From Julie C

Monday, 25 July 2016

I think Chris Packham's comments are amazingly restrained considering the destruction caused by the present management of the Moors. He mentions that we are paying for water treatment, but we are also directly paying for the destructive practices in the first place, via the Land Stewardship payments.

A couple of months back when walking up near Walshaw with friends we saw the mess at first hand, an area of what should have been bog bleached white and dry, the drainage grip along the edge dug out down to the rock below, scoured to become a raging torrent when it rains. Below it, where what might once have been a path met the gate and a stream, there was a terminal moraine of soil etc. that had been washed down in flood.

As Chris says, sign the Petition to end driven grouse on the Tops.

From Mark H

Monday, 25 July 2016

Thanks for this link, Carole - I'd urge all readers to consider signing the petition in favour of banning driven grouse shooting.

If you look back to my post of December 30 on the Floods thread, you'll see that I suggested a picnic party on the moors on Friday August 12th, and promised to put a reminder up here.

I'll be heading for a picnic site near to a place where grouse are shot for fun. I enjoy kite flying and hope there's a good breeze for this that won't be so strong as to ruin my fun.

I won't be taking a portable barbecue because of the risk of fire, and if I had a dog it'd be on a lead. I'll be wearing brightly coloured clothing and will have my mobile phone with me. Obviously I'll leave no trace when I go home.

I'll be going on foot but won't be surprised to find that others are enjoying the moors on mountain bikes. We'll all have to be careful not to damage the surface though so should stay on paths and tracks. It might be helpful if we followed where Land Rovers had recently been, though not too closely as I understand they often carry armed men intent on killing. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you watched them quietly from a distance but don't interfere with their fun.

I hope you'll join me in finding your own site and enjoying your picnic.

Oh - in reference to my post on December 30 - I heard nothing at all from Craig Whitaker, so presume he's been helping to fill sandbags or something useful.

From George Murphy

Thursday, 4 August 2016

As well as the damage to moorlands caused by the driven grouse shooting industry, the effect on native wildlife is also disastrous.
Protection of grouse has led to slaughter of hen harriers.

Now the government plans to study ways of controlling the number of buzzards - a native species - in order to protect 40 million imported pheasants. This will allow pheasants to survive long enough to be shot by hunters.

All this shows that environmentalists have far less clout as lobbyists than the Countryside Alliance and the Moorland Owners Association.

If widespread flooding can't galvanise action to protect our moorlands, then we can hardly expect the government to prioritise saving our native wildlife.

From Mark H

Friday, 5 August 2016

I don't expect the government to give a single hoot about our native wildlife.

If the offer of widespread picnics can't galvanise action to protect our moorlands then maybe they don't deserve to be protected anyway.

Maybe all the shops with signs thanking all those who helped clear the mess from the Boxing Day flood could take that Friday afternoon off, and take the time to enjoy what else the South Pennines have to offer to all the tourists? Come and enjoy a picnic?

If all of the businesses reopened since Boxing Day were to have a 'Glorious Early Closing Day' on Friday 12, it would probably make much more of an impact than pretending Christmas had come round again. We'd all be able to make the point better, louder and longer that burning the moors for the benefit of a tiny number of people who like to kill birds for fun is a relict of Edwardian times, before WW1.

Look at it this way -

If your business hasn't yet reopened since Boxing Day, you probably already have a 'closed due to flooding ' sign outside. If it's your home you most likely won't advertise.

If you've reopened, or moved back in, you're probably thinking of further flood prevention measures you can take to make your business or your home more resilient.

Either way, the deliberate burning of peat moorland in the face of a huge body of evidence as to its harmful effect on biodiversity, climate change and increased flooding risk is something only done by a minority of people who have no interest in the wider local economy, environment or human population at all. They don't need or care for us. Why should we give a single hoot about what they want?

Make your sandwiches. Bring a kite. Have some fun.

From Carole Turner

Thursday, 11 August 2016

Friday 12th August & Saturday 13th August - 9am St. Georges Square. Leave for a picnic on moors at 9.30am. Bring lunch & frisbees. Have fun! Also please sign the petition

From Andy Wilson

Saturday, 13 August 2016

Chris Packham puts it in a nutshell and Ian Botham talks the usual tripe. It really is time for action, folks. This can't go on.

Botham and Packham clash over grouse shoot - BBC Radio 4

From David Thompson

Thursday, 18 August 2016

How did the picnics go? Any impact on the toffs?