The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review

[holwellcourtfarm]

For anyone interested the report can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...economics-of-biodiversity-the-dasgupta-review

I'm working my way through it's 600 pages but already think they are pretty well spot on.

"Whether as farmers or fishers, foresters or miners, households or companies, governments or communities, we manage the assets to which we have access, in line with our motivations as best as we can. But the best each of us is able to achieve with our portfolios may nevertheless result in a massive collective failure to manage the global portfolio of all our assets. The analogy of each of a crowd of people trying to keep balance on a hanging bridge and bringing it crashing down speaks to that possibility."

"It would seem then that, ultimately, we each have to serve as judge and jury for our own actions. And that cannot happen unless we develop an affection for Nature and its processes. As that affection can flourish only if we each develop an appreciation of Nature’s workings, the Review ends with a plea that our education systems should introduce Nature studies from the earliest stages of our lives, and revisit them in the years we spend in secondary and tertiary education. The conclusion we should draw from this is unmistakable: if we care about our common future and the common future of our descendants, we should all in part be naturalists."

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

The choices are hard, they involve a lot more than a tax here and a set of regulations there. Unlike the economics of climate change, at least as it is currently presented, the economics of biodiversity we construct in this Review requires not only national and intergovernmental engagement, but engagement by communities and civil societies throughout the world. The economics we construct here is neither entirely top-down nor entirely bottom up; it is also lateral. It advocates institutions that encourage information and directives to flow in every direction. Above all, it calls for changes in our sensibilities, because the silence and invisibility of Nature make it utterly vulnerable to our activities, which neither communities nor states can wholly address. Those changes can be realised only when our sensibilities toward Nature are acquired from the earliest stages of our lives. And that is all the more reason we citizens need to attend to them.

 

[N.Yorks.]

Should mention there are 3 versions of the report:
1) Full version
2) Abridged version
3) Headline message

Just skimmed through the short third option and it's a good explanation as to what is driving Natural Capital (aka Ecosystem Services) thinking and the ELMS policy.

Thanks @holwellcourtfarm good post.......

 

[Yale]

Slight digression however having seen the TV ad,I googled this and it’s an astonishing development.

Not sure ultimately how environmentally friendly it will be.

Saudi Arabia Set To Build "The Line," A Carbon-Free 105-Mile Straight City

The unconventional city will link Egypt to Jordan and feature green spaces, "zero cars, zero streets, and zero carbon emissions."

www.intelligentliving.co

Saudi Arabia to build 170 kilometres-long city as part of Neom project

Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a 170 kilometres-long belt of car-free, AI-optimised communities called The Line as part of its Neom project.

www.dezeen.com

 

[thesilentone]

Fishing is the one that intrigues me. Why do we send fishing boats and trawlers off-shore to purge the oceans, when the solution must be fish farming or a balance of each ?

Or, why not build on-shore lagoons fed by natural resources (the sea) ?

You would not need allot of digging in areas like The Wash to create these environments, these could also become wetlands and wildlife sanctuary's.

 

[N.Yorks.]

Page 5 of the short version:

"The discipline to draw on Nature sustainably must, ultimately, be provided by us as individuals. But societal change – particularly growing urbanisation – has meant that many people have grown distant from Nature. Interventions to enable people to understand and connect with Nature would not only improve our health and well-being, but also help empower citizens to make informed choices and demand the change that is needed; for example by insisting that financiers invest our money sustainably and that firms disclose environmental conditions along their supply chains, and even boycotting products that do not meet certain standards. Establishing the natural world in education policy is therefore essential. The development and design of environmental education programmes can help to achieve tangible impact, for example by focusing on local issues, and collaborating with scientists and community organisations."

My comment: - Detachment from understanding food production and undervaluing the benefit of rural land use means many see food as having to be cheap - as a human one of the most important things is the quality of diet. It should be properly valued.

As farmers it is not our job to feed as many humans as possible as cheaply as possible because that ultimately costs us in the future.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Page 5 of the short version:

"The discipline to draw on Nature sustainably must, ultimately, be provided by us as individuals. But societal change – particularly growing urbanisation – has meant that many people have grown distant from Nature. Interventions to enable people to understand and connect with Nature would not only improve our health and well-being, but also help empower citizens to make informed choices and demand the change that is needed; for example by insisting that financiers invest our money sustainably and that firms disclose environmental conditions along their supply chains, and even boycotting products that do not meet certain standards. Establishing the natural world in education policy is therefore essential. The development and design of environmental education programmes can help to achieve tangible impact, for example by focusing on local issues, and collaborating with scientists and community organisations."

My comment: - Detachment from understanding food production and undervaluing the benefit of rural land use means many see food as having to be cheap - as a human one of the most important things is the quality of diet. It should be properly valued.

I noted that line as well. It's partly why the report advocates a sea change in our education system to include personal environmental impact teaching from reception onwards.

 

[N.Yorks.]

I noted that line as well. It's partly why the report advocates a sea change in our education system to include personal environmental impact teaching from reception onwards.

Whenever I talk to non farmers about these types of things they are so surprised how we've arrived at where we are. They just don't know...... I agree it should start from Reception and be a central part of a childs education.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Fishing is the one that intrigues me. Why do we send fishing boats and trawlers off-shore to purge the oceans, when the solution must be fish farming or a balance of each ?

Or, why not build on-shore lagoons fed by natural resources (the sea) ?

You would not need allot of digging in areas like The Wash to create these environments, these could also become wetlands and wildlife sanctuary's.

disease (and the treatment of ) i think imright in saying, has always been the issue, disease being spread from intensively / artificially kept/farmed fish

 

[thesilentone]

disease (and the treatment of ) i think imright in saying, has always been the issue, disease being spread from intensively / artificially kept/farmed fish

I agree, fish farming has that issue, however it is already a massive Industry globally and improving. Surely with the huge increases in population fish farming is the only sustainable solution ?

 

[Bury the Trash]

I agree, fish farming has that issue, however it is already a massive Industry globally and improving. Surely with the huge increases in population fish farming is the only sustainable solution ?

inland maybe but the other issue is that fish ,although good converters (and a good source of protein for us) need Hipro food themselves and for them large numbers / like in bulk......and like Soya...

not that i know much about the subject tbh.

Although i guess they could be fed mass produced ground down insects but then so could we for that matter

 

[delilah]

I noted that line as well. It's partly why the report advocates a sea change in our education system to include personal environmental impact teaching from reception onwards.

Does anyone know what % of the ELMS pot has been earmarked for education visits to farms ? I would say it should be 10%, though I imagine it will be closer to 1% ?

 

[thesilentone]

inland maybe but the other issue is that fish ,although good converters (and a good source of protein for us) need Hipro food themselves and for them large numbers / like in bulk......and like Soya...

not that i know much about the subject tbh.

Although i guess they could be fed mass produced ground down insects but then so could we for that matter

Interesting website: https://www.biomar.com/en/uk/

Time is right for a new industry-wide sustainable seafood story | BioMar

The seafood industry delivers a high protein food with one of the lowest environmental footprints and yet it is still overshadowed by a history of unsustainable practices. The industry has come a long way over the last two decades by adopting responsible farming practices, to creating...

www.biomar.com

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Interesting website: https://www.biomar.com/en/uk/

Time is right for a new industry-wide sustainable seafood story | BioMar

The seafood industry delivers a high protein food with one of the lowest environmental footprints and yet it is still overshadowed by a history of unsustainable practices. The industry has come a long way over the last two decades by adopting responsible farming practices, to creating...

www.biomar.com

The National Fisherman's Organisation is hoping mad at the governments proposal to ban bottom trawling on Dogger Bank and other areas now we are out of the EU fisheries regime despite evidence of the damage it does.

Something has to change in our attitude to fish management.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Interesting website: https://www.biomar.com/en/uk/

Time is right for a new industry-wide sustainable seafood story | BioMar

The seafood industry delivers a high protein food with one of the lowest environmental footprints and yet it is still overshadowed by a history of unsustainable practices. The industry has come a long way over the last two decades by adopting responsible farming practices, to creating...

www.biomar.com

but i cant see the actual ingredients list anywhere on there?


bit the same as when the feed mill gives a sort of generic ticket with ingredients listed but not quite all you want to know....

 

[Rob Garrett]

The National Fisherman's Organisation is hoping mad at the governments proposal to ban bottom trawling on Dogger Bank and other areas now we are out of the EU fisheries regime despite evidence of the damage it does.

Something has to change in our attitude to fish management.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/country-calendar/2019-s-country-calendar-stories/episode-33