Many Sheffielders joined 80,000 protesters in Central London on Saturday to demand politicians Restore Nature Now. The event remarkably united traditional conservation groups like the National Trust, Wildlife Trust and the RSPB with more radical groups like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil and something like 300 other organisations, all crying out for policy changes to protect and restore nature.
Some Sheffielders were in the wonderful Climate Choir which headed the march to Parliament Square singing what has become an anthem for the climate movement. “Let Us Stand” was written by Sheffielder Kate Thomas. They also opened the rally with a new version of Robbie Williams “I’m loving Angels instead” which became “loving Nature instead”, with a loud refrain of “Restore Nature”.
Sheffield Extinction Rebellion members carried giant swifts and joined in the massive samba band. Sheffield Green Party’s banner was also there. One of the chants was “Less faeces, more species!
The impressive list of speakers included Emma Thompson, Liz Bonnin, Chris Packham, Dr Amir Khan, Feargal Sharkey, Steve Backshall, Megan McCubbin, Dale Vince and Mya-Rose Craig. One of the magic moments was when Perigrene Falcons were spotted flying over Parliament. A glimmer of hope
Chris Packham’s speech at the end of the rally was reminiscent of Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream”. Shamefully, the BBC failed to cover the march, so I am reprinting his speech in full. He said.
“Now is the summer of our discontent. Because we have a nightmare. Since Frankie Goes to Hollywood told us to Relax, 600 million birds across Europe have vanished, including 65% of our cuckoos and 90% of our Nightingales.
We have a nightmare. Since the Sex Pistols pointed out it was Anarchy in the UK, 80% of our butterflies have gone. 19% of our wildlife has been destroyed and 1 in 6 species are now in danger of extinction.
We have a nightmare. Our rivers may be full of sewage but agriculture is the number one source of river pollution in the UK and is also responsible for 35% of our greenhouse gas emissions. The State of Nature reports are unambiguous. It’s principally farming policies and practices that are driving the decline in insects and birds. We have a nightmare. Over a billion animals are confined in factory farms in the UK. And the number of intensive factory farms is on the rise. Since 2016 there’s been a 20% increase in industrial pig and poultry units. Factory farming is the biggest single cause of animal cruelty on the planet.
We have a nightmare. Foxes are still ripped to pieces for fun by entitled savages. And at the cost of £60m of our money, we have exterminated 230,000 badgers in an inhumane, unethical and totally ineffective cull. That’s half the UK badger population. It’s tragic.
We have a nightmare. It’s estimated that 1.7 million animals are trapped in snares every year in the UK. almost a third of satellite-tracked Golden Eagles have died in suspicious circumstances and Woodcock, Snipe, Golden Plover and Porchardare still legally shot, despite being in serious decline. It’s madness.
We have a nightmare. 92% of our marine protected areas are not protected from destructive fishing and last year these so-called marine nature reserves were subjected to 100,000 hours of industrial fishing and 33,000 hours of bottom trawling. They are not protected. They are being trashed.
We really have a nightmare. 2023 was the warmest year going back to 1850. And this May marked the 12th month of world record-breaking heat in a row. And yet, whilst the world has been roasting, they (pointing at Parliament) have handed major oil companies 53 new drilling licences, including Rosebank, the biggest undeveloped oil and gas field in the North Sea.
But it doesn’t have to be like this. It doesn’t have to be like this. Because we can restore nature now. And we will restore nature now. We have the tools, we have the technology we have tried and tested the solutions and they work. So lets make them work.
I’ve got to tell you, it’s too late for dreaming. We’ve been dreaming and it hasn’t worked. It’s time to wake up and start acting. Doing things that really make a difference. Because there is no longer a choice. The simple truth is, this is our last stand for nature. Now is the time to stand and start fighting for all of the life that we love so much. That’s not just me and us and them (pointing at Parliament), it’s every one of you, because you can make the difference. You must make the difference. You will make the difference.
Now is the time to finally find the courage for the biggest battle, not of the easy wins. Another dormouse introduction won’t save biodiversity. But radically reformed, sustainable farming fishing and forestry policies will. So let’s bang on that door (pointing at Parliament) until we get them.
Now is the time to make a liveable earth for all of our children and everything that creeps, crawls, slithers, slimes and stings.
Now is the time to love life. To love life harder, madder and faster. To love life with every last beat of our beautiful hearts. Nature can’t act, but we can. Nature doesn’t have a voice but we do. So let me hear it. Restore Nature Now! 80000 people are saying Restore Nature Now.”
Please ask your General Election candidates to Restore Nature Now!
Here is a live stream of the event.
Tell the Truth Sheffield 