Latest news with #LeeSchofield
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Conservationists call for Lake District to lose Unesco world heritage status
Conservationists have launched a campaign to revoke the Lake District's Unesco world heritage status, arguing that it promotes unsustainable sheep farming at the expense of nature recovery and local communities. In a letter to Unesco, the ecologist Lee Schofield argues that the designation 'promotes a false perception of farming, is not economically sustainable, is working against crucial efforts to restore the natural environment and mitigate the impacts of climate change, does not help sustain farming livelihoods, is not wanted by local people and is contributing to damaging overtourism.' The campaign is backed by a report published by World Heritage Watch, co-authored by Schofield, Dr Karen Lloyd of Lancaster University and the University of Cumbria's Prof Ian Convery. They argue that the inscription elevates sheep farming over equally traditional mixed farming that includes cattle, pigs, horses and poultry. The Unesco designation celebrates the Lake District as a 'cultural landscape' shaped by traditional agro-pastoral farming, with sheep farming a central part of its identity. Schofield notes that the word 'sheep' appears 357 times in the Lake District's 716-page nomination document, far exceeding mentions of other traditional livestock. The authors calculate that the Lake District's 673,000 sheep comprise 90% of medium-sized mammal biomass, with wild mammals representing 3%. Schofield calls sheep farming 'both ecologically catastrophic and economically precarious', linking it to the fact that only 20.7% of the Lake District's sites of special scientific interest are in a favourable condition. Intensive sheep grazing can prevent tree regeneration, reduce biodiversity and cause erosion and compaction of soils. 'We're in a biodiversity and a climate crisis. But as important as cultural heritage might be, we're not in a cultural heritage crisis,' Schofield says. The Unesco designation provides no financial support for the farming practices it celebrates, while, according to critics, hindering the transition to climate- and nature-positive farming that is the main focus of post-Brexit farming funds. David Morris, of the bird and wildlife conservation charity RSPB, endorsed the report's claims. He said the designation 'has been misused to protect probably some of the most ecologically damaging and economically loss-making agriculture practices in the English uplands'. Morris argued that the inscription enabled 'nimbyism' against conservation efforts. When the RSPB replaced sheep with cattle and ponies on its Haweswater site, locals cited world heritage status in opposition. 'People are able to use the world heritage thing to lobby against progressive change for nature recovery,' he said. The RSPB and other environmental NGOs are considering raising concerns directly with Unesco. The concerns echo warnings from the Guardian columnist George Monbiot in 2017 that world heritage status would 'lock the Lake District into its current, shocking state, ensuring that recovery becomes almost impossible' while boosting tourism unsustainably. Visitor numbers have risen from 16.4 million in 2015 to more than 18 million a year, with 22 million projected by 2040. Lloyd says intense tourism is driving house prices beyond local families' reach and overwhelming infrastructure. 'The Lake District world heritage inscription is presiding over the death of the landscape and its communities – both wild and human.' However, the view that world heritage status is hindering progressive farming is contested. Jane Barker, a farmer and former deputy chair of the Lake District National Park Authority, said the designation 'hasn't really made a difference' to her farm business. 'I don't recognise what [Schofield] has said in terms of [world heritage] putting a brake on things,' she said. Farming within the designation could be 'perfectly compatible with net zero, climate change, biodiversity, water quality', she said, adding: 'There is an appetite amongst the older and the younger generations [of farmers] to embrace that change.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Julia Aglionby, a professor of practice at the University of Cumbria and executive director of the Foundation for Common Land, argues that world heritage protection of traditional practices was necessary. 'In parts of the Lake District, some people would like to take all the sheep off. I personally think that's an erosion of cultural heritage,' she said. Aglionby disputed that revoking world heritage status was the answer. She said: 'The main issue is that we haven't had an effective public money for public goods policy.' Rather than world heritage blocking environmental schemes, Aglionby said, 'most farmers I know are really keen to get into schemes. Their concern is that there aren't schemes available.' If successful, the campaign would mark the second loss of UK world heritage status, after Liverpool's waterfront was stripped of its designation in 2021. Steve Ratcliffe, the director of sustainable development for the Lake District National Park Authority, said: 'We recognise the urgent challenges facing biodiversity, climate and farming. Whilst changes in land management are necessary to support nature recovery and climate resilience, this should take place with consideration to the area's cultural heritage.' Unesco did not respond to a request to comment.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bolton finance firm celebrates first year with 'strong results and big ambitions'
A Bolton-based commercial finance firm is celebrating its first birthday with "strong results and big ambitions". Since launching on May 1, 2024, has grown to a 10-person team, moved into new office space, and supported more than 100 UK businesses with what it describes as "access to flexible, fast, and transparent funding". Eighteen per cent of the firm's customers are said to have returned for further support within the first year. READ MORE: Bolton Ironman 70.3: Road closures announced in full Former Argos building in Bolton town centre sold Olivia Coleman to appear on Warburtons new TV advert CEO and founder, Lee Schofield, said: "Starting and building this business in Bolton was important to me. "This town has shaped who I am, and I wanted to build something here that could grow, create jobs, and genuinely support UK business owners. "I'm proud of what we've achieved in year one, but even more excited about what's ahead. "We're building a modern, scalable finance business right here in Bolton - one that delivers real outcomes for our customers and opportunities for our team." The company plans to expand its team, deepen relationships with lenders, and continue investing in its platform - with Bolton remaining "at the heart of its future plans."
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts reveal stunning potential impact of reintroducing predator to landscape for first time in 250 years
Wolves, apex predators with fascinating social structures and a side job as pollinators, could be the key to restoring the Scottish Highlands. Reintroducing the creatures to the area would keep deer populations in check, allow saplings to grow, and remove 1 million tonnes (1.1 million tons) of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to University of Leeds researchers, The Guardian reported. In the Cairngorms and southwest, northwest, and central Highlands, red deer prevent the natural regeneration of woodlands. Just 167 gray wolves could account for 5% of the carbon removal goal for U.K. woodlands, meaning each animal is worth £154,000 (around $195,000). Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. This idea is not new; reintroducing wolves to the Highlands has been discussed for more than 50 years. The carnivorous canines have been absent from Scotland for approximately 250 years, The Guardian reported. (There are around 18,000 wolves in Western Europe.) In their absence, red deer have exploded, with the population reaching 400,000 in the country alone. Amid such initiatives as a wolf hunt in Sweden, a reintroduction program in Scotland would be welcomed by many. But farmers, rural communities, and hunters may not support such an effort, and the species' continental comeback — an uptick of 50% over the last dozen years — has sparked concern as well, especially regarding livestock, as the newspaper detailed. "Our aim is to provide new information to inform ongoing and future discussions about the possibility of wolf reintroductions both in the U.K. and elsewhere," the study's co-author Lee Schofield told The Guardian. "We recognise that substantial and wide-ranging stakeholder and public engagement would clearly be essential before any wolf reintroduction could be considered. "Human-wildlife conflicts involving carnivores are common and must be addressed through public policies that account for people's attitudes for a reintroduction to be successful," Schofield added. Rewilding Britain reported that wolves not only control deer populations but also help feed other species via carcasses. The Eurasian wolf, a keystone species that reaches speeds of 62 kilometers per hour (39 mph), "can reduce overgrazing and support the establishment of woodlands and mosaic habitats, which in turn boosts biodiversity and transforms landscapes." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Independent
18-02-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Scientists want to release 160 wolves in Scotland to help UK hit net zero target
Scientists have suggested reintroducing dozens of wolves into the Scottish Highlands in order to help the UK reach its climate targets. Researchers at the University of Leeds have suggested that the reintroduction of grey wolves to the Cairngorms, as well as the south-west, north-west and central Highlands, could help reduce the issue of red deer eating tree saplings, which stops natural woodland regeneration. The scientists predicted that a population of 167 wolves would thrive if reintroduced into the wild and would be enough to reduce red deer populations to a level that would allow trees to regenerate naturally. This could expand the native woodland, which could take in and store a million tons of carbon dioxide each year, equating to about five per cent of the carbon removal target for UK woodlands, researchers said. Each wolf would lead to an annual carbon uptake capability of 6,080 tonnes of CO2, which the researchers estimated would make each of them 'worth' £154,000, according to the accepted current valuations of carbon. It's the first time that the impact of reintroducing wolves for woodland expansion and carbon storage in the UK has been assessed. Wolves were eradicated from Scotland about 250 years ago, leaving deer with no natural predators. The wolf population in Western Europe is approximately 12,000. Meanwhile, British deer numbers have increased from about 450,000 to two million today. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence journal, acknowledged the idea is controversial, not least with farmers worried about livestock. Researchers acknowledged the idea's potential controversies when it comes to farmers' livestock. The growing number of wolf numbers in Europe previously led to their protected status being downgraded in 2024, which appeased farmers, but caused concern for environmentalists. Co-author of the study, Lee Schofield, said that they recognised 'that substantial and wide-ranging stakeholder and public engagement would clearly be essential before any wolf reintroduction could be considered". He said the aim was to "provide new information to inform ongoing and future discussions about the possibility of wolf reintroductions both in the UK and elsewhere". The study 's lead author, Prof Dominick Spracklen, said: 'There is an increasing acknowledgment that the climate and biodiversity crises cannot be managed in isolation. 'We need to look at the potential role of natural processes such as the reintroduction of species to recover our degraded ecosystems and these in turn can deliver co-benefits for climate and nature recovery.'
Sky News
18-02-2025
- Science
- Sky News
Bring back wolves to Scotland to reach net zero, says controversial research
Reintroducing wolves in the Scottish Highlands could allow native forests to bloom and help reach climate targets, researchers have suggested. Grey wolves would prey on red deer, which hamper forest growth by eating tree saplings. The large carnivores were eradicated from Scotland about 250 years ago, leaving deer with no natural predators. Leeds University scientists said bringing wolves back to the Cairngorms, southwest, northwest and central Highlands could curb deer numbers and allow native woodland to thrive. This would store an extra one million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year - 5% of the target for carbon removals from UK woodlands. 0:27 They think a population of about 160 wolves would be realistic, which would be enough to make a sufficient dent in deer numbers. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence journal, acknowledged the idea is controversial, not least with farmers worried about livestock. 1:19 Lee Schofield, a co-author of the study, said they "recognise that substantial and wide-ranging stakeholder and public engagement would clearly be essential before any wolf reintroduction could be considered". He added the aim was to "provide new information to inform ongoing and future discussions about the possibility of wolf reintroductions both in the UK and elsewhere". The scheme could even be monetised by farmers or landowners if they were paid for removing carbon dioxide, such as via an offsetting scheme, they said. Backlash to growing wolf numbers in Europe led to a downgrade to their protected status last year, appeasing aggrieved farmers but alarming environmentalists. The wolf population in western Europe currently sits at around 12,000, occupying 67% of their former territory. British deer numbers have ballooned in recent decades, from about 450,000 in the 1970s to two million today - the highest level for 1,000 years. The increase has prompted calls to the public to eat more wild venison, which Forestry England describes as "extraordinarily ethical and sustainable". The animals have been chomping their way through the country's target to plant more trees to help reach net zero climate targets. The study said only 4% of Scotland remains blanketed by woodland today, making it one of the least forested places in Europe.
