What the experts want from GE2020 – Bob Wilson

February 4th, 2020

Over the past three weeks, as in all election cycles, we have become
accustomed to the knock at the door from canvassers or candidates themselves
are they vie for our number one at the ballot box.

We have asked leading climate and biodiversity experts to tell us the key
policy asks that they have raised with candidates when they come a-knocking.

Next up is Bob Wilson, the coordinator and a founder member of
CELT, an environmental NGO focused on tree cover policy in Ireland. Bob has a
background in nature conservation management in the UK and Ireland, and has
also served on the boards of Clare Leader Partnership and Clare Biodiversity
Group.  He also teaches dry-stone walling
and elements of sustainable woodland management and agroforestry.

First and foremost, Bob says that he wants to see election candidates recognise the reality of the climate crisis and its link with the biodiversity loss crisis and the urgency for action to deal with these. After that, they can work on the following key policy aims.

Deciduous woodland by the Owengarriff River, Co Kerry Photo: Espresso Addict

Encourage and support
tree planting

Trees are hugely important for oxygen in our atmosphere and
also for sequestration of carbon, healthy and stable soils and flood
mitigation. 

Millions of trees are being lost worldwide due to illegal
logging and forest fires.  Not only do we
need to have a strategy to help prevent these, we must also have a strategy to
encourage tree planting. 

Native trees and woodlands provide the richest land-based
ecosystems and their leaves provide the best soil nutrition.  They are complimented by a wide range of
plant species, all inter-dependent and all sequestering carbon – including much
within the roots. 

Monoculture coniferous forestry, whilst having value to the
timber and paper industries, does not come close to the carbon and biodiversity
values of native woodlands.

Much
of the rural landscape is under-used and considered to be poor or marginal for
agricultural purposes, especially in the western region.  It is our contention that there is scope for
much more planting of native woodlands throughout rural Ireland and especially
the western region. 

Promotion
of agroforestry as a form of farm diversification makes practical and economic
sense and will have a major contribution to climate mitigation,

Support sustainable
woodland management

There
is also scope for sustainable management of the many neglected woodlands (both native
and mixed) that can include systems of coppice, pollarding and brash-hedging,
all of which are good for biodiversity and produce valuable hardwood timbers
for a variety of uses, especially traditional crafts.

This
can create local jobs in many areas through development of woodland management
cooperatives and traditional skills training establishments.  Local employment in this way is a major
contribution to climate change mitigation by reducing travel to employment
locations, reducing transport and providing furniture, tools, sports equipment,
utensils and firewood for use in the locality.

Support is needed for NGOs such as CELT to locate and provide centres of excellence in sustainable woodland management which can be developed as ‘flagship’ projects showing the world what can be achieved on a local scale – thinking globally, acting locally.

Bioeconomy Photo: OakleyOriginals

Ethical Investment

We believe that active encouragement of ethical investment
opportunities combined with discouragement of investment in fossil fuel
extraction and other environmentally harmful practices can make a significant
impact regarding climate mitigation and biodiversity. 

Many investors have a portfolio recommended by bankers or
accountants that is simply based upon profitable companies with no regard for
ethics. 

There needs to be clear information provided regarding the
activities of companies and strong guidelines for financial advisors to make it
clear to investors which companies have recognised ethical practices.

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