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Irish Times Biodiversity Crusade

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    #32
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    OP here interesting replies.

    I guess I'm tired of being lectured at by urban folk who have not background in farming or forestry.

    Yes there remains much to be improved on in both fields. FOr the person who advises me to write a letter...I have done so, had them published, but since the current editor took over none have been published-that's pushing on 10 months. Reporters like O'Toole, O'Sullivan, Mullally or Boland have no interest in talking to people with an alternate viewpoint or experience. Clearly an agenda there.

    Again, thanks for the replies.



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    #33
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,443 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    They are absolutely, undeniably, 100% correct that biodiversity in Ireland needs to be improved drastically.

    It's interesting that you are criticising them for not being farmers or foresters; rather than criticising them for not being zoologists or botanists. Which is revealing, as I would certainly not look to farmers or foresters as the first port of call for expertise on biodiversity.



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    #34
    Shoog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭Shoog


    Traditionally farmers have treated nature as the enemy to be subued. They cannot be considered custodians of biodiversity if this attitude prevails.



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    #35
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 82,492 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Much diversity in monoculture.

    image.png




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    #36
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,443 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    that photo is probably not taken in ireland, so not exactly fair to post it if so.

    here's the issue - ireland is the bottom of the table in europe for biodiversity. because pretty much every available bit of land that could be farmed or forested has been claimed for that. if we want to improve biodiversity, we need to dedicate some of that land to biodiversity; but that is seen as an attack on farmers as the suggestion (naturally) is that maybe we shouldn't farm every last piece of available land.

    say we decided to dedicate 10% of the land surface to biodiversity; which is not a particularly excessive goal. that would involve a change in land use which would be anathema to the likes of the IFA probably but that's the way the wind is blowing.



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    #37
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 14,155 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040054#Comment_121040054

    Looks like the type of field the millions of tonnes of animal feed ireland imports every year might be grown in



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    #38
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 82,492 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040613#Comment_121040613

    Could well be.

    image.png

    Might not be Ireland's acreage but it's Ireland's ecological impact.

    https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/ireland-agricultural-sector#:~:text=The%20most%20important%20category%20for,it%20must%20import%20significant%20quantities.




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    #39
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 14,155 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040619#Comment_121040619

    Yeah I'm just making the point that People give out about veg farming being monocultures and unhealthy ecosystems compared to animal farming when animal farming is reliant on monocultures too growing grain etc.



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    #40
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 14,155 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ni-water-answer-questions-safety-27591154

    Up north but christ, lough neagh is in a bad way



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    #41
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 82,492 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040669#Comment_121040669

    This is the type of eco disaster one would normally associate with Florida and Big Sugar.



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    #42
    Shoog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭Shoog


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040567#Comment_121040567

    Biodiversity was never considered when the land registry allocated farms at the foundation of the state. Every acre was a political bargaining chip for the new state.

    Land Abandonment is happening on a wide scale in much of the west which is not the same as managed wild space. Abandonment can often be determental to biodiversity in extensive farming systems such as you find in the west. It would be better to have a planned buy out and land strategy.



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