Page 13 - Natural World Winter 2017
P. 13
Stephanie What would it
Hilborne OBE is look like?
Chief Executive
of The Wildlife An Environment Act to:
Trusts
■ Set ambitious, measurable, long term aims for nature’s recovery
Could there be a ■ Establish the key environmental principles that should guide
lot more nature decisions at every level including the principle of access to nature
in our lives by
2040?
What you Restore nature Set limits
can do
If you think there should ■ Make sure vital wildlife ■ Control emissions and
be more nature in sites are protected on discharges of pollutants
lives, write to your all our land and at sea ■ Minimise use of natural
MP and ■ Set plans for expanding resources like water and
let them know: all the and joining up habitats sand
details are on ■ Map out where new ■ Restore the health of our
wildlifetrusts.org/ habitats should be soils in hills and floodplains
environmentact established
So that:
So that there is: ■ Air and water is clean
■ A greater diversity and and our soils high quality
abundance of wildlife ■ Future generations can
everywhere grow food
■ More wildlife-rich ■ Heavy rainfall causes less
woods, meadows & flooding
wetlands
■ More thriving seagrass
beds and reefs at sea
safer in the workplace. The 1949 Achieved with
National Parks and Access to the
Countryside Act and its successors ■ Highly e ective regulators
have protected some vital rich ■ Serious investment from both private and public sectors
wildlife sites. But we know this is ■ Financial incentives for environmental benefits
not enough, and soon we won’t ■ Evidence-based, tailored advice and guidance
have the safety net of the EU courts
either. Checked by
The UK and each country within ■ Airtight accountability and transparency
it needs visionary legislation ■ Regular monitoring of progress towards targets
that explicitly aims for nature’s ■ Appropriate penalties
recovery on land and at sea. Only ■ Access to environmental justice through the courts
Governments can ensure there is
a long-term framework that puts WINTER 2017 NATURAL WORLD 13
nature back into our landscapes,
townscapes and society.
We all deserve a world-class
environment: clean air, clear water,
a stable climate, healthy seas and
thriving wildlife in the places we
love. So do future generations. If we
all make enough noise, and explain
this is what we want, it can happen.
