Category: Local Action

Wild Ingleborough: a vision for the future

A partnership has formed between Natural England’s Ingleborough National Nature Reserve team, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, The University of Leeds, The United Bank of Carbon, The Woodland Trust and WWF, to develop a project to further the restoration of wildlife habitats around Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The partnership aims to undertake landscape-scale restoration of wildlife from the valley floor to the top of the mountain. This will aid nature’s recovery in this part of North Yorkshire by supporting low intensity farming and helping wildlife to be more resilient in the face of the climate emergency and other pressures.

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Whitehaven coalmine project under review

Barry White

The recent decision by Cumbria County Council to reconsider the proposed coalmine in the county has been welcomed by environmental campaigners, who have strongly opposed the mine. Last October the council granted planning permission for West Cumbria Mining to press ahead with plans for the UK’s first new deep coalmine in three decades, at Woodhouse Colliery, near Whitehaven. Much to the disappointment of campaigners, last month the communities and local government secretary, Robert Jenrick, decided not to “call in” the mine for the government to review the decision.

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Seeds – get them to support ACE

Melanie Fryer

In 2017 the Gaia Foundation launched its UK and Ireland Seed Sovereignty programme in order to train market gardeners and small scale seed producers in saving their own seed (and see: http://www.seedsovereignty.info ).

Seeds were, at one time, produced much more widely in the UK. This programme aims to help rekindle the passion for local, open-pollinated and agro-ecological seed.  Demand for good quality organic seed is increasing and there is the opportunity for growers to diversify by adding seed crops in their planning.  There is also a potential to produce more varieties suited to the UK and Irish climate and markets.  Hopefully by raising awareness and supporting more growers to grow for seed, the programme will help existing initiatives and help others to develop.

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Regional climate partnership to be launched: Climate Commissioners wanted

Leaders from councils, businesses, utilities, unions, environmental groups and universities from across Yorkshire and Humber are coming together to tackle the climate crisis head on through a major new partnership. The Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, which is set to launch formally in March, will provide an independent voice to help support and track the delivery of ambitious climate actions across the region.

The Commission’s focus will be on reducing carbon emissions as quickly as possible and ensuring people in Yorkshire are prepared to cope with the impacts of climate change, such as flooding, heatwaves and sea level rise.

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