More Humpty Dumpty from the Commission.

Words mean just what they want them to mean.

I have just recievd a press release from an outfit calling themselves CEEweb for Biodiversity. This, one of over 3000 Para Governmental Organisations that prefers to be called an NGO is keen on Wilderness, which it helpfully defines as,

The term ‘wilderness’ refers to large, undisturbed natural areas. These places are governed by natural processes without human intervention, and offer sanctuaries for wild plants and animals. But that’s only one of the special things about wilderness. The other one is purely emotional: people who are lucky enough to visit such areas, often sense a unique experience of spiritual quality which might change their basic attitude to nature, to mankind, and sometimes even to themselves..

All well and good. Not a lot of that around I would have thought, and wide open to the tradgedy of the commons, but OK.

But what do they really mean? Well of course they mean that areas defined as wilderness should be managed, just not by the nations in which they happen to be, but by the EU itself under the Natura 2000 program.

This could be achieved through the development of clear guidance for Member States on non-intervention management of Natura 2000 sites by the European Commission.

Given successful promotion and implementation of these guidelines, wilderness areas have the strong potential to become a well integrated and important component of European protected areas network and to be integral for climate change adaptation.

Oh yes and did you see that little climate change reference? All part of a bigger project you see.

And so it comes to pass

Only yesterday Dellers was warning of the new scarier panic to be dealt upon us ignorant proles. The fear of failing Biodiversity,

And so it begins. With all the shamelessness of a Goldman Sachser trading in his middle-aged wife for a hot, pouting twentysomething called Ivanka, the green movement is ditching “Climate Change”. The newer, younger, sexier model’s name? Biodiversity. (Mega hat tips to: Hilary Ostrov and Ozboy at Libertygibbet)

When I say shameless, I’m talking so amoral it makes the Whore of Babylon look like Mother Theresa; so flagrant it makes Al Gore’s, ahem, alleged drunken “Love poodle” assault on the Portland Masseuse look like an especially delicate passage from Andreas Capellanus’s The Art of Courtly Love.

What have we here? From PA today

A "deadly duo" of invasive species and climate change could cost countries 10% of GDP through damage to activities ranging from agriculture to recreation, it was claimed today.

There is a cure of course but only iof we first realise the seriousness of the situation,

Sarah Simons, executive director of the Global Invasive Species Programme, said: "The dangers posed by this 'deadly duo' cannot be overestimated.

Whats that? It cannot be overestimeted. Well I think you are a tad wrong there my love. Everything can be overestimated. I reckon 15 people will read my blog post. Bingo, an overstimation. Indeed the entire industy of panic and fear is built on the inexact science of overestimation. Lets have a look in your case,

The report said the estimated damage caused by invasive species, which have a negative impact on native wildlife, landscapes and even - as in the case of Japanese knotweed in the UK - buildings and infrastructure, was around 1.4 trillion US dollars (GBP890 billion) a year, or around 5% of global GDP.

Now how on earth can you makle a finacial estimate of this sort. The finacial cost to native wildlife? How much money has it cost the red squirrel. How many jobs were lost when Squirrel Nutkin was evicted by his ugly American cousin? Think how much the taxpayer had to shell out to find Nutkin a new home? Oh come off it.

But as Dellers pointed out we have conflation of Climate Change and Biodiversity to make us quake in our beds,

Each driver poses an enormous threat to biodiversity and human livelihoods but now, evidence is rapidly emerging which shows that climate change is compounding the already devastating effects of invasive species, resulting in a downward spiral with increasingly dire consequences."