Silly things that made me laugh No.237;

Two owls sitting on a branch, one says

“Guess what I did?”

The other says

“What?”

The first owl says

“ I got married last week”

The other owl says

“You twit, to who?”

 The South East Essex RSPB Group is overjoyed at the news that Graham Wynne our Chief Executive has been awarded a knighthood for services to nature conservation in the New Year's Honours list.

We would like to take this opportunity to send Sir Graham our many congratulations and to say how proud this makes us all feel.

Graham Mee

See:  http://www.surfbirds.com/sbirdsnews/archives/2009/11/griffon_vulture.html

The UK Government has committed to obtaining 20% of electricity from renewables by 2020, but this target will need to be revised upwards, and possibly even doubled, in the light of new EU legislation. The Scottish Government has already pledged a more ambitious target of obtaining 50% of electricity from renewables by 2020.

To meet these targets, the RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables, including solar, wind, and marine power, wherever they are used in ways that minimise unnecessary damage to wildlife and the natural environment. We particularly support solutions that enable individuals and communities to generate their own power close their homes and businesses.

Switching to renewable energy now, rather than in ten or twenty years time, is essential if we are to stabilise levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at safe levels. Wind power is the most advanced renewable technology available at a large scale during this time period. For this reason, the RSPB supports a significant growth in offshore and onshore wind power generation in the UK.

We believe that this growth can be achieved in harmony with, rather than at the expense of, the natural environment. We will therefore continue to require that wind farms are sited, designed and managed so that there are no significant adverse impacts on important bird populations or their habitats.

The RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables, including solar, wind, and marine power, wherever they are used in ways that minimise unnecessary damage to wildlife.
Renewables targets can be achieved without endangering sensitive wildlife areas, with the right level of appropriate planning, and with good co-operation between developers and conservationists.

How do wind farms affect birds?
The available evidence suggests that wind farms can harm birds in three possible ways – disturbance, habitat loss or damage (both direct or indirect), and collision. Poorly sited wind farms have caused some major bird casualties, particularly in Tarifa and Navarra in Spain, and the Altamont Pass in California. At these sites, planners failed to consider adequately the likely impact of putting hundreds, or even thousands, of turbines in areas that are important for birds of prey. Tragically, killing many hundreds of birds as a result.

If wind farms are located away from major migration routes and important feeding, breeding and roosting areas of those bird species known or suspected to be at risk, there is a strong possibility that they will have minimal impact on wildlife.

The environmental impact of wind farms needs to be monitored and analysed as they operate – and policies and practices will need to adapt as we learn more about the impacts of wind farms on birds closer to home. We scrutinise hundreds of wind farm applications every year to determine their likely wildlife impacts, and object to about 7%, because they threaten bird populations.

A strategic approach
We are also calling for a more strategic and long-term planning approach to wind development than is currently being taken, including a closer examination of the effects of interactions among wind farms and between wind farms and other forms of development.

Wind power has a significant role to play in the UK’s fight against climate change. With the right strategic approach and planning safeguards, it can be expanded without significant detrimental effects on birds of conservation concern or their habitats. We will work with Government and developers to ensure this outcome.

According to the Guardian, yesterday:   Today's published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found. The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented, for the first time in memory, from reporting parliament.

Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret.

 

As with Nethy and Deshar last year you will be able to follow the progress of this year’s ospreys, Rothes and Mallachie, on Google Earth.

Google Earth is a free piece of software that simulates our planet with satellite photography.

Downloading Google Earth for free
Google earth is available free from the Google website: http://www.google.com/earth

Adding the osprey data to your Google Earth software
It's easy to add the osprey satellite data to your copy of Google Earth - just follow the steps below:

Launch the Google Earth software
Go to the Add menu and click Network Link...
Enter Loch Garten Ospreys in the Name field
Paste the following address into the Link field
http://www.rspb.org.uk/kml/lochgartenospreys.kml

Click OK to add the Loch Garten Ospreys data to the Places list on the left hand side of the screen.

Using Google Earth to keep an eye on the ospreys
Once the ospreys are in your list of Places you can double click them to zoom straight to their location. You can also use the standard Google Earth controls to zoom and pan around the globe.

Choosing how often to update Google Earth
The satellite data will be updated approximately once per day. To make sure you have the latest updates, you can tell Google Earth how often to refresh its data. To do this, right click on the Loch Garten Ospreys item in your Places list and choose Properties. Go to the Refresh tab and change the options so that it updates Periodically every 12 hours.

 

20th July 2009

Joint media release issued by the RSPB on behalf of Veolia Environmental Services and the RSPB

Your views sought on new wetland development

A unique partnership between the RSPB and Veolia Environmental Services is delivering a new 270 hectare wetland nature reserve on the South Essex marshes. The two organisations have signed a 150-year lease for a peppercorn rent on Bowers Marsh, which adjoins Veolia's Pitsea landfill site. The RSPB is inviting residents in South Essex to give their views on the RSPB’s proposals for this new nature reserve.

The public consultation is being held at the Pitsea Mount Community Hall, Brackendale Avenue, Pitsea, Basildon on Friday July 24 between 1pm – 8pm and Saturday 25 July 10am – 3pm.

RSPB and Veolia staff will be on hand each day to answer your questions and take your suggestions. There will also be artist's impressions and information available on display.

For anyone not able to make this event, the RSPB would be happy to discuss the future of Bowers Marsh. The RSPB's South Essex office is on 01268 559158.

Paul Levett, Deputy Chief Executive of Veolia Environmental Services says,

"We have worked closely with the RSPB in south-east Essex for nearly a decade. Within Basildon and Castle Point, the Veolia ES Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust has contributed over half a million pounds towards the purchase of nearly 258 hectares of land at West Canvey Marshes, public access and other infrastructure improvements at Vange Marshes and the employment of a full time RSPB Wildlife and People's Project Officer.

"The land covered by this new lease will form part of the 15 square kilometre 'green lung' of the South Essex Marshes. We welcome the active involvement of the RSPB in building on the 20 years of restoration already completed at our Pitsea landfill".

Richard Powell, Regional Director, RSPB, Eastern England adds:

"We are extremely excited by our partnership with Veolia and this significant and very welcome opportunity to extend our existing interests in the area at West Canvey and Vange Marshes. 550 hectares of additional land for nature conservation and public access will mean we can make a real difference to the living landscape of South Essex – for wildlife and for people. This is a marvellous contribution to the South Essex Greengrid and Thames Gateway Parklands.

"This is a long-term commitment by Veolia and the RSPB and shows how waste management and nature conservation organisations can work together for the good of our environment, our wildlife and our communities."