a demonstration held outside the council offices on the night of the meeting at which a representative of the Green Party spoke.

 

The Green Party also sent a letter to Simon Tagg raising concerns about the way the council was organizing its public consultation, citing breaches of the Nolan rules.

 

Mr. Tagg’s response, as shown in the video was a single comment on Twitter saying they should ‘stop being political.’

 

The Spokesperson for North Staffs Greens said, “the reply received is all too sadly indicative of the failure of leadership at the borough council and suggests a wilful refusal to take criticism seriously by Mr. Tagg.”

 

“We remain committed to standing with the communities taking action to protect their green spaces, if Simon Tagg has a problem with either us or them being ‘political’ in this way, maybe he should consider taking up another line of work.”

 

Newcastle Borough Council’s public consultation on the strategic options runs until the end of January and can be accessed at:

https://consult.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/kse

 

The Save Newcastle’s Green Spaces video can be watched on YouTube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyQSK_Ky3Ck

 

 

 

The New Year Could Mean Disaster for Small Businesses Hit By Post-Brexit Customs Checks.

 

The new year could be a far from happy one for small businesses thanks to the introduction of full post-Brexit customs checks and changes to VAT set to be introduced on 1^st January.

 

The Green Party has called for the UK to begin negotiations to re-join the EU customs union and for small businesses to be offered free support from trained advisors [1].

 

If this does not happen the party warns there will be a risk businesses will be overwhelmed by increased, paperwork, and disruption to supply chains. A situation that could be made worse by a return to lockdown in one form or another.

 

Green Party Deputy Leader Amelia Womack said in a press statement “The new customs and VAT measures from January 1st will increase costs, paperwork and supply chain issues at a difficult time of year for many businesses. January will potentially be even more difficult than usual due to tougher covid restrictions and the possibility of a ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown.”

 

A survey conducted for the institute of Directors (IoD) and reported in the Guardian earlier this month found that 37% of the small businesses polled were not ready for the coming changes, worryingly a number were not even aware they are set to take place.

 

Speaking to the Guardian Kitty Ussher chief economist at the IoD said this is likely to “exacerbate existing supply chain problems, leading to further congestion at ports, as well as extra costs from accidental non-compliance for many businesses. Government needs to ramp up an awareness and advertising campaign around these changes, simplifying the guidance, so that all importing businesses feel confident they know how to keep supplies flowing into the new year” [2].

 

The extent to which small businesses are unprepared for the impact of changes to the customs and VAT regimes linked to Brexit is confirmed by research published by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

 

This found that 25% of small importers likely to be impacted by the changes said they were aware of the changes, despite being affected 33% of the businesses that responded said they were unaware of the changes until alerted by the FSB, 16% said they were aware of the changes, but were unable to make adequate preparations [3].

 

Amelia Womack said the survey showed that “Businesses consider the UK’s new trading relationship with the EU to be their number one challenge, ahead of skills shortages and the economic climate”

 

Adding that, “The UK’s trade deal with the EU is the first in modern history that creates more rather than fewer barriers to trade.” 

 

FSB national chair Mike Cherry told industry news service Supply Management they were “urging the government to do all it can to raise awareness, with our support, through every channel available to it in a climate where a lot of small firms simply don’t have the cash or bandwidth to manage this new red tape.”

 

He criticised previous government support packages such as the SMA Brexit Support fund for being overly bureaucratic and having eligibility criteria and application timeframes that were too narrow.

 

What was needed, Mr Cherry said, was “an Import Support Service to empower firms with the guidance and information they require to successfully navigate global trade as it evolves.”   

 

It was clear, she said, that the problems looming for small businesses would be reduced were the UK to re-join the customs union, including a unified VAT regime.

 

The Green Party were, she went on to say calling on the government to “negotiate immediately with the EU to make this happen. We also want to see small businesses offered free support from professional advisors. The paltry £20 million pot for such support has run dry, but businesses need support now more than ever.” 

 

By calling on the government to re-join the customs union, deal with the problems caused by changes to VAT for importers and to provide extra support for businesses to manage the coming changes the Greens are strengthening their position as the party of small businesses.

A point emphasised by Amelia Womack when she says the impending problems for small businesses show that “the government won the last election on a false prospectus. They haven’t got Brexit done. Instead, businesses are being undone by Brexit. It’s clear that it isn't possible to leave the EU in a way that doesn't damage business.” 

 

[1]https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2021/12/21/greens-warn-of-catastrophic-consequences-for-small-businesses-from-post-brexit-custom-checks/?link_id=1&can_id=8bc5e413fe5b14a23ca14eb06da17776&source=email-local-party-resource-standing-in-solidarity-with-small-local-businesses&email_referrer=email_1392299&email_subject=local-party-resource-the-impact-of-brexit-on-our-small-businesses

[2] https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/13/a-third-of-uk-importers-not-ready-for-full-brexit-customs-checks-survey

[3] https://www.cips.org/supply-management/news/2021/december/third-of-firms-not-prepared-for-new-brexit-border-checks/

 

A Walk in the Woods Could Save the NHS £185 Million in Mental Health Costs.

 

As part of National Tree Week Forest Research have published a report, the findings of which show the health benefits of spending time in woodland [1].

 

The report was funded by the Forestry Commission and the Scottish and Welsh governments and is the first project to look specifically at the mental health value of the UK’s woodlands.

 

It does so by looking at the costs avoided through access to woodland leading to a reduction in mental health problems. It found that the mental health benefits of regular visits to woodland, based on 2020 prices, added up to a saving for the NHS of £185 million every year.

 

The project compiled and investigated data on the avoided costs of prevention and cure of mental health problems including lost working days and savings on NHS treatment. It used this to derive a value based on natural capital, the total of the country’s natural resources [2] a value for the avoided costs.

 

An ‘avoided costs’ approach is one that factors in reduced reported incidence of depression and anxiety following regular visits to woodland and balances these against costs associated with GP visits, drug treatment and lost working days [3].

 

The pandemic has seen the number of people experiencing mental health problems in the UK rise sharply. In an article published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in May of this year Tim Vizard and Theodore Joloza report that 21% of the adults responding to the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey conducted by the ONS reported experiencing some form of depression, with young adults and young women facing the biggest impact.

 

They write that their analysis ‘paints a picture of a rising toll on mental health, with some people not necessarily accessing medical help, particularly during the start of the pandemic’ [4].

 

Speaking to the Guardian in April following warnings that the UK faces a ‘terrifying’ mental health crisis due to the pandemic with which the NHS will struggle to cope Adrian James, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said “The extent of the mental health crisis is terrifying, but it will likely get a lot worse before it gets better. Services are at a very real risk of being overrun by the sheer volume of people needing help” [5].

 

Access to nature either woodland or other green spaces has been something that people have reported as helping to protect their mental health at a time of great upheaval.

 

Data from the People and Nature for England survey conducted earlier this year by Natural England shows that between April and June 41% of the adults who responded said they were sending more time outside enjoying nature with 85% saying doing so helped to improve their mood [6]

 

There are though persistent disparities in the ease with which people can enjoy the benefits of access to green spaces, with age and socioeconomic factors playing a major role.

 

After almost two years of grappling with the pandemic the way we live our lives has been transformed dramatically, often in ways that are, as the rise in mental health problems shows, extremely stressful. One of the few positives to emerge from this period is the new appreciation many of us have for the natural world and the beneficial effect contact with it can have on our wellbeing.

 

Sadly, this is something the government have been slow to recognise, despite talking a good game on wanting to make it easier for people to enjoy nature, their actions have lagged far behind their words. A point attested to by the failure to include improving access to the countryside, including woodland, in the things farmers are paid to do under the Environmental Land Management scheme introduced as part of the Agriculture Act (2020).

 

On a purely cost orientated basis the findings of this report show that making it easier for us all to take a walk in the woods or any other green space offers a significant saving for an NHS that is struggling to cope. It may also make us all happier and healthier too.

 

The full report can be accessed at:

https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/8217/FRRP034.pdf

 

 

[1]https://www.mentalhealthtoday.co.uk/news/awareness/researchers-find-that-woodland-walks-could-save-up-to-185m-in-mental-health-costs?utm_source=https%3a%2f%2fnews.pavpub.com%2fpavilionpublishingandmedialz%2f&utm_medium=GatorMail&utm_campaign=MHT+Ebul+9%2f12%2f21&utm_term=Is+high-functioning+a+valid+mental+health+label%3f&utm_content=87360&gator_td=89gh91HsBXUpyNX1WmE7MuU5Ea12OxLMc44XybTzltY%2byLqjaMVPqOrFq4O%2bemuubCtwNndv2KcQH8jSNEdY979dlBg5bQWUDzmxs1wA%2fQbjB6bZQJGQJrYYr7y8%2fAzJ8NR5Yr2crCOa%2fkso29gk7Q%3d%3d

[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/methodologies/naturalcapital

[3] https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/8220/FRIB003.pdf

[4]  https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2021/05/05/are-we-facing-a-mental-health-pandemic/

[5] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/apr/09/extent-of-mental-health-crisis-in-england-at-terrifying-level

[6]https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-adult-data-y1q1-april-june-2020-experimental-statistics/the-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-adult-data-y1q1-april-june-2020-experimental-statistics

 

Small Businesses are the Backbone of Our Economy and Need Support to become Greener.

 

Green Party activists in North Staffordshire have given their support to the party’s plans to help small businesses become more environmentally sustainable ahead of Small Business Saturday, due to be held on 4^th December.

 

A spokesperson for the Green Party said: “Small and independent businesses and enterprises are the backbone of our local economy. And as many large corporations decline and abandon our town/city, small businesses can help revitalise our High Streets” [1].

 

The spokesperson went on to say: “We know many small businesses are committed to becoming more sustainable and to improving the welfare of their employees, but it is often made difficult and expensive for them to do so. That’s why, this Small Business Saturday, we are calling on government, and our local council, to introduce a series of measures to support small businesses to do the right thing.”

 

A spokesperson for North Staffs Green Party said: “For years we have seen the six towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent and the historic market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme go into decline as large chains pull out, often it is small traders who step in to fill the void, providing jobs and services for local people”.

 

Small Business Saturday marks the culmination of a tour of 20 UK cities that began in Glasgow on 13^th October during the COP26 climate conference.

 

The purpose of the tour, said Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, was to “put the spotlight on fantastic small businesses and their communities” [2]

 

The tour will emphasise environmental sustainability, something 97% of UK small businesses say is important, with many saying they want to play a role in helping the UK reach its Net Zero goal by 2050.

 

Michelle Ovens said: “Running The Tour in an environmentally conscious way is incredibly important to us, and in doing so we hope to encourage small businesses to take the leap and pledge to go Net Zero.”

 

The Green Party is making four key asks of local and national government to help small businesses thrive and be sustainable.

 

These are that no small business should pay higher business rates as a result of greening their business; that VAT should be reformed so that it does more to support small businesses; small businesses should be given more help with improving employee wellbeing, and that local authorities should work with small businesses to create ‘virtual high streets’ making it easier for them to compete with big online retailers [3].

 

The Green Party spokesperson said: “We know many small businesses are committed to becoming more sustainable and to improving the welfare of their employees, but it is often made difficult and expensive for them to do so. That’s why, this Small Business Saturday, we are calling on government, and our local council, to introduce a series of measures to support small businesses to do the right thing.”

 

The Spokesperson for North Staffs Greens said: “Making it easier for local small businesses to be greener in how they operate will help them to create the new jobs and industries that are key to regenerating our city. We want to see plans to make this possible put front and centre in the council’s long-term agenda for regeneration”.

 

The Green Party was the national spokesperson said, “proud to be the party of small business” and had “long championed business rates reform and extending and expanding business rates relief”.

 

Adding that the party wanted to see small businesses and the communities of which they are an integral part “thrive”, through being “provided with the support they need to do so.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1]https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ncRc46QqIYPEzbsgstEJJnVJ0AqWBX1IEfbvyL0kxF4/edit?link_id=4&can_id=8bc5e413fe5b14a23ca14eb06da17776&source=email-cop26-resources-3&email_referrer=email_1372292&email_subject=small-business-saturday-resources

[2] https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/media-information

[3]https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lTq2hp4XK3jLjPG8gk40ZCT1dr8_jWV8QcVfyGJ9Ny4/edit?link_id=3&can_id=8bc5e413fe5b14a23ca14eb06da17776&source=email-cop26-resources-3&email_referrer=email_1372292&email_subject=small-business-saturday-resources