Top 10 environmental villains of 2011

In the run up to the New Year I’ll be listing the top 10 environmental villains of 2011 in reverse order.

10. Donald Trump. Who? American billionaire business magnate, property tycoon, on off candidate for President of the United States and proud owner of one of the world’s most talked about bouffant hairstyles. Why? His ruthless efforts to build a golf course on the Menie Estate in Alex Salmond’s Aberdeenshire constituency in the face of opposition from conservation bodies, residents and the council showed how easy it is to destroy a Site of Special Scientific Interest when you can dazzle politicians with controversial promises of jobs. The struggle became the subject of a film in September called You’ve Been Trumped.


9. Tesco. Who? Biggest supermarket in the UK. Why? Despite the recession the supermarket giant which this year notched up profits of £2.55b or £4,800 a minute announced with its rivals in December the biggest store opening programme in its history. If all the plans are approved the UK’s supermarket chains’ trading space will increase by almost 50% to about 1,200 hectares or the equivalent of 500 football pitches. Environmentalists and Tescopoly, the campaign group, believe the result will be “Tesco Towns” in which competition on the high street and many more thousands of small businesses are driven out of existence.
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Need free child care while Christmas shopping?

My daughter Georgias latest craze is her harmonica. We were out Christmas shopping yesterday when we bumped into a nice Romanian man busking with an accordion (unfortunately he didnt speak any English). So here they are duetting. Everyone was happy. He got a lot more money in his hat. Georgia found a musical soul mate. And I got free child care while I finished off the shopping.

Top 10 environmental heroes of 2011

Its been a tough year for the environment but who were the environmental heroes of 2011? Based on their profile and influence I have compiled a list of the top ten environmental heroes of the year. And who were the villains?  Please send me your nominations and I’ll publish the results on 29 December in a list of the top ten environmental villains of 2011.

Key

10. Jonathon Porritt 9. Greenpeace 8. Cooperative Group 7. 38 degrees

6. Mark Avery 5. Michael Schwarz 4. Facebook 3. David Attenborough

2. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 1. Christiana Figueres

In defence of Frozen Planet

I have a letter in todays Guardian newspaper about the media furore surrounding the footage of the polar bear cubs on Frozen Planet. It reads “The row over the footage of newborn polar cubs on Frozen Planet is deeply unfair on the BBC Natural History Unit, which for over 50 years has brought us so many memorable and inspiring wildlife programmes (Report, 13 December). As a former researcher at the unit who worked under Alastair Fothergill, the executive producer of the series, I know only too well the extraordinary lengths the team goes to in getting pictures of elusive and sensitive species like polar bears. However, BBC guidelines rightly state that the welfare of the animal must come before any other considerations.

When it comes to film-making, I believe the British public would therefore understand why in a very few situations it is necessary to use captive rather than wild animals. As to the narrative, it simply isn’t possible to state under what conditions shots were taken without breaking up the story. The truth is when it comes to some particularly rare, vulnerable or inaccessible species the BBC Natural History Unit can’t win. If they didn’t use captive-bred animals for filming, the tabloid press would no doubt be running with an animal cruelty story rather than a fakery one”.