Protecting our animal species

The UK faces the dual threat of losing nearly a quarter of its local mammalian species (State of Nature Report 2019) in the face of a climate change crisis nearing “the point of no return.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Both of these issues need to be tackled swiftly, and methodically in a multi-agency approach.

The Centre for Alternative Technology recently published their report “Zero Carbon Britain Rising to the Climate Emergency” in which set out a strategy, plus the tools and technology information, for the government to implement to meet out responsibilities to humanity namely and deal with the 2nd of the dual threats;

• Reducing energy demand by making all buildings carbon neutral and reducing carbon rich travel solutions

• Reducing energy wastage using smart technology to match energy demand with energy production

• Transforming energy generation to 100% renewables

• Change our land usage to reduce carbon generating uses and, increase biodiversity sensitive plantings

• Switching to a plant based diet

I commend this report to readers.

With regard to the 1st threat, we need good data, on all species, and good analysis to identify more clearly which species are at risk, which habitats under threat and, therefore what interventions to take and where. Our national databases of biodiversity do not contain sufficient data on all UK species to allow scientists to create a holistic strategy for intervention regionally or for the UK.

I would like to propose that together with scientists and technology companies that we tackle this issue urgently, perhaps releasing a raft of species specific apps to the public to enable millions of people to help collect the data that we urgently need to facilitate good decision making that will help conserve UK species and bring them back from the point of no return.

Cllr Wisdom Da Costa, Windsor

Wisdom is also the Deputy Chair of RBWM’s Climate Emergency Panel and an Independent Candidate for Windsor Constituency