Today I’m picking up a principle from The Tree Charter – Sustain Landscapes Rich in Wildlife. You can read more about it here – https://treecharter.uk/principles-nature.html
When there’s scope to make money for humans, we’re all too quick to cut down trees, grub out hedges and remove wildlife corridors. We have not recognised rich landscapes as a good in their own right and we haven’t even recognised that rich landscapes are better for us.
There’s a really good article here about American studies into the benefits of urban trees – https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/info/20323/trees/577/the_benefits_of_urban_trees. We are better people when we live with trees. We treat each other better. Trees make us better humans, while sterile, human-made but actually inhuman landscapes make us into our worst selves.
I haven’t picked up any links for this, but I gather from the Woodland Trust’s Broadleaf magazine that studies are under way into what happens when you have more trees around crops – and the answer is that you sustain the insects who predate other insects, and you get a more self-sustaining system. Richness and diversity in the landscape means viable eco-systems which in turn means a better environment for us. There’s nothing self-indulgent or ‘hippy’ about protecting the environment and all that lives in it – this is self preservation. A sterile environment will not support us.
The word ‘rich’ is important here, I think. Humans tend to think of richness in terms of money. A human-centric view focusing on something that is of no use in itself and that only works if it can be traded for something usable. However, environmental richness cannot be amassed as a private resource in the same way. The richness of insect populations and of birds, the richness we gain from clean air and water – these are essential. The richness of life itself is something that should be available to all of us to enjoy, and that should not be destroyed for the short term profits of the few.
If we invested in the idea of environmental richness in the same way we, as a species, have invested in the idea of financial richness, we would soon stop making such a mess of things. We’re squandering bounty because we can’t see its worth. The richness of the soil when it is full of micro-organisms. The richness of oceans teeming with fish. The richness of insect life. This is real wealth. It is the wealth that could sustain us all, and without it we cannot flourish. Invest in landscapes if you want real riches.
March 28th, 2019 at 11:32 am
I’ve recently been doing some reading into the roll out of 5G, disturbing stuff! It seems it will involve a lot of tree chopping in urban areas, to maintain a good transmission.
March 29th, 2019 at 7:22 am
Thank you for the heads up. The loss of urban trees is not something we can afford.
March 28th, 2019 at 9:55 pm
Interesting about the trees and crops! I think it’s so unfortunate that the people who are wanting to care for the environment, to look after nature are deemed hippies, which is fine except for the negative connotation that comes along with it.
March 29th, 2019 at 7:18 am
we really need to see it as self interest!
March 29th, 2019 at 7:23 am
Absolutely! I’ve always said that about health an environment. If we take interest in our health and only eating ethically produced foods that are organic, then we then help the environment. If we look I to alternative energy for our homes and using less electric and creating less waste, it cuts the cost of monthly bills. If we want to exercise and this walk and cycle where we can, we help the environment. I keep saying, get selfish and get healthy and the rest will follow.
March 29th, 2019 at 7:25 am
And there’s so much joy and pleasure in these things too – speaking as someone who walks for transport, it greatly enriches my life.
March 29th, 2019 at 7:27 am
Absolutely!
April 4th, 2019 at 12:56 pm
Interesting read regarding tree chopping and 5G https://digitalsurvivor.uk/2019/03/16/why-are-all-the-trees-gone/?fbclid=IwAR02e0RwibbSqh2W2IdVJ0dcydm_C9Ir8SdFNJcwqaDmGXbzanu0GS2MHJ4
April 4th, 2019 at 1:05 pm
thanks for this, I will be keeping an eye out.