A Vote for the Future
A healthy peat bog - photo from Moors for the Future
Ever bog-hopped your way across the Peak District’s peaty moors and wished you could do a little bit to help negate all that erosion you’re causing?
Well, here’s a way you can help by simply lifting a finger. That’s nothing more than lifting a finger, note.
The Moors for the Future project, managed by my old pal Chris Dean, is through to the finals of the National Lottery’s Best Environment Project awards – and it needs your vote.
Many scientists and environmentalist believe that peat moors are the UK’s best store of carbon gases, a natural defence against global warming.
Unfortunately, it seems that big business is hell-bent on turning many of our moors into power stations by erecting herds of turbines all over them, which not only damages the peat but, in my view, irreparably damages the moorland habitat too.
Moors for the Future is not a campaigning organisation fighting wind farms, let me make that much clear,
Rather, it’s a major project to restore degraded Peak District moorlands. It’s saving the moorlands rather than following the trend for destroying them.
Quite rightly, the project is through to the finals of the lottery awards; top prize is a measly £2000 and the opportunity to take part in a prime time TV show.
More important is the publicity the award is likely to generate, which may help those behind Moors for the Future attract more useful funding in the future.
You’ll read a lot more about the project at the award’s website and the project’s own site, so I won’t bang on about how it’s already spent £3.2 million of lottery cash (puts the prize money in perspective) on restoring peatland vegetation with cotton grass, sphagnum, heather and bilberry.
Instead, I’ll simply ask that you cast your vote in favour of the scheme by clicking the blue box in the bottom right hand corner of the page you’ll find here.
Chris was area countryside officer for north-west Calderdale back in the days when I was a volunteer countryside ranger in that neck of the woods. These days he’s Moors for the Future manager.
In a press release about the awards issued by the Peak District National Park, Chris said: “A vote for us recognises the importance of the moorlands in the UK’s past and future, and addresses the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today - climate change. We really hope people will vote for the future benefit of the whole country.”
You can also show your support by voting on 0845 386 5776. You have until August 8 to cast your vote.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Voted.
Ta for that Deppity.
Alan
July 30th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
On another thing - i tired to add you to my ‘Google Reader’ list but was unable to as it said there was ‘no feed available’ (or something like that, not being much of a techie)
Could you get your web expert / girlfriend / cat or mother-on-law to sort this odl fella?
Cheers
July 31st, 2008 at 08:44 am
I would Alan, but I suspect both of us this end are techno-ignorant when it comes to adding “feeds” and such. I know feeding time at Whipsnade is shortly after the chimps have been to church, but that’s the extent of my understanding…
Any assistance humbly and gratefully received…
August 4th, 2008 at 05:55 pm
http://blog.outdoorsmanning.com/ added to the goggle reader ‘add subscription’ should work. It works for me :-). Or click on the bottom of the page Entries (RSS) this will give the RSS feed URL add this to the subscription, if you want the comments as well click the comments (RSS) for that.
Hope this helps
George
August 5th, 2008 at 01:22 am
Ta for that: have voted.
August 5th, 2008 at 01:00 pm
Ta for that George - I am sure I tried that before but it didn’t work at the time… But there again I am pretty hopeless at the techie stuff, so I probably got it wrong - It works now - Cheers