A letter to my friends across the sea

A sad tale but there is hope

As I sit in my mountain Eyrie, on this Mid-November morning, the wind howls around the building and the rain pelts down in torrents melting the snows that have accumulated over the past week. I look out of my front upstairs window to the single track lane that resembles a river and I thank the ancient tribe who settled in this place. The source of a major river rises in the field to the side of the property. I can’t believe that such a small spring in the field turns into such a large waterway five miles to the north as the crow flies which was my previous abode. The course of the river takes a route of 15 miles to that point picking up water from the ditches, dykes and smaller rivulets. The wildlife that relies on this water is very varied but I’m sure it’s not as numerous or as diverse than it was when I was roving the countryside as a lad 70 years ago. That was further North and to the east of course where the terrain is much gentler. I wonder how much it has changed in the intervening time. I’m not sure whether nostalgia is a good or bad thing.

Looking back to my professional life 35 years ago as an Environmentalist at a time when we considered something of a freak, scaremongering about global warming, we didn’t use the term Climate change then. Global warming to UK citizen’s didn’t seem too bad we’d all like a bit more sun, a Mediterranean climate.

I am both happy and sad to have lived long enough to see the consequences of man’s actions on the balance of nature, happy that I can boast that we told you so but unhappy that that we couldn’t continue those gods we call politicians across the world what the scientists were predicting needed drastic action. My colleagues most of them much younger than me then, were convinced it was already too late to substantially make a huge difference in the little time we have left.

However those who read this missive do not despair as my God, Nature as a way of winning, it balances itself and with a little help from all of us there is a future for life on earth. I do hope that the President Elect of the USA would read this plea of mine, not to give up in the fight. The world economy is important, but it’s about how you go about it. As a native American Chief said, “At the end of the day you can’t eat money” but like him I expect to be ignored, so Mr President Elect enjoy counting your millions, for you can’t take it with you and the world won’t end before you do, unless some other maniac decides to press the button.

My address is withheld as I am a coward and still believe the pen ultimately should be mightier than the sword. It’s who gets to me first, I’m already on some peoples hit list.

The perils of free speech and the free press. Power to the people.

May your own god guide you it’s in you and your children’s hands.

God bless America - because no-one else will