March Report from the Climate & Ecological Emergency Committee, CEEC

                 

Report from the Climate & Ecological Emergency Committee, CEEC

Hello people of Woodbridge and beyond; people of the Deben estuary

This report will again focus on the efforts of Woodbridge Town Council to enable and encourage adaptation in our locality. But I want to begin with observations on a report on both national and global perspectives.

In October of last year, a report was presented to COBRA, a UK government committee devoted specifically to national security issues. A political decision was made to delay publication of the report, which eventually was published in November, possibly to coincide with the blanket news coverage about the US Greenland land grab threat.

The report is available on gov.uk, entitled "Nature Security Assessment on Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security." and subtitled, "This strategic assessment explores how global biodiversity loss and the collapse of critical ecosystems could affect the UK's resilience, security and prosperity." Not everyone will rush to read it! Governments fear panic; it’s easier to be seen preparing for war than it is to suggest radical changes in potential voters’ lifestyles.

One attendee later launched a petition, demanding an urgent televised national emergency briefing for public broadcast.

He opened the petition with these remarks:

“We were presented with the latest evidence showing that the United Kingdom must urgently prepare for a cascade of serious societal impacts. The rapidly escalating climate and nature crises are set to make the UK increasingly unrecognisable and dangerous, with extreme weather events, the risk of food shortages, price shocks, economic instability and rising geopolitical risks.

We are deeply alarmed by the scale of fossil fuel–funded disinformation that has flooded Westminster and the media. The lack of public access to accurate, science-based information has created a vacuum which has been filled by polarised headlines designed to deny and delay action.”

I'm pleased to claim that, locally, we are forging ahead of this game. We are raising attention to the importance of local action with multiple initiatives to rescue, improve and enhance our biodiversity - viewing it as an essential investment in the future. Just take a look at the trees in Kingston fields, the works on the restoration of Broomheath, and the Fen Meadow developments. And we know that many other local councils are doing likewise. It all adds up.

At our last Climate and Ecological Emergency Committee, we reviewed our draft biodiversity statement in readiness to present to the next town council meeting for approval. One of the opening paragraphs, composed by DEFRA, explains the risks of the loss of biodiversity very clearly.

Biodiversity is important for its own sake and has its own intrinsic value. A number of studies have shown this value also goes further. Biodiversity is the building block of our ‘ecosystems’ that in turn provide us with a wide range of goods and services that support our economic and social wellbeing. These include essentials such as food, fresh water and clean air, but also less obvious services such as protection from natural disasters, regulation of our climate, and purification of our water or pollination of our crops. Biodiversity also provides important cultural services, enriching our lives.

At the same meeting, we discussed intentions to plant two trees, partly to provide shade for the children's playing area, in addition to adding both aesthetically and providing habitat for wildlife.

This has been a longstanding item on our agenda; we recalled that we originally intended for them to be memorial trees. Subsequently an idea emerged that they could be planted as memorials to the number of species likely to have been lost on Kingston Field since it came under management of the local council in 1953.

To give the idea more substance, I've done some AI research. I’ll share this table on the WTC website. I used DeepSeek, incidentally, as it is reportedly considerably more frugal in use of energy resources than other models, though I guess we all need to be aware of the vast energy demands that this technology is requiring, accelerating at an exponential rate. We will let you know when we have a memorial service.

Estimated Losses From This Field & Environs (c. 1950s - Present)  - see our table below.

Councillor Martin Wilks, CEEC    

councillorwilks@woodbridge-suffolk.gov.uk

PS pass it on!

Category	What We've Lost	Estimated Local Decline (UK Basis)	What This Means for the Field
In the Soil	Soil Biodiversity (earthworms, beetles, fungi).	~30-50% in biomass and diversity in intensively managed land.	The foundation of the ecosystem is degraded. The soil is less fertile, drains poorly, and supports fewer species above ground.
In the Grass	Wildflower Diversity (e.g., Corn Buttercup, Meadow Clary).	~97% loss of lowland hay meadow habitat since 1930s. Most fields now host <10 species vs. 30+.	The field would have been a colourful, insect-rich meadow. Now, it is likely a simple grass sward with few native flowers.
In the Hedgerows	Farmland Birds (Tree Sparrow, Corn Bunting, Grey Partridge).	Tree Sparrow: -93% since 1970. Corn Bunting: -90% since 1970. Grey Partridge: -92% since 1970.	The iconic sounds and sights of farmland are gone. The insect food web that supported them has collapsed.
In the Air	Moths & Flying Insects	Larger moths: -33% abundance since 1968. Overall flying insect biomass: ~60% decline in UK drivers.	A silent, invisible loss. Fewer moths mean less pollination of night flowers and a critical food shortage for bats and nesting birds.