tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6537965748256551796.post3935993221704985411..comments2023-09-24T10:19:01.383+01:00Comments on John's Green Issues: Researching species to extinctionJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197399895034972279noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6537965748256551796.post-62338625023173900142006-05-25T08:12:00.000+01:002006-05-25T08:12:00.000+01:00Up to a point, Lord Copper?..I agree that 'grab wh...Up to a point, Lord Copper?..I agree that 'grab what you can while you can' is a better policy than grand strategies based on ecological theories generated in academia. However, there is a role for conservation science that can run in parallel.<br><br>The Countryside Restoration Trust is a domestic analogue of the WLT and is buying or being gifted land which will be managed sympathetically. Wildlife is returning to our two farms outside Cambridge, originally near sterile 'barley prairies'. There are increasing numbers of grey partridges, skylarks and brown hares, but no sign of lapwings, tree sparrows or water voles. Yet, even if all the common farmland fauna and flora returned to these and similar 'reserves' they would still be uncommon. Science can pinpoint why species are dwindling and so indicate how the situation can be remedied across the wider countryside. The effect of pesticides on sparrowhawk and peregrine eggs comes to mind. Science presented an overwhelming case for banning DDT.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6537965748256551796.post-51369379174711759672006-08-16T16:29:00.000+01:002006-08-16T16:29:00.000+01:00I commend the CRT to all my readers -- as Robert w...I commend the CRT to all my readers -- as Robert writes, a domestic analogue of the WLT. And I agree science has a role. But scientists can still be a mixed blessing. Read James Lovelocks latest "The Revenge of Gaia", in which he presents an argument in favour of DDT. But then Lovelock has a rather anthropocentric view of Gaia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com