China, Badgers and Bees: Signs of Solstice Gifts

In the last three days I have heard of three reports which are likely to overturn conventional thinking about our relationship with our Planet and with nature, causing the most sceptical advocate of “progress” to pause and perhaps to admit there is a better way. Little has been made of a new Parliamentary report that says a widely used pesticide is largely responsible for the decimation of the bee population.  Neonicotinoid is the most widely used insecticide in the world, but has been proven to kill all living organisms in the soil including pollinators, and even the EU has conceded that there are major weaknesses in in the current simplistic regulations about the use of pesticides. Previous evidence has been ignored or supressed, and perhaps now something will be done as truth and reality emerge. Reality and compassion are possible too in the case of badgers, the controversial and unnecessary cull of which was postponed, in England, due to public affront: again, little has been reported on new evidence this week from a 4 year study that vaccinating badgers reduces the risk of TB in the mammals by 54%, but hopefully it will, once and for all, stop the idea that killing badgers indiscriminately (“for shooting practice” as well as to reduce the population) is either sensible or desirable. News on China is perhaps the most interesting of all as we await the Great Solstice. I heard today on an early business report that it will take 5 Earths to supply the Chinese people with the resources they need to match the USA in consumer goods and lifestyle, as they are seeking to do. It raises questions not just about China but about western attitudes and demands also as well as developing countries. It would be laughable if it were not so serious. Our world has to change in its attitude to materialism and the Planet, and this, undoubtedly, is what the Solstice will bring. Good.]]>