Environmental diversity and preventing the decline and destruction of nature is crucial right now, and not tomorrow. We urgently need strong policy and guidance from the County Council to to prevent the ongoing decline and disappearance of native species. It was great that South Glos donated so many sapling trees last Autumn, but very few landowners were willing to plant them. The willingness to leave grass verges to flower has met with even less enthusiasm. We need strong leadership and sanctions to give nature a chance. The way the natural environment is managed needs strong guidance from those who have the power to make this change.

Environmental diversity and preventing the decline and destruction of nature is crucial right now. We urgently need strong policy to stop the old habits of land misuse continuing. The decline and disappearance of native species is everyone's responsibility and especially those who are responsible for public highways and byways, our Councils. Last Autumn South Glos. donated many sapling trees to be planted by local community groups.However, very few landowners were willing to let them be planted on their land despite the free labour of planting them. Their willingness to leave grass verges to flower has met with even less enthusiasm. Councils have the power to make big changes to counteract climate change. Let's encourage them to do it now, and sign this petition.

This would create hundreds of new green jobs which could see workers transferred whilst Big Oil takes care of the retirement schemes for those of the right age. In time this would redress the social inequality in Halton, the borough next door, which currently has the lowest life expectancy in the United Kingdom. It would also dramatically reduce the pollution of the North West of England's two main cities, as well as the surrounding areas.

We have seen the benefits that the shutdown is bringing. Wildlife is returning to urban areas and air pollution is reduced. The lockdown has given us time to pause and reflect on what is important. We should not squander this by returning to hectic lives, rushing from place to place and guzzling fossil fuels. Coronavirus has forced us into a green economy and has highlighted inequality between our citizens. We can address both of these during the ending of the lockdown. In order to protect against future pandemics, we must protect the natural world and ensure that our people can work effectively and safely, while ensuring that key workers are valued and fairly compensated for the vital work they do.

THE USE OF SUPER TRAWLERS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE OR RESPONSIBLE AND SHOULD BE BANNED. LAST YEAR 2019 IN U.K. WATERS SUPER TRAWLERS' PELAGIC TRAWLING KILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLPHINS AS BYCATCH. WHILE FISH STOCKS ARE AT AN ALL TIME LOW - 90% OF WORLD FISH STOCK GONE IN LAST 100 YEARS - WE ARE FISHING THE LAST 10% OF FISH ON EARTH . WHILE THE UK IS IN CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN THIS, AND OTHER ECOCIDAL MONSTROSITIES, CONTINUE. ONE FACTOR FUELING THIS IN THE UK IS THE M.S.C. ( MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL) WHO ACT AS A MIDDLEMAN BETWEEN THE SUPERMARKETS AND THE FISHING COMPANIES BY BRANDING "ETHICALLY SOURCED" FISH PRODUCTS. ONLY LARGE FISHING COMPANIES CAN AFFORD TO BUY THE M.S.C. ACCREDITATION BRANDING WHICH IS NOT WON ON MERIT BUT PAID FOR. ONLY LARGE COMPANIES SUCH AS THE OWNERS OF SUPERTRAWLERS CAN AFFORD ACCREDITATION, SO SMALL INSHORE BOATS WHICH ARE SOURCING FISH SUSTAINABLY ARE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS AS THEY CANT AFFORD THE ACCREDITATION FROM THE M.S.C ! M.S.C. MADE MULTI MILLIONS LAST YEAR WITH SELLING THEIR BRANDING TO SUPERMARKETS AND TO BIG FISHING COMPANIES WHO ARE PLUNDERING THE OCEANS FOR ALL FISH KILLING EVERY THING IN THEIR PATH INCLUDING DOLPHINS. M.S.C. ARE A REGISTERED CHARITY "NOT FOR PROFIT " WE ASK : HOW CAN THIS BE ? BUT ACCREDITATION SELLS FISH ! PEOPLE WANT TO BUY FISH THAT HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLY SOURCED. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN RESPONSIBLY OR SUSTAINABLY SOURCED! THOUSANDS OF DOLPHINS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE SUPER TRAWLERS' PELAGIC TRAWLING METHOD. IT WAS BANNED FROM FISHING IN AUSTRALIA IN 2013 IT HAS TO BE BANNED HERE! PLEASE SEE AND SUPPORT THE WORK OF HERE www.BLUESEASPROTECTION.COM

The government's plan is to delay the talks scheduled for November 2020 until May next year. The Climate is Number 1 emergency when we start to rebuild after Covid 19. The IPCC, the body of the world's leading experts, said in 2018 that catastrophic climate breakdown is inevitable within this decade unIess we change course and start to bring down carbon emissions dramatically. In addition, having the talks online would avoid the damaging effects of delegates travelling.

Most of us dislike the idea of waste and to see plants being binned before they have had the chance of even being planted out seems to be not just a waste but a sad loss to our communities and a disaster to the nursery people who have planted and nurtured them. Most of these could be put to good use to brighten up our parks and other community spaces and the effort of planting them out would help people to deal with the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic. In addition if done as a community effort it would be a good memorial throughout the summer months, and beyond. It is essential that we quickly get as many signatures as we can. Time is running out for these plants. The annuals are probably already lost, but the perennials, shrubs and bushes could still be saved and grace our public areas for several years.

Sir David Attenborough has urged governments to ban deep sea mining, following a study warning of “potentially disastrous” risks to the ocean’s life-support systems if it goes ahead. The study, by Fauna and Flora International (FFI), warns proposed plans to mine the seabed could cause significant loss of biodiversity, disruption of the ocean’s “biological pump”, and the loss of microbes important for storing carbon. The process, requiring machines operating thousands of metres under the sea, could also create plumes of sediment that smother areas far from the mining sites and kill wildlife. Dozens of exploratory licences, two of which are sponsored by the UK, have already been granted for huge tracts of the sea bed, ahead of a race to mine commercially for ores and minerals such as copper, used in mobile phones and batteries. But the rules to govern the responsible exploitation of this global resource are not finalised – they are expected to be completed at a meeting in July at the UN International Seabed Authority. Source: Guardian.co.uk

An increase in Nuclear waste dumping could be catastrophic for Scotland.

The world summit on climate change COP 26 is happening in Britain in November this year. After 8 years of research and planning everything is in place to build a breakwater with turbines in it at Swansea Bay. http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay/ Tidal Energy is zero carbon, simple and reliable will last for at least 120 years and breakwaters protect against rising sea levels. In comparison with nuclear costs are minimal. Government says offshore wind is cheaper, but that is not a reason not to invest and do both when climate is at stake. In fact, wind was judged by government to be 'uneconomical' when first created. Private fundraising is needed to make this happen before they lose their licence to build in June 2020. Ideally I would like to find an Environmental Charity who I could give money to in order to invest in them despite all the odds and also get press involved.

Catastrophic flooding is rapidly increasing due to climate change. Building defences & piling up sandbags is a short term measure that does nothing to tackle the cause, & reducing carbon emissions, however fast we might do it, is too slow a process to help people being flooded now. But reforesting catchment areas can do both things at once. Many of our uplands are kept as short grass or grouse moor, because its been profitable for landowners to do so. Rain that falls on these areas runs very quickly down to the lowlands, all at once. But trees, & their roots & associated fungi & microorganisms, soak up water & slow its passage, reducing peak flood levels & making rivers flow more evenly. And planting trees also soaks up the carbon dioxide thats causing the problem, as well as healing our damaged local ecosystems. Trees aren't incompatible with farming, but crops are different, & yields may be lower, so landowners need help & encouragement to make the change. This isn't an alternative to flood barriers, or reducing emissions. Its one of several things we need to do all at once to clear up the mess we've created- & we can do it, with the right legislation, without anyone having to sacrifice anything & with good results visible in just a few years!

So we can take back some pride in our surroundings, everywhere looks so run down and dismal. Its a issue nationally, but no-one to pinpoint in government as they don't accept responsibility for their actions these days!