I brought the Dartmoor Magazine today to read the articles about the ponies. Probably the most interesting read for a long time. But there was an article by Anton Coaker about rewilding. In the first paragraph people who care about nature are referred to as in the most unsavoury manner. Basically if you care about nature you are a real big baddie to Anton. Quite why he had to openly offend people with his article I dont know. But its pretty clear that his opinion is representative of many of the farming ilk. Nature is seen as a threat and those who love nature are considered to be so lowly as to be hated. He offered no real argument as to why a return to nature should be a problem rather got a whole load of hate off his chest. Personally I object to being called a nutter or hessian sandalled. I think the magasine ought to have sensored his remarks. What someone like Anton has failed to realise is that 90 percent of wild nature has been wiped out by us. By our greed. Where else can nature be left alone other than in the open expanses of upland. With a population nearing 70 million we do need food so we must provide a place for nature in those places where food production is at its lowest. It was a typical reaction of a stuck in the mud farmer who cant see any value in purewild land. He obviously felt the need to refer to nature lovers as nutters. Well we can all play that game by regarding people who have his viewpoint as subsidy junkies. Red meat versus wildlife. I say wildlife. Personally I love the farmers. They are great. They know the land. They work really hard, but the facts are that farming in the uplands is unprofitable and pointless. Its a desert devoid of much else other than a few montane survivals. Its a giant sheep bitten ranch. Mother nature would turn it into a fantastic wild land and tourism would bring in millions more than ranching. I respect the farmers for what they are, but lets get real. Unless we give back to nature, we are doomed. For the sake of a few farmers and a small amount of red meat we could have so much more. We are behind the times in the uk. Our uplands are a vast asset waiting for change. Rewilding will bring immense benefits. Sadly there are powerful people holding natural return back. Subsidy supports them. And nature suffers as a result.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 18:28:06 +0000
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