Some you nearly win...

The Safari has been following the environmental and sustainability news of the day resulting in some very mixed feelings.

My brother-in-law came round and added some re-used and up-cycled sustainable bits to our aging and not so sustainable Land Rover. At least we're mobile again.

News from the EU was mostly good in the fishing vote...no tax payers' money for new boats, but they did say yes to new engines for old boats. Money was promised for more research and monitoring which is good. now we need some movement on net and mesh sizes and mesh features that will allow under sized fish to escape. Oh and mechanisms to prevent bottle trawling being so destructive and our own government needs to pull its finger out and get an ecologically coherent series of Marine Conservation Zones designated...don't hold your breath on that one!

Back to the government now and their ridiculous Badger cull which it transpired late this afternoon had been extended for another EIGHT weeks in Gloucestershire killing a maximum of 940 animals, only a handful of which will actually be infected and infectious, against just about every drop of scientific advice researched so far. It's a long time since we saw a live Badger and now we worry we might not ever again. Not that the cull (=kill) is anywhere near us but the reports of illegal activities by the bloodthirsty from all over our countryside are to be believed. There's no doubting the disease needs to be contained and eventually eradicated but only 2% of cattle tested are sent to slaughter and compensation given and many of these end up in the food chain anyway...this sicking brutality isn't the way forward and may well end up being counter-productive.

Further afield but sickeningly related to the bloodlust above is breaking news that roosting  Short Toed and Booted Eagles are being shot out of their trees in Malta...not by one or two 'rogue' hunters but by 'dozens' of shooters - what is it about some humans as a species we really need to have a long hard look at oursleves.
If you have Badgers in your area please keep them safe for our future generations. If you haven't seen this have a look and share it round, it's powerful stuff, Praterson and Camoron should be sent it.
Spiders...oh don't get us started more media hyped zoophobic nonesense on the news again just now. The truth is here
Hen Harriers - ohhh no another one bites the dust (Yes a deliberate connection to Brian May) wonder if we'll ever find out where bet you a pound to a penny there's Red Grouse involved since the report doesn't say it disappeared at sea.
Not yet had a chance to look at the 3rd UK Habitats Directive Reporting 2013

Fuel bills this winter - have a look at the wholesale price of gas since October 2005 - why aren't we paying less than we were then? This is nicked from a recent government document.

9 million views for the Great British Bake Off - - WHAT, HOW MANY?????? Now don't get us wrong we're pretty partial to a slab of cake but we really really hope AutumnWatch gets that many. Sadly it probably wont despite the environment being far far more important than a tasty bun. But do look out for one of our pics as we've had an email from the team letting us know one of ours is going to be used on Unsprung and/or the Extra programmes.
At least the Greenpeace Arctic 'pirates' have been 'downgraded' to hooliganism - bit of a difference! But they might not be out of the dark brown snowstorm just yet.
What started out as a fairly promising day has ended rather gloomily.
Where to next? We're back to work tomorrow so Patch 2 will be back in play weather permitting.
In the meantime let us know if there's some good news from your outback