Up close and personal

Did you listen to my radio show yesterday ? CHECK OUT THE PODCAST The message was: WHAT IS THE POINT OF LOVING PEOPLE IF WE ARE DESTROYING THE WORLD THEY LIVE ON ?

The projects I was, pre-covid, involved in were up close and perssonal. I have been saying that they are on-hold. I think I need to be realistic and say they are over.

Realistically I think it will take until Spring 2022 before any sense of normality can be anticipated. I am, therefore, looking at a different way of approaching things. Following yesterday's broadcast I am today putting this out for people to pick up. It is very simple, needs no co-ordination it just needs people to DO IT. Will YOU do it ?

It has to be the biggest cliché of all times to say that we are living in difficult times ! But when will these difficult times end ? History will describe 2020 as The Year That Never Was, I think that will be plural as we add in the year 20201. Personally I am thinking that Spring 2022 may be a possibility – if we are lucky. But this pandemic pales into insignificance by the side of the sides of the coin destroying our planet: ELIMATE EMERGENCY & BIODIVERSITY.

So come on Milton Keynes what are you going to do about it ?  Wake up Milton Keynes, We can do this – YOU can do this – I can do this – WE MUST DO THIS.

What I am suggesting is very simple. Within the area where we live I am challenging

every supermarket, every shop, every business big or small, every sports and social group to appoint a GREEN CHAMPION.

No pussy-footing around with policy documents, no co-ordinating meetings, no involving officials and politicians – JUST DOING IT !

Within their area the GREEN CHAMPION will ensure the business they represent is recycling properly, not wasting energy and respecting our planet. They will set up simple things such as planting wild flowers to encourage the insect population, putting a bug box on a wall, planting trees either within the area of their operation or via The Woodland Trust sponsoring tree plantation. Planting a tree can cost as little as £1.50. A bug hotel needs an investment of about £10. Very expensive, it costs around £17 for seeds to plant an entire wild flower meadow. Few will have a meadow to plant so give seeds to members, to employees to take home and plant.

Currently there are approximately 10,000 living species of birds, with an estimated 1,200 considered to be under threat of extinction. Since The Everly Brothers sang ON THE WINGS OF A NIGHTINGALE We have lost over 90% of these iconic birds in the last 50 years – has led to the species being placed on the Birds of Conservation Concern Red List.

Do you remember when driving along in your car you wouldneed to stop and clean the insects that had impaled themselves on your windscreen ? It does not happen now does  it ?  A study published recently in the journal Biological Conservation made headlines for suggesting that 40 percent of all insect
species are in decline and could die out in the coming decades. The bumble bee is in serious decline. Without these insects pollination can not happen and there will be serious harm done to agriculture.

Trees are the lungs of the world, they recycle harmful emissions into clean air. Milton Keynes was built as a city of trees, sadly we never became a city but we can be proud of our trees. BUT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH ! By area Britain has the lowest tree population in Europe.

Speaking recently with some children on television Sir David Attenborough was asked what was the most important thing that could be done to slow global warming. He replied: DO NOT WAST ANYTHING then went on to say DO NOT WASTE ELECTRICITY. This photograph was taken at 3.30am on 14^th October 2020. A similar photograph could be taken at any time overnight on any day of the week. Not only of this offender but, sadly, many others. IT HAS TO STOP.

It is not difficult is it ? Wake up Milton Keynes, We can do this – YOU can do this – I can do this – WE MUST DO THIS. How many supermarkets, how many shops, how many businesses big or small, how many sports and social groups will appoint a GREEN CHAMPION ? No pussy-footing around with policy documents, no co-ordinating meetings, no involving officials and politicians – JUST DOING IT !

Milton Keynes may have a lofty ambition to become the greenest authority in the world by 2025. If every area I have here mentioned appoints a green champion Milton Keynes could be leading the world within just a few years, certainly WAY BEFORE 2050. In these difficult times let’s grab hold of this idea, make it work and inject positivity into the lives of us all. No room for the pandemic to make us feel depressed, WE have an important job to do. WILL YOU DO IT ?