Is it any wonder young people leave this place in droves for a happier, healthier life elsewhere.
The very basics of a society that works for its people are not being met and it’s all down to the environment we live in.
Take the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The first thing on that list is ‘no poverty’ and everywhere we turn we hear about people having to turn to foodbanks, uniform banks and more for help.
Read more: The Earth’s Corr: Let’s start charging more for SUV parking like Paris
House prices are rising, rents are going through the roof one sometimes very unhealthy homes.
The UK Government is supporting oil and gas companies with new licenses knowing they pollute our environment and accelerate climate breakdown – despite cleaner alternatives being available.
The next is ‘zero hunger’ – can we say that’s happening here?
Not when there are reports people go hungry to stay warm in winter and to put the needs of their children first.
Then we have ‘good health and wellbeing’. Seriously long waiting lists for healthcare, air pollution well above WHO recommended standards and decades of water pollution that’s spreading toxins in Lough Neagh – where our drinking water comes from – puts paid to that notion.
We are supposed to be a developed nation – and yet we’re still waiting on ‘climate action’ that will improve our lives and our health.
We don’t have ‘sustainable cities and communities’ – the car is still king and any real change on active travel infrastructure still feels like it’s years off.
Our ‘consumption and production’ is as far from ‘responsible’ as you can get and we don’t have ‘affordable and clean energy’.
‘Life below water’ and ‘life on land’ leave a lot to be desired when you look at the data on how we are failing to improve biodiversity and preserve our waterways, seas and lakes.
Bird numbers are plummeting, much of our land is given over the graass to feed cows – most of which are exported – leaving their waste behind for us to deal with.
And amid all this we have no government – and politicians and authorities don’t even enforce their own regulations to keep us safe form all the harms that come our way.
People often think the environment is some far off thing that doesn’t impact them – but an unhealthy one hurts each and every one of us from the food we eat to the water we drink and the air we breathe.
It’s about whether we can afford to heat our homes – which many are struggling to do given the extortionate price of fossil fuels we have been given no choice but to burn.
But I have some ideas about how we can make this place a better one to live in for everyone.
- Grants for replacing lead pipes in homes – to make everyone’s water supply safe
- Putting renewable energy first and banning the installation of new oil and gas boilers
- Grants to retrofit everyone’s home – starting with those in fuel poverty – as well as regulations banning them in new builds
- Build the train lines suggested in the All-Island Rail Review
- Deliver on the Cycle Network plans to make it safe for people to bike
- Deliver 15 minute towns and cities
- Increase fines for pollution and properly deal with polluters through the courts
- Encourage people and educate them on how vital biodiversity is
- Maintain parks, public places and roadsides in a way that helps nature
- Adopt WHO air pollution limits – and put policies in place to drive down vehicle emissions
- Ensure Invest NI only supports sustainable businesses
- Encourage farmers to grow more fruit and veg to increase food stability and work with nature
- Whack taxes on junk food and do more to support and educate on healthy foods
This might seem like an unobtainable wish list to some people – but many of these things are already being talked about – we just need delivery on a massive scale.
Maybe we should start marking politicians on their ability to deliver a better life for everyone who lives here – rather than green and orange politics. Falling down that rabbit hole does nothing for any of us.
The UN SDGs set out what working societies deliver for their people – it’s time our leaders acted like they actually care about us.
Lough Neagh algae a prime example of years of incompetence
If ever there was an example of the total incompetence of our authorities to act in everyone’s interest – take a look at Lough Neagh right now.
Toxic blue-green algae as far as the eye can see.
It was not an accidental misfortune that happened overnight – but the result of decades of incompetence by environmental leaders to deal with the pollution finding its way into our waterways.
Waterways that provide a huge amount of the drinking water that comes from our taps.
They might say algae is a natural occurrence – but not at that level.
This travesty is the result of farm and sewage pollution they allowed to enter the lough – made worse by the climate breakdown we leaders have also allowed to happen.
Fish are now dying, swans are covered in the stuff and there have been reports that flies that were once abundant being nowhere to be seen.
Everything on that list is vital to a good ecosystem – and good ecosystems are vital to our survival.
It’s long past time we had one department dealing with everything climate and environmental – and independent environment agency that can punish them when they don’t deliver for the people.
Do one thing
Have you let your garden grow into a wildflower meadow all summer for the birds, the bees and butterflies?
If so you deserve a huge pat on the back.
The time to cut is nearing as according to Gardeners World most wildflower meadows will have set seed by September and will be starting to flop and look tatty.
When you do cut, they advise you sheer, then mow and compost your clippings.
Good luck with the annual cut – then sit back and relax and wait for the flower and creatures to appear again next year.
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