18/01/2012 by admin.

UK wildlife charities have requested the public’s help to see if hedgehogs are being affected by climate change. Numbers of the delightful creatures have plummeted from 30 million in the 1950s to less than 1.5 million in 1995 and the numbers now are thought to be much lower. Changing landscapes have clearly had a huge impact but the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species want to find out if high temperatures during hibernation and periods of extreme cold are adding to the decline in numbers.  Ideally hedgehogs prefer to hibernate in temperatures just below freezing.  The charities want people to register with the project and map them through February to August and submit their obeservations regularly. 

Five years ago the hedgehog was voted the favourite UK animal and we share that love. From our perspective, the study’s symbolic given the hedgehog question in our survey. It’s a question that stems from Hertfordshire folk being historically and fondly known as hedgehogs due to their supposed slow and prickly manner. 

We wish the survey every success. Here’s a delightful video of a hedgehog waking up… enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99peshpBzTU&feature=related

Posted in Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q19 Do you love hedgehogs?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

31/10/2011 by admin.

The human population is estimated to have reached 7 billion worldwide. In acknowledgement there were ’celebratory events’ in India and China to mark the birth of the 7th billion person living on Earth right now.

The number of people on the planet has more than doubled over the last 50 years with a further 1 billion people alive now compared to the start of this millenium. It’s a startlingly sharp increase and has provoked some renewed discussion on how many people the planet can sustain.  We all require shelter, food, water and clothing and have aspirations on health care, education and access to material goods and experiences. We are also living longer and advances in health care and technology suggest this trend will continue. Trouble is the more of us there are the more we make demands on the worlds resources and squeeze and exploit the natural world for farming, materials and land for property.

In the modern world more people equals more cars, more CO2, more energy requirements, more desire for goods, more waste and pollution, but more profits for the world’s multi-national companies. There’s also the laudable aim of improving the life of those in developing countries.  Politicians, relegious and other world leaders tinker with the population issue, but the reality is our numbers are out of control and the consequences are stark and worthy of any Halloween horror story.  Climate change will exascerbate the problem of too many people increasing, social unrest, famine, disease, poverty and war. All this whilst the natural world shrinks ever more with bio-diversity seriously threatened and mass extinctions.  

We can’t just leave this to ‘market forces’. World leaders need to grasp the nettle on this issue and fast before we fall fail to the lessons of Easter Island or before Mother Nature strikes back. We know it won’t be easy as its in our genes to want to reproduce and children bring so much joy and every child deserves happiness, health, safety and a successful life. Also, historically the more children we have the greater their chances of achieving maturity.  There are religious and human rights issues to consider too. But ‘business as usual’ on population growth risks an abyss for humanity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuIxDMj3DNA&feature=related

Posted in Q69 Do you put off to tomorrow what you could do today?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

25/10/2011 by admin.

We have another example of a rare albino, this time it’s a wombat from Ceduna, Australia. 

The endearing animal is being nursed back to health after being found alone and unwell. The wombat, named Polar, was found close to death dehydrated and exhausted by shearers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZoo6rkxqJI

The name Ceduna is a corruption of the local Aboriginal word Chedonna and is said to mean ’sit down and rest’ which is what Ben Whittenbury did when the idea of The Haymakers Survey came to him.

We’ve done some thinking of our own. In urban slang the definition of WOMBAT is Waste Of Money, Brains And Time. Is this aimed at us given our wait in vain for the world’s media to take any notice of this project? Alternatively it might be aimed at humanity in general as we waste our talents in pursuit of largely selfish pursuits whilst the planet’s resources get swallowed up. Lest us forget that in Charles Lamb’s journal he reports how Mother Nature highlights the significance of albino in illustrating the value of diversity on planet Earth.  Maybe this gives you a whole new way of looking at the day?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q63 Do you like the way you look?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

24/06/2011 by admin.

The suitably titled furniture and retail company Habitat has entered administration, falling fowl of the troubled economic times.

Formed in the 1960s the company’s vision was to challenge the way we think about our living space. They created what we now call ‘Lifestyle’ offering contemporary design at affordable prices.

We find the company’s demise as ironic given its title and branding - its logo is of a house with a heart inside. Habitat destruction in the natural world is currently the prime cause of species extinction worldwide. Clearing habitat for agriculture is the main cause, but others are mining, logging, trawling and urban sprawl. The rapid expansion of the world’s human population is increasing the food requirement substantially.  The outlook’s bleak but, in common with the retail outlet, there’s a rescue plan:

1. Considering the many irreplaceable ecosystem services provided by natural habitats,
2. Protecting remaining intact sections of natural habitat,
3. Educating the public about the importance of natural habitat and biodiversity,
4. Developing family planning programs in areas of rapid population growth,
5. Finding ways to increase agricultural output than simply increasing the total land in production,
6. Preserving habitat corridors to minimize prior damage from fragmented habitats

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something? | No Comments »

03/06/2011 by admin.

During a live semi-final of the British TV talent show the mogul Simon Cowell and another of the panel hosts were ‘attacked’ by a fly whilst passing judgement on one of the contestants, Jessica Hobson from Sheffield.

Simon Cowell is also behind the X-Factor talent show.  We’ve commented a number of times on this watch about the need for humanity to demonstrate that it has the X-factor in taking better care of this fragile world. The appearance of the fly before the X Factor king may be a further warning sign. It features in our story (under Q15) as a prelude to a scream of anguish from Mother Nature. Jessica, a talented and misrepresented singer, was unfairly slated and reduced to tears on stage - so we have injustice too.  We have a Hobson’s Choice - a free choice to take it or leave it. Only one option is up for grabs. Live better in harmony with Nature of face the consequences.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYlM0JlQO0A

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q11 Do you believe in justice? | No Comments »

10/03/2011 by admin.

Scientists working for the United Nations report that the mysterious collapse of the world’s honey bee population has spread to Asia and Africa.

The authors include some of the world’s leading honey bee experts and the findings amount to a stark warning for humanity as honey bees are crucial crop pollinators around the globe. A number of factors are thought to be contributing to the problem including:

• transformation of the coutryside and rural areas over the last 50 years or so 
• loss of flowering plants, and other habitat
• use of damaging insecticides
• air pollution - scents that once travelled 800 metres in the 1800s now travel just 200 metres.
• parasites and pests

Society is investing heavily in ‘industrial hives’ but we need to better manage the landscape in order to help wild bee populations recover.  Achim Stiener, UN Environmental Programme director said, The way humanity manages or mismanages its nature-based assets will define our collective futures. We have fabricated the illusion that we have the technological prowess to be independent of nature. Bees underline the reality that we are more, not less, dependent on nature’s services in a world approaching seven billion people.”

His capture the essence of The Haymakers Survey. As Malachi warns our actions now will determine if humanity will ‘be or not be’ that is the question?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpyY9_9y9Qw&feature=related 

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q27 Do you like gardening?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

23/02/2011 by admin.

I was at a sustainable development conference in London today.  It was fabulous to see so many committed people from an array of backgrounds, experiences and expertise come together to explore issues.

The coalition government for England and Wales claim to be the ‘greenest government ever’ using the Big Society idea to stimulate partnerships at local level to ensure communities work together towards common environmental goals and solutions.  It was pity then that a government minister wasn’t at the event to reaffirm that commitment. However, this was more than compensated by presentations and panel discussions involving senior representatives from a number of key organisations including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the Future’s Forum. The event was sponsored by British Gas and it was surprising to learn of their environmental care initiatives, including a £2m scheme called Green Street. Though serious questions remain on whether their actions go far enough given the extent of their record breaking £2billion annual profits just announced. We also witnessed presentations from companies doing retro-fit on buildings.

Having reflected on the day one of the challenges on sustainable development may be the term itself.  It may work for practictioners, Radio 4 listeners, Newsnight viewers and readers of the quality press but will it enthuse and engage the wider community?  It’s a confusing, clumsy, limiting and arguably overly positive term.  It suggests ‘business as usual’ to many with a bit of tweaking here and there. We need a more viable and sexy alternative expression. If you want to be understood speak in the language of your audience.

Here’s a story about stuff which underpins challenges on sustainability…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM&feature=related

So western society as a whole is ‘making hay whilst the sun shines’ and had been doing so since the 1950s.  We’re programmed to consume and aspire to levels of wealth, possessions, comfort and experiences.  We want to see a new form of Haymaking - where people are empowered to live sustainably in partnership with nature led by businesses demonstrating genuine transparent corporate responsibility. 

Being a Haymaker also means reconnecting with Nature. Remember the passion of the people in protecting our woodlands made the government U turn? Maybe we should do more to harness that passion to redirect it to the wider environmental cause. This is part of our vision to make people happy.

Posted in Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

07/02/2011 by admin.

“What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last gleaming”, sang Christina Aguilera at the opening of the Super Bowl in Texas.  Lost in the moment she fluffed one of the lines from the US national anthem.  She ought to have sung, “O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming,” from the Star Spangled banner but belted out, “What so proudly we watched at the twighlight’s last gleaming.”  It’s really strange as she’s sung the anthem many times in public since the age of seven and never messed up yet.

So why now? As Christina is a supported of Defenders of Wildlife, we may have the answer. Remember this is the Whittenbury Watch and one of the most poignant scenes which inspired the Watch is at the start of our environmental novel. It takes place at “twilight’s last gleaming” when Mother Nature symbolically challenges the industrial world to clean up is act.

Maybe the force behind The Haymakers Survey prompted Christina to sing, “What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last gleaming,” to hunderds of millions in the most influential country on Earth and the tune “Yankee doodle”, features time and again, including in Charles Lamb’s journal.  Whilst Sarah played at her own form of super bowls to show that we’re playing with Nature. It’s now or never folks for humanity on planet Earth…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgxA3Aus8jY

Oh , The Green Bay Packers scored a historic win ove the Pittsburgh Steelers… need we say more?

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

03/02/2011 by admin.

Mother Nature is benevolent and kind at heart - she loves the human race. We are the controlling species on planet Earth tasked with the responsibility to live sustainably and respect wildlife and the environment. The cyclone we reported yesterday provides a perfect example. Amid the fury of the storm an English midwife from Hertfordshire on holiday in Australia celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary delivered a baby at an evacuation centre in Cairns. The infant’s mother has chosen to name the child Lucie - the name of Mother Nature personified in The Haymakers Survey.  The new arrival coincided with the storm’s path avoiding the most populated areas of the continent.

But this kindness comes at a time when the evidence is mounting up that humanity is on the verge of a global crisis. Take these examples:

• Globally 2010 was the warmest year on record, arguably due in the main to human related activity.
• 2010 saw the Amazon experience a severe drought (worse than that in 2005, which was described then as a once in a century event). Scientists suggest this is further evidence of the Amazon’s vulnerability to rising global temperatures.
• Experts say we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every day due to rainforest deforestation
• If current trends continue 40% of the Amazon rainforest will be lost to soy production and palm oil by 2050 
• Extreme weather conditions in Russia, Australia, USA, and Malaysia are having a major impact on key food production and availability driving up prices worldwide and triggering civil discontent in the middle East.  
• Whilst an astonishing One in Ten adults on Earth are officially obese as more countries adopt Western lifestyles - levels double what they were 30 years ago.  As people in the UK eat 3.5 times more meat than that recommended by the World Health Organisation, contributing to cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
• All this as globally meat production is set to double from 2001 to 2050.
• Yet in the UK, for example, 8.3 millions tons of food is thrown away by households every year.
• And about 1.5 tons of rubbish is thrown away by an average UK family - that’s like throwing half an elephant into a landfill.
• Little wonder then that a UN report out today warns that the world’s population growth must slow significantly to avoid reaching unsustainable levels, which means fertility must fall below replacement level.  Numbers are expected to reach 7 billion later this year and 14 billion by 2,100.
• More people to do more consuming - in its State of the World 2010 report the Worldwatch Institute found the world consumed $350 trillion goods and services in a year - up by nearly 30% on the previous decade.  The world now digs up the equivalent of 112 Empire State buildings in materials every day.  The average American consumes about 144 pounds of goods every day, more than the average weight of a US male. The Institute warns that without a shift from consumerism to sustainablity humanity will face hazardous environmental and climate risks.

This isn’t us being pessimistic or doom mongers - these are facts, not signs. We can’t go on like this - like a plague of locusts devouring all before us.  Someone needs to stand up and say, “Enough”. Time for International Rescue…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K9rVRuehGU

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

13/12/2010 by admin.

A huge winter storms in Israel has brought 100kmph winds and 10 meter high winds crashing onto the coast. The harsh weather brought disruption and chaos but also revealed an unexpected surprise - the discovery on an amazing ancient 2,000 year old Roman statue in amazing condition.

The headless marble figure of a woman was found on the beach at Ashkelon after the partial collapse of a cliff due to the wind, high seas and rain.  The woman is thought to be Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love.

Given the significance of Roman marble statues in the Justice Hall at Blakesware Manor where the Haymakers Survey was first conceived, we wonder is this another poignant reminder from Mother Nature to love the natural world? In our story Caleb Hitch advised us to look to the Holy Land as a point in the curious mystical triangle of magic behind the Haymakers Survey.

It’s unbelievable to be part of this.

Posted in Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »