9/5/2018

Wrong to single out farmers over pollution: our letter to The Times

Septictanks

Sir, it seems harsh for Emma Howard Boyd to single out farmers for polluting our environment (Strip subsidies from farmers who pollute, says environment chief, May 8).

Instead, we need to look more closely at all other sources of pollution, such as inefficient septic tanks. Our research shows that they can have a real impact on water quality in rural areas, especially in summer.

Cleaning up the environment is the collective responsibility of society; singling out one section is simply divisive.

Alastair Leake
Director of policy, GWCT Allerton Project

IMG_20180209_095656764
Get the inside track on soil and water research

Published in February 2018 and priced at just £9.95, our new book The Soil & Water Balance provides the inside track on soil and water research.

Presented in a Q&A style, much like last year’s popular Moorland Balance, this 100-page book looks at the problems and solutions on topics ranging from erosion and contamination, to the impact on songbirds and other wildlife.

Combining years of research at the GWCT's Allerton Project demonstration farm with tens of external scientific papers, this is a fascinating study of how farming can adapt to the challenges it currently faces.

Buy now >

Comments

farm pollution

at 17:16 on 15/05/2018 by john dumont

The research for agri-pollution has been made. £3 million of it by Gov on diffuse farm pollution research by Lancs uni. Slurry the number one culprit, with soil run off causing silt on spawning redds number two. Phosphorus levels ridiculously high in aquatic world and farming found to be the source. Stop pretending innocence, farming tried and found guilty for the majority of problems. 50+ environmental agencies agree, read "The state of the nation" report.

farmers and pollution

at 14:33 on 15/05/2018 by Curt Gesch

In the U.S. and Canada, especially corn and soybean lands, it is the "non-point" pollution that arises from chemical use (esp. nitrogen and phosphorus, combined with tile drainage that flushes unused fertilizer through the tiles into rivers and--eventually--into the Gulf of Mexico. Septic tanks may be minor in comparison.

The soil and water balance

at 12:58 on 15/05/2018 by Roger Smith @ Smith Brothers Farms

We purchased your booklet ,read it thoroughly ,and found it very good . So much so that we passed it to our local NFU secretary to read ,and then use some of information in his own discussions .

Make a comment