In recent years, we have had clear evidence about the loss of important habitats for all creatures, great and small.
This has led to many a huge insect population both reducing in size or disappearing completely.
This includes precious bird species – flora, fauna and the loss because of disease of some beloved trees.
I recall the huge gaps in both city, town and country of the impact of Dutch elm disease with, currently, ash dieback creating huge changes in landscape.
Are these changes something that happens as part of the natural evolution of our planet or is it down to the way we all live?
Besides years of research, the warming of our summers, wet winters, more storms and many other happenings – including the United Nations attempting to build consensus – there is still a reluctance by many to accept that our climate is changing.
This change is being accelerated by the way we use/abuse the valuable resources of our planet.
But there are rational and intelligent academics, politicians and some of my friends who debate this.
Some in good faith, others perhaps with different motives.
Recently a group of friends chatted about this important issue.
One was refurbishing a house and explaining about the solar panels that were going to be installed – including possible rainwater harvesting – a heat pump, better insulation, etc., including getting an electric car.
Another commended most of these measures but was not going to change their car – as there was still uncertainty about how the core components of the car would be disposed of without damaging the environment.
In my lifetime, I have certainly noticed change.
When a young child, after long drives, my job was to clean the windscreen of my dad's car, which was covered with dead insects – our springs seem to get earlier – with winters wetter and summer mostly drier.
This together with the UK now producing some fantastic tasty wines.
The climate is changing and the causes are many, including all of us producing too much carbon generated in the main by fossil fuels.
This is one of the largest factors directly contributing to this change.
But how do you tell a family in a developing country not to use their out-of-date motor car, or for their nation to stop using coal in power stations, when their livelihoods depend on it?
Add to this the pollution generated by so many armed conflicts and it seems an impossible task.
What must be required is both strong political leadership which accepts the challenge wholeheartedly and the “little” somethings that all of us can do.
There are opportunities here for new technologies that can help, together with new “clean” industries that can create real jobs.
Without a worldwide effort, with us as individuals also changing some of our habits, any change will be very slow.
There are some countries that are well down this road but their efforts can be extinguished by just one oil spill.
As for my lawn – it needs a rest to grow a bit.
I have mowed a path letting the rest of the lawn alone to sprout wild flowers and anything else it wants to do.
By doing this it means I can concentrate on other aspects of the garden that need attention but also the lawn and I can just relax a bit.
By Yinnon Ezra
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