Life on lock-down is no doubt easier for me than for many others, and still I find myself finding this a hard time. I miss being out in the real world, being able to do my radio shows live from the station, going to meetings (rather than online), seeing friends and family and I really miss hugs!
My main frustration is that even though we are all staying at home, being responsible and trying to do our bit to stop the spread of the virus, projects like HS2 and Hinkley Point are still going ahead. We’re not allowed to be out there to protest, try and stop them and to bear witness to – and report on – the wildlife crimes committed on a daily basis (ancient woodlands being destroyed, trees (with nests in them!) being felled during the precious nesting season). I feel powerless and angry. The works on these projects are not essential, and the money wasted on them should be spent on the NHS and caring for our communities and natural world which we rely on.
My hope is that the coronavirus crisis will bring people to think more about our relationship with the environment, how vulnerable we are, and how we need to change our ways. I hope that when we come out at the other end, people will think more about their responsibility to our planet, join the Green Party or other environmental causes.
On a personal level, I have started popping tomatoes into the ground and tiny little plants are already starting to come out! It’s incredible to see, and I hope to do this with more fruit and veg. To stop being so vulnerable, we need to build up our resilience, and I think growing our own food is going to become more and more important.
