To satisfy the person who complained about the lack of aardvarks (you know who you are!), here is a link especially for you:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/aardvark/
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Angling against ASBOs
I was curious why Labour's Angling spokesman, Martin Salter (Reading West MP) would be so against the idea of canoeists having access to the waterways given that he presumably has an appreciation of the waterways as a place to spend leisure time.
Suddenly it is all much clearer. Recently there has been negative publicity for the Government as a result of the levels of Anti-Social Behaviour and the number of ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) that have been issued. Presumably the government, mindful of their poor election performance recently, are keen to ensure that they do something about this problem and have encouraged their MPs to see what they can do - something which I agree with as Anti-Social behaviour is a blight on the lives of too many people in this country.
However, I am not in favour of the government's political ambitions and aims resulting in a part of the community being prevented or discouraged from enjoying their hobby, and that seems to be one result of the new Angling Action project that is a partnership between NACRO, Reading Borough Council and the Environment Agency (http://www.reading.gov.uk/pressarticle.asp?id=sx9452-a780d952)
Organisers will be targeting schools, clubs and communities in order to encourage young people to take up this so-called sport and thus reduce the anti-social behaviour.
Why not encourage them to take up canoeing, support the proposed access to waterways for the canoeists and kill two birds with one stone?
It all comes back to the same thing, Labour think that Angling is a "sport" popular with traditional, working class Labour voters and so they want to encourage that at the expense of the more middle class interest of Canoeing, especially as Labour are now moving away from the left and becoming just another middle of the road political party.
Suddenly it is all much clearer. Recently there has been negative publicity for the Government as a result of the levels of Anti-Social Behaviour and the number of ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) that have been issued. Presumably the government, mindful of their poor election performance recently, are keen to ensure that they do something about this problem and have encouraged their MPs to see what they can do - something which I agree with as Anti-Social behaviour is a blight on the lives of too many people in this country.
However, I am not in favour of the government's political ambitions and aims resulting in a part of the community being prevented or discouraged from enjoying their hobby, and that seems to be one result of the new Angling Action project that is a partnership between NACRO, Reading Borough Council and the Environment Agency (http://www.reading.gov.uk/pressarticle.asp?id=sx9452-a780d952)
Organisers will be targeting schools, clubs and communities in order to encourage young people to take up this so-called sport and thus reduce the anti-social behaviour.
Why not encourage them to take up canoeing, support the proposed access to waterways for the canoeists and kill two birds with one stone?
It all comes back to the same thing, Labour think that Angling is a "sport" popular with traditional, working class Labour voters and so they want to encourage that at the expense of the more middle class interest of Canoeing, especially as Labour are now moving away from the left and becoming just another middle of the road political party.
Up a creek without a paddle?
Canoeists reportedly want access to every waterway in the country, so reports Valerie Elliott in The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2160308.html).
As ever, there are environmental impacts. There is (according to Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West and Labour's Spokesman on Angling) the risk of canoeing over shallow spawning beds. Now the destruction of spawning beds is something that we should be concerned about, but can Mr Salter really claim to be concerned for the environment given his role in the Labour Party. After all, if the canoeists are not allowed access then the spawning beds will be preserved, but for what?
Surely the spawning beds are worth preserving for the sake of natural survival of the fittest and natural biodiversity and not just so angling enthusiasts can go and kill off the fish at a later stage in their life cycle?
Mr Salter goes on to say that the pressure of the canoes can make angling impossible in small streams and non-navigable rivers. This seems to me to be a case of Labour favouring one leisure activity over another?
Where is the Labour Canoeing spokesman in all this? Are our government in the position of favouring one so-called sport that is common with many people who have historically voted Labour when ignoring another sport that is not linked with traditional Labour voters?
As ever, there are environmental impacts. There is (according to Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West and Labour's Spokesman on Angling) the risk of canoeing over shallow spawning beds. Now the destruction of spawning beds is something that we should be concerned about, but can Mr Salter really claim to be concerned for the environment given his role in the Labour Party. After all, if the canoeists are not allowed access then the spawning beds will be preserved, but for what?
Surely the spawning beds are worth preserving for the sake of natural survival of the fittest and natural biodiversity and not just so angling enthusiasts can go and kill off the fish at a later stage in their life cycle?
Mr Salter goes on to say that the pressure of the canoes can make angling impossible in small streams and non-navigable rivers. This seems to me to be a case of Labour favouring one leisure activity over another?
Where is the Labour Canoeing spokesman in all this? Are our government in the position of favouring one so-called sport that is common with many people who have historically voted Labour when ignoring another sport that is not linked with traditional Labour voters?
mud hut schools
At first reading this idea (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2160313.html) of building a mud hut school seemed like a really good one to me.
Pupils would be able to learn about sustainable development, the building would be one that would not cause damage to the environment and would be eco-friendly. What a wonderful idea.
Reading the article again I have started to have second thoughts; perhaps less resources would be used than in conventional building but these resources are going to be of limited availability in the local area (Cornwall in this case).
If this form of building becomes more popular (unlikely in my opinion) or even mainstream (even more unlikely) then the local resources will soon be severely challenged and will result in damage to local environments and habitats. Assuming demand for this type of building continues then materials are going to have to be brought in from elsewhere in the country or even in the world .
I am all for sustainable building which does not damage the local environment but this project does not seem to have been thought through as comprehensively as perhaps it should have been.
Pupils would be able to learn about sustainable development, the building would be one that would not cause damage to the environment and would be eco-friendly. What a wonderful idea.
Reading the article again I have started to have second thoughts; perhaps less resources would be used than in conventional building but these resources are going to be of limited availability in the local area (Cornwall in this case).
If this form of building becomes more popular (unlikely in my opinion) or even mainstream (even more unlikely) then the local resources will soon be severely challenged and will result in damage to local environments and habitats. Assuming demand for this type of building continues then materials are going to have to be brought in from elsewhere in the country or even in the world .
I am all for sustainable building which does not damage the local environment but this project does not seem to have been thought through as comprehensively as perhaps it should have been.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
