Environment Dr Gary Mantle MBE Chair Wiltshire Environmental Alliance Director, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust 9th July 2010

How Important? On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is the environment? On a list of priorities to receive funding, where would you place environmental issues?

Correct Answer: Very, very important We depend upon healthy, fully functioning ecosystems to provide us with a wide range of essential goods and services Provisions – food, fuel, fibre, water Regulation – disease & pest control, flood prevention, climate control Cultural – spiritual, education, tourism, inspiration, mental well being Supporting –soil formation, nutrient cycling, water cycle, primary production ( photosynthesis)

Wonderful Wiltshire - the land of ‘chalk and cheese’ Let’s not forget how wonderful or how important our environment is… Video clip removed

A Strategic Assessment of the Environment What is the current state of our environment? What are the key environmental issues we face? What are our top priorities for action for the next 3-5 years?

Wiltshire’s natural environment is our greatest asset. 15% of the total land area is wildlife rich habitat Sites of Special Scientific Interest cover 29,000ha 1522 County Wildlife Sites

Wiltshire’s natural environment is our greatest asset. Abundant supplies of groundwater Good reserves of aggregates High grade (productive) agricultural land Much of county is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Low population density

A Strategic Assessment of the Environment What is the current state of our environment? What are the key environmental issues we face? What are our top priorities for action for the next 3-5 years?

Biodiversity Issues: Biodiversity continues to decline Land management changes Pollution Population pressure Invasive species Fragmentation of habitats Leading to ‘islands’

UK habitats - losses 50% ancient lowland woodland 150,000 miles hedgerows 98% traditional hay meadows 80% chalk downland 80% wetland fens & mires 10

Farmland birds in decline Farmland Indicators Farmland birds in decline 11

Living beyond our environmental limits Supplies of fresh water Local food production Consumption of fossil fuels Energy consumption and security of energy supplies Population growth

Availability of fresh water

Ecological Footprint: A sustainable level is 1.9 gha/person Global average is about 2.4 gha/person

Create Living Landscapes

Pollution and waste CO2 emissions of 12.5t/person Higher than SW & UK averages 1.3t of rubbish produced by each household/year Proportion diverted from landfill increasing (now 40%) Air quality is generally good Light pollution increasing Eutrophication of water bodies Endocrine disruptors in rivers and elsewhere?

Health and wellbeing Increasing urbanisation Loss of regular contact with nature Rural skills lost Diminished levels of physical activity Reduced opportunity for environmental education Over 60,000 people in Wiltshire with mental illness

Environmental information and intelligence Unknowns We know that we don’t know about these things We don’t know that we don’t know about these things Knowns These are the things we know we know We don’t know everything that we do know Known Unknown

Environmental information and intelligence Unknowns Work to fill in the gaps We won’t know until a need arises or something happens Knowns Keep up to date and move from information to intelligence Some things will be revealed as analysis and evaluation is carried out Known Unknown

A Strategic Assessment of the Environment What is the current state of our environment? What are the key environmental issues we face? What are our top priorities for action for the next 3-5 years?

Priorities for Action: Protect, maintain & enhance ecosystem functions Prepare for climate change Reduce greenhouse gas emissions Create Living Landscapes Increase food security Increase energy security Minimise waste Lead and support behaviour change

Watching a species become extinct or a habitat be destroyed or degraded is like playing a game of Kerplunk But, its not marbles we are playing for – its our lives and our future!