EU Biodiversity strategy 2030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120633419#Comment_120633419

Lots of good stuff on his Twitter account too, results that can't be argued with.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120633433#Comment_120633433

From what I can remember, his "Future" section is about making a living by providing a public/environmental good and being paid for it as much as producing food.

Maybe the Ivory Tower dwellers in Dublin and Brussels read the book and simply assumed that's what we all should do, on all types of land, in all regions, on all farm sizes and structures, etc. And we should do it within the next 5 years.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120634241#Comment_120634241

I think there's more confirmation bias in what they read than that unfortunately. It's a while since I read his books, my take away aligned with what I'd like to do with my own place (my own bias I suppose). That livestock can still be farmed, more productively in many ways. Our heritage, a farming heritage is important and can adapt. How & ever, I see the battle as solely down to control, who get's to tell the peasants how it is. That's a large chunk of my objection.

Jonnyc135

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/nature-restoration-epp-pulls-out-of-eu-parliament-talks/

All kicking off in Europe at the minute, a good sign so far looks like it will have to be scaled back big time if it has any way of passing.

I think the main way the might get major concessions on this is not for food security or agriculture or the rural communities but more so what this law will mean in terms of renewable energy projects and their green energy transition.

Designating vast quantities of land and sea as 'strictly protected' meaning sticker regulation than for example the Serengeti national park, good luck trying to get planning for offshore/onshore windfarms, solar farms etc.

The more you actually think about the knock on effects of this 'Law' the more and more its drives us into the hand of the East - Brazil Russia and China. Food security would have to be farmed out to Brazil, Energy to Russia/Saudis as strict protection measures would mean theses renewable projects would never get even through the planning stage and manufacture to China. Its nearly like the EU are self sabotaging themselves.

Wonder what our commissioner Mairead McGuinness has to say seeing as she's is a member of the EPP group, personally I suspect it will the same sort of waffle retorick she was coming out with in the Fine Gael tent at the ploughing last year.

Ten Pin

Don't forget there's elections in 2024, be wary of MEPs siding with farmers if it's inconsistent with how they voted / spoke on issues up until now.

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662486#Comment_120662486

Not really - the EU has already passed a law(last year) allowing fast tracking of renewable energy projects in "go to" areas that will already be accessed as environmentally suitable outside of any restoration law. The industry players against the restoration bill want to be given carte blanch to shoe horn them in where they like, including sensitive peatland sites and marine sites vital for fisheries, seabirds etc. Unfortunately the mis-information being pumped out on these matters could well bite back farmers in marginal areas in a few years when the CAP cake has to stretch much farther to accomodate EU Eastward expansion while the likes of the IFA and Copa Cogeaca ensure that industrial scale operators retain the bulk of their payments at the expense of folk on poorer land who were likely going to see increased payments via CAP to support the aims of the restoration law. Also the EPP are lying about lack of impact assesments as all EU proposals are subject to impact assessments prior to being put to the EU parliament votes

Water John

The evolving science on agri emissions needs to be always kept impacting the rules on farming. Equally their should be no rush ahead without comprehensive baseline analysis.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/30/rock-flour-greenland-capture-significant-co2-study

No doubt there's a longer video of all contributions somewhere, weather is too good for me to go digging soz 🤷‍♂️

I got a reply on Twitter the last day, which I regarded with some mistrust, that in relation tot he NRL the legally binding parts would be burdened on the state (only). I don't believe that for a second, sh1t runs down hill, it always has. People are looking to get the NRL in, and once it is, we're screwed.

https://fb.watch/kUk-F-DLik/

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666264#Comment_120666264

Once the NRL is buried, the focus needs to be on overturning all these designations placed on private land.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666659#Comment_120666659

I'm not burying it just yet, long way to go.

As some eNGO's are fond of saying, there are aspects to the NRL that are behind the ambition of our own national commitments.

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666264#Comment_120666264

Honestly the articles in the proposed regulation that Fitzmaurice reads are the basically the gospel. When McConalougue et al. actively downplay ramifications and effectively mislead people with the help of mainstream media - things are in a very very bad and precarious place.

Realistically any one that's thinks logically can really see through the bullshit that politicians and eNGOs are trying to spin in terms of land designation valuations and socio economic destruction of these areas.

Why was a full economic and social impact assessment done of how this law would affect areas with high densities of peatland etc (30% of Ireland give or take), because everybody knows and can logically foresee what the outcome would be - slip it in under the radar and demonise any person that questions it as a stupid ignorant farmer that is a climate denier and a conspiracy nut.

Personally I have lost all faith and more importantly TRUST in the Irish government and the European Union, and I doubt I'm the only one.

Base price

Myself and OH were talking about this rewetting of farms on drained peat land. What happens if a farmer has a loan/security on that land and it then becomes devalued due to rewetting. Does it open a potential door to give the two fingers to the bank and renege on the repayments.

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670062#Comment_120670062

No it doesn't. That won't even be considered. There's been no cost analysis done on any of this

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670062#Comment_120670062

No chance that there won't have been a personal guarentee included in the loan documentation.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670152#Comment_120670152

Is the guarantee not the deeds to said land

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670699#Comment_120670699

I would have thought the same. The only reason that I ask is that there is a bit of land coming up for sale near us some of which (12-15 acres) maybe included in this rewetting scheme/mapped area. We're toying with having a go at buying it but know of another person who is actively interested in it. The other person has a history of "buying" land and then using every excuse under the sun to avoid paying for it yet manages to hold onto his portfolio iykwim.

Water John

I don't think the rewetting will become a large issue. The BNM lands should cover almost all the country's requirements. As the science on GHSs, develops and solutions are found and put into practice. Depends on how much of a gamble it would be for you, but if you can afford it, why not.

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120671194#Comment_120671194

What about after 2030, that's only 7 years away. Depending on what passes in the EU there may be alot of forced rewetting in 10-15 years time.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120671194#Comment_120671194

BNM lands "should" cover almost all the Countries requirements doesn't wash with me to be honest. Call me a whimp but I don't want to make a financial commitment with the Nature Restoration Legislation in the background. We've bought a few bits of property over the years and you could foresee the future potential. This NRL brings a new and different complexity that we can't predict - I suppose I want to look into the crystal ball and see the future.

memorystick

I was walking in the fields today at midday. I couldn't believe how few flies and bees I saw. Usually they'd be annoying me but nothing. Plenty of flowers in the dithces and under the fence but no insects.

Water John

I suspect most are in the shade as the hard drying wind isn't to their liking.

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120687994#Comment_120687994

Horseflies are out now too. It's a bit early I thought.

Jonnyc135

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/commission-slammed-for-overstepping-its-role-on-restoration/

Amazing how the EU Commission (not elected by the people) are forcing EU Parliament MEPs (Elected by the people) to do what they say.

"Frans Timmermans, has held meetings with some EPP MEPS and told them that, if the party did not back the restoration law, other legislative proposals the EPP deem important may not be forthcoming from the commission"

What a great European democracy we live in.

Hopefully in this case democracy does prevail as voting even looks tight in the Environmental Committee. Honestly if MEPs are not allowed to freely vote (especially in this instance as the people they supposedly represent will be extremely negatively affected) and this Law as it stands passes then I think trust will be entirely lost in the EU project as a whole.

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120687806#Comment_120687806

Plenty of lies and midges at us, was absolutely tormented by them checking the cattle and sheep on Saturday evening

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120688895#Comment_120688895

Ducks and drakes, sounds like UKIP waffle.

The commissioners are nominated by our directly elected TDs through government as are many other offices. They then act like Ministers of their various areas representing the EU, not national government, but with much less power as no country or party has unilateral control like a government.

Timmerman's statement is only normal politics, negotiation, finding middle ground etc.

Our few MEPs in the EPP haven't much say over that groupings positions either, as per our size in Europe. Is that anti-democratic? Au contraire, it is its essence.

Water John

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120688900#Comment_120688900

Yeah it's the lies really gets to me.😉

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120689206#Comment_120689206

It does sound like UKIP waffle and the sad thing is that if this law is passed in its current proposed form these areas will turn exactly like the midlands of England.

When you take away someone's livelihood farming on peatsoil and devalue their property/assets (steel works/mining industry in midland of England these places ended up being really euro sceptic) resentment grows and in this case people will turn on the EU project.

When people feel beaten down by the establishment populist ideas flourish. Populism throughout history never ended well.

No shortage of insects here, seen tons of dragonflies lately.

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120689538#Comment_120689538

While I think I get your point, it's not clear whether your happy to embrace the populism, ie anti democratic EU post, or wary of it as per your last.

Ironically, the anti EU Brexit movement would have come from the Thatcherite wing of the Tories/UKIP, who, according to your post, subsequently benfitted from her government's policies.

Also ironically, many hqve said that Scargill's controversial belligerent and uncompromising stance played into that government's hands and did those affected communities no favours after.

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120687806#Comment_120687806

Noticed a big drop in bumblebees these last few years - seems to be a similar pattern across Western Europe and have seen recent reports on Twitter of clutches of insect eating birds like Flycatchers, Tit etc. completely failing this spring for lack of food with much comments that the likes of Butterfly, Moth, Hoverfly populations all apparently collapsing over the past 10 years over large parts of England and Wales. Combined with the likes of Spain and Italy now seeking emergency EU supports measures for their own farmers due to increasing issues with drought and general soil loss issues, its clear that "business as usual" is not going to end well for citizens or biodiversity over the coming years:(