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ACROSS THE WORLD, the loss of biodiversity is proceeding at an unprecedented pace, with the human handprint putting one million species under the threat of extinction.
Things are no different in Ireland as several iconic species are under threat, including the much-loved puffin on Skellig Michael and the curlew, the call of which was once heard across the countryside.
On top of this, a State assessment in 2019 found that the habitats on which these species depend such as our unique blanket bogs are in serious trouble. The data shows that 54 of 59 habitats are in a bad state – with the condition of almost half getting worse.
Both Irish and international experts are clear that, without drastic changes to protect our natural world, everything underpinned by biological life on this planet – including humans – will be in big trouble.
This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by our investigative platform Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent about his recent ENDANGERED SPECIES investigation which examined the state of Ireland’s biodiversity and what needs to be done to better protect it.
https://soundcloud.com/the-explainer-podcast/by-noteworthy-what-can-be-done-to-halt-the-decline-of-our-biodiversity
This episode was put together by presenter Susan Daly and producer Laura Byrne, with thanks to The Explainer producers, Nicky Ryan and Aoife Barry.
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Nearly all can be solved as a mere adjunct to doing the right thing in our so called Climate Action response, redirecting a number of our existing subsidies in the process.
Firstly, a nationwide scheme of integrated, constructed wetlands, on every suitable stream. These, as well as dealing with our phosphate and nitrate run off issues, in doing so, become wildlife paradises. Well demonstrated down at Dunhill in Co.Waterford.
Secondly, the cyclical harvesting of 300,000 kms of to be enhanced hedgerow, by blade ever five or six years, this to encompass the adoption of strip forestry as per NZ work, as opposed to block, ecologically sterile monoculture. Likewise the cyclical cutting of our presently shaded over 30,000kms of stream cover, where our trout and salmon used to spawn before the keystone ranunculus was shaded out. The biomass from these projects to go to local, in competition CHP plant, not some version 2 of a beef cartel, like happened with the miscanthus / willow etc.. By the way, the riparian end of things could actually be largely accomplished over time by the European Beaver., but the only talk is about wolves. Crazy.!
Thirdly, the mega one. SMRs in each of the old peat stations. Next to these the data centres. Then using the waste heat, vast area of 24/7/365 hydroponics. Everything from salads to vegs, to cut flowers to avocados, bananas etc. etc.. All bred for eating quality the next day or two across Europe, not for two or three weeks of transport from some water decimated semi slave plantation. Then the Soldier Fly factories, their larvae eating some of our 1 million tonnes of food waste a year, before being fed to the closed containment fish farms and fowl. We have got to stop the off shore fish farming, it based on raping the marine littorals worldwide. This is the biggest environmental scandal of the last forty years and is doing massive, massive damage to our marine ecosystem.
The Green movement need to get something a bit more than their bicycles between their legs and give us a proper lead, rather than a whole lot of virtue signalling.
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