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Anglian Water will shortly complete work on a new pipeline from Ludham to Horstead that allows drinking water to be moved through from Norwich to Ludham. Water abstraction issues have led to increased concern in the Ant Valley over the past decade and abstraction licence renewals have not been permitted. Here we take a look at what water abstraction is, how it is governed, how water abstraction may be affecting issues of conservation concern and how these problems can be mitigated as well as what the future may hold. Put simply, water abstraction is the act of taking water from a source such ..read more

It is difficult to quantify how much the ‘Precautionary Principle’ has made a difference to environmental controls. Whilst the ideas have been around for several decades, no singular approach to its application is found in domestic or international law and policy. Here we ask; what is the Precautionary Principle and what role could it play going forward? The Precautionary Principle is most commonly cited in cases involving new or changing chemicals and pollutants. It concerns itself with the level of precaution we should take when certain substances or activities have unknown consequences beca ..read more

A Tree Protection Order or TPO is an Order made by a local planning authority in England to protect a tree, a group of trees in a particular area or a woodland. TPOs are made in the interests of amenity and ordinary members of the public can request them. The list of offences created by a TPO, which include wilfully damaging or cutting down a protected tree, are strict liability offences. This is to say that, claiming ignorance to the protected status of the tree/s in question is not an excuse. The public has access to a register of TPOs. TPO legislation has changed over time. Part VIII of the ..read more

In 2019 a new Forest Code was adopted by the Government of the Ivory Coast. It is the latest legislation brought in to fight back against the tragic and overwhelming destruction of the nation’s forests. The Ivory Coast’s cocoa industry is the largest on the planet and is the main contributor to the devastation of its forests: 80% is thought to have been destroyed in around only half a century. Famous for its primates, the majesty of the Guinean forests in this part of the world appears to be irretrievable.    Cocoa Pods The Ivory Coast formally established independence in 1960, disti ..read more

This century has seen consumer demand for sustainable production disrupt markets across the globe. Yet an enigmatic small to medium sized mammal called the pangolin continues to be taken from the wild at an unending rate. What is causing this destruction and can the pangolin be saved? White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) © Darren Pietersen / African Pangolin Working Group There are 8 extant species of pangolin, four of which are found in Africa and another four reside in Asia. Though they vary in size, weight, colour and bone structure the 8 species share a curious morphology; the pan ..read more

“To sail on a dream on a clear crystal ocean / to ride on the crest of a wild raging storm / to work in the service of life and living / in search of the answers to the questions unknown / to be part of the movement and part of the growing / part of beginning to understand” From Calypso by John Denver Dersingham Bog – A Tree Hugger’s Paradise Dersingham Bog is an acid valley, which makes a stroll across it sound like a psychedelic journey through inner-space. While there may be plenty of trees to hug (mostly Pinus Sylvestris or Scots Pine), you are more likely to see a Duke or Duchess than an ..read more

Seal pups at Horsey should be viewed from a distance. If you want to see grey seals in Norfolk then Horsey is a great place to view them. Horsey is a part of the Winterton-Horsey Site of Special Scientific Interest and visitors to the area are often treated to fantastic sights of seals and their pups. The area was notified as a SSSI in March 1989 under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The Friends of Horsey Seals are an example of the significance of volunteer groups to the conservation effort and they do a great deal of good work in this area, catering to the needs of the a ..read more

High forest can whisper the oldest tales. Walking the public right of ways through Swanton Novers you soon seem to arrive comfortably in the present moment, surrounded by the sights and sounds of some of the oldest woodland in the country. Viewed from the outside, the woodlands offer arresting scenery – the verdant variation of the skyline looking like the lungs of the earth. It’s a lovely spot to breathe in the fresh air and take a slow walk. The village of Swanton Novers is itself a pretty place and you can usually find space to park at the Village Hall. The National Nature Reserve is made u ..read more

Owing to its wide ambit, students of all areas of environmental law will soon find mention of the Aarhus Convention. It concerns a range of global issues including water management, nuclear energy, human rights, development and poverty. To give the Convention some context it is important to look at the institutions and history that gave rise to it. The United Nations officially came into existence almost immediately following the end of World War II. The United Nations charter had been drawn up during the culmination of the War and was ratified by the original Parties to it in October 1945. Ar ..read more