Views from 2050 Contributions of Nature, Landscape & Biodiversity To
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Views from 2050 Contributions of Nature, Landscape & Biodiversity to a low carbon society March 2010 Ministerial Foreword …………………………………………………………………… 4 Huw Irranca-Davies Minister for Marine and Natural Environment, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Introduction………………………………………………………………………………5 Rob Bushby, John Muir Award Manager, John Muir Trust General Reducing Carbon Emissions: the View from 2050…………………………………………. 7 David Hume Institute A view from 2050: A shared vision for the English National Parks………………………13 English National Park Authorities Association Global Drivers of change to 2060……………………………………………………………… 15 Natural England Timeline: 2000-2050……………………………………………………………………………… 16 Various 2050 Time Capsule………………………………………………………………………………. 17 Varied contributions Choosing our Tomorrows………………………………………………………………………. 22 Macaulay Land Use Research Institute Landscapes & Biodiversity Vital Uplands: A 2060 vision for England’s upland environment……………………….. 23 Natural England The natural environment in 2060……………………………………………………………… 28 Natural England Picturing Upland Futures Joining up thinking on landscape policy…………………… 30 Flora of the Fells ‘Mission Possible? Can we save Cumbria from the impact of climate change?’……. 36 Flora of the Fells Renewable living – A Polyhome View from 2050…………………………………………… 40 Dr Bob Stewart Farms and Forests of the Future……………………………………………………………… 42 Marjan van de Weg - PhD Student, University of Edinburgh A Bryologist’s View from 2050 ………………………………………………………………… 44 Oliver Moore, BTCV Natural Talent John Muir Trust The John Muir Trust: A Trustee perspective from 2050…………………………………... 47 Will Williams A summary of ‘The View from 2050’ Consultation…………………………………………. 49 John Muir Trust Members’ Gathering & AGM 2009 2 Recreation A view from the Lodge ………………………………………………………………………….. 51 George McEwan, Head of Mountaineering, Glenmore Lodge 2050: The view from a hostel window?............................................................................ 54 Amy Boud, John Muir Award YHA Do It 4 Real Manager Environmentalism and Climbing: An Uneasy Partnership……………………………….. 56 Es Tresidder Learning, Values, Art and Media School’s Out!...................................................................................................................... 60 Juliet Robertson, Creative Star Learning Company New Media: Navigating white noise…………………………………………………………... 62 Toby Clark, John Muir Award Regional Manager Reflections on ‘Earth: Art of a changing world’ exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts… 64 David Buckland, Edith Devaney and Kathleen Soriano, Exhibition Curators ‘What if?’…………………………………………………………………………………………… 67 Lemn Sissay Reflections on the ‘Creative Climate’ Decade: 2010-2020………………………………… 68 Dr Joe Smith, Senior Lecturer in Environment, Open University, and Director of Creative Climate ‘Where Now ‘Hell and High Water’?’………………………………………………………….. 71 Alastair McIntosh ‘Sell the Sizzle’: The new climate message…………………………………………………. 76 Futerra sustainability communications My Gran and Me…………………………………………………………………………………... 82 Liesel Harvey Cover image: Tomas Saraceno, Endless Series, 2006 (detail) Courtesy of Studio Saraceno, Andersen's Contemporary, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery and pinksummer contemporary art. ‘A major concern of Tomas Saraceno’s work is to consider the challenges of the way we live…His Endless Series of photographs, taken in Bolivia at Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, develops this notion further by depicting a figure in this imagined environment, exploring the possibilities of creating a secure future in this new home.’ Curators’ Notes, Royal Academy of Arts, Earth: Art of a changing world. The John Muir Award is an educational initiative of the John Muir Trust. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the John Muir Trust. www.johnmuiraward.org [email protected] 0131 554 0114 John Muir Trust: Scottish Charitable Company limited by Guarantee Registered Office: Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5AN, Charity No. SC002061, Company No. SC081620 3 Ministerial Foreword Huw Irranca-Davies Minister for Marine and Natural Environment, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ‘Views from 2050’ is an interesting way of engaging people. We all depend on the natural environment. It provides us with the essentials of life, contributes to our economy, inspires our lives, and is central to our health and happiness. But we are currently not using it sustainably: we know that human activity is causing loss of biodiversity at a greatly accelerated rate. Growing pressures are demanding a fresh approach to how we manage and use our natural environment. We know how to do things in a better way, and there is a strong economic case to drive action too. We get a lot from our natural environment and from biodiversity: resources and raw materials to use, services to support us and personal benefits from interacting with it. As a society we need to value these benefits. By considering how different aspects of the environment are related, we can make better decisions that open up new opportunities for both protecting and enhancing our environment and our lives. To achieve our vision of a diverse, healthy and resilient natural environment, which provides the basis for everyone’s well-being, health and prosperity now and in the future, we will need to work together, understanding how our individual and collective actions affect the natural environment upon which we depend.’ Huw Irranca-Davies November 2009 4 Introduction Rob Bushby John Muir Award Manager, John Muir Trust ‘Views from 2050' is a discussion about the value of nature, landscapes and biodiversity. It’s a response to a report (1) that asked a broad canvas of people to consider themselves as being in the year 2050, with the Government’s 80% greenhouse gas emission reduction targets having been met. Jeremy Peat, Director of the David Hume Institute, invited further ‘Clearly Scotland's natural debate: landscape is a key ‘Your views would be welcome. This topic will remain with us for component of our heritage a while!’ and indeed of the heritage that we seek to pass on to The John Muir Award, the educational initiative of the John Muir other generations. More Trust, responded to this invitation, focusing on a particular aspect power to the elbow of the relating to the Trust vision that ‘wild land is protected and wild John Muir Trust in following places are valued by all’. What might the contribution be of nature through the debate’. and landscapes to meeting this target? And what of our relationship Jeremy Peat, Director of with the natural environment in the process? It seemed to be a the David Hume Institute neglected area of the ‘low carbon society’ debate that merited more prominence. ‘Views from 2050’ has attempted to sidestep some of the more dominant areas of focus in the debate about a low carbon society – such as renewables, consumption and carbon footprints. As Dr. Sarah Kyambi, David Hume Institute Deputy Director puts it, ‘it’s evident that there remain many aspects of the debate on the environment that are currently rather occluded by climate change.’ To make a conceptual leap to ‘imagineer’ two generations into the future has been both challenging and exciting. On a couple of ‘Climate change is already occasions, at the mention of society in 2050, noted commentators occupying mind space and on the outdoors have shrugged their shoulders and grunted ‘I’ll be heart space, and for long gone’. To juggle timeframes has been confusing to some. biodiversity to occupy the And, with notable exceptions of Natural England and Flora of the same space is going to be Fells, we’ve found a lukewarm degree of organizational commitment a challenge.’ to real visionary thinking in relation to the natural environment. Pavan Sukhdev, Project As the Futerra team articulate in ‘Sell the sizzle’, Leader for UNEP's “Green ‘We must build a visual and compelling vision of low carbon heaven’ Economy” initiative – that incorporates relationships with the planet at its heart. The exercise has been an attempt to be positive and engaging, to focus on contributions, values and benefits, rather than degradation, threats and doom laden scenarios. In this approach we’ve found a raft of like-minded commentators, from Joe Smith’s Creative Climate initiative to Chris Loynes’ Natural Values work to the communications focus advocated by Futerra. 5 Thanks to all who have contributed, supported and taken an interest in this initiative. It would have been a non-starter without your energy and insights. In particular, a tip of the hat towards Toby Clark for managing a sprawl of web contributions; to Linda Coupar and Will Williams for early encouragement; to the John Muir Award team for ongoing commitment to the idea. Using this report A note on the collation of items. The exercise has been open to contributions rather than a carefully curated piece of work. These include perspectives from non-experts, which prompts the thought: when we look back in 40 years time, how will we judge the views of our contemporary ‘experts’? Some inputs have been created specifically for this exercise, some have been adapted from existing pieces of work, and others were spotted in a different context but seemed to have something to say on the topic. It is not an exhaustive overview. It is varied but undoubtedly not comprehensive – there is no overt piece on the contribution of our marine environment, for example. It is not a policy statement for the John Muir Trust or any of the