Recently the RSPB put out the following media release:

___________________

3 February 2005


Sir

Scientists at this week's climate change conference have issued a
succession of warnings
about the dire consequences of climate change for mankind and
wildlife.

Plants, mammals and birds are heading for extinction; rising seas are
eroding coasts and swallowing up coastal homes; coral reefs are losing
their capacity to soak up carbon dioxide - the gas most responsible
for climate change - while storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves are
all set to increase in number. And all this, we have been told, could
happen far more quickly than we originally thought. We are calling it
'global warming' but more accurately, we are cooking our planet.

There are more than four million references to global warming on the
internet search engine Google but 'global overheating' merits just 123
mentions, 'global scorching', 175; 'global frying', 68; and even
'global heating' only 6,000! Yet none of these phrases is
adequate for the devastation we are facing.

Cooking our planet will disrupt and devastate all life and giving this
process the cosy name global warming only makes it easier for all of
us, especially politicians, to ignore the consequences.

Yours faithfully


Dr Mark Avery
Director of Conservation
RSPB
The Lodge
Sandy
SG19 2DL
_________________________


Yet in their Birds magazine there are pages of adverts for extensive
travel at home and abroad and encouragement for many types of
activities that are damaging to the natural environment which
contribute to climate change and are "cooking our planet".

The production, distribution and disposal of this magazine is also
damaging to the natural environment.

If saving some birds comes with the package of greater environmental
damage they should pack up or drastically cut their activities to
reduce environmental damage..

They're not short in encouraging the slaughter of members of one
species to promote another. In the same mould they should slaughter
their empire to protect the environment.

That is why I accuse the RSPB of double standards and dishonesty.

One doesn't need to be a "conservationist" to see that.

In a recent letter to Graham Wynne the CEO of the RSPB I suggested the
following ways they could reduce their impact on the environment b y
reducing emissions.

Stop exploiting birds as visitor attractions that attracts thousands
of sightseers, in the full knowledge that most will come by car.

Close its environmentally damaging visitor centres.
·
Close its car parks thereby actively discouraging motorists to drive
to its reserves.
·
Stop hosting countryside fairs that attract thousands of motorists.
·
Stop using large mechanical diggers and loggers for conservation work.
·
Stop sending out unsolicited junk mail and newspaper inserts.
·
Stop sending out thousands of "Birds" magazines, which are
environmentally damaging in their production, distribution and
disposal.
·
Stop accepting pages of adverts in its "Birds" magazine that entice
people to travel at home and abroad.
·
Set an openly revealed target for reducing staff's use of cars both to
travel to work and during operations and stick to it.
·
Stop using pesticides.

I have had no response from Mr Wynne.

It appears that where damage to the environment clashes with earning
power; money wins:-(

Angus Macmillan
www.roots-of-blood.org.uk
www.killhunting.org
www.con-servation.org.uk