Following the announcement that the UK Government will invest £40m into green spaces in England to help restore species and combat climate change, Dr Ian Bride, Reader in Biodiversity Management at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), said:
“In my view, although the money is obviously welcome, its effectiveness will clearly depend on how it is spent. If it is to be oriented at conservation activities in the conventional sense, this is all well and good. It might well be used to try and preserve and maintain particular landscapes and habitats, and hopefully be oriented at developing viable livelihoods at the same time. Yet this is but a small step in addressing the fundamental issues concerning long-term environmental changes precipitated by climatic and social changes, and how our society and economy is to effectively (and quickly) reform itself in order to create an ecologically sustainable future. This involves a systematic restructuring of the economy and infrastructure, coupled with a significant and appropriate investment in the education sector.”