Hi Kog,
I'm afraid I don't quite understand your comment?
I assume you are saying that what we were doing yesterday was harmful for the environment?? (I take great exception to being called an eco-terrorist, but I'll explain a little more about myself later!
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I can tell you that it certainly wasn't damaging to the environment!
In the absence of any explanation or justification for labelling me an 'eco terrorist' I'll just have to cover all angles....so please bear with me!
The majority of the photos were taken at a ford (AKA a river crossing DESIGNED for motor vehicles where the cost of building a bridge isn't justifiable because the road is usually used by a small amount of farm traffic)
The ford shown has a concrete slipway either side and is there for the exact purpose of being used by vehicles. There is even a depth gauge to show you how deep the water is, showing that the authorities acknowledge this as a road and public right of way!
There is NOTHING harmful in using this crossing other than the 'pollution' (fumes) caused by the engine which is
exactly the same as, to quote, someone
"who uses the van for gentler excursions"!
Maybe you are talking about the river??
In which case - this river is a man-made drainage ditch for the surrounding farmland. Because the farmland is so flat, these ditches are cut into the land in order to allow excess rainwater to flow away! No ditches = flooded fields = no crops! (pretty logical to me!)
These ditches are prone to becoming clogged with weeds and even more so, the long unwanted grass cut from the edges of the banks that has blown into the river! Too much of this and the river becomes clogged and the farmer is back to flooded fields....
Every year,
all farmers of flat land around the
whole of the UK have to dig out (dredge) these drainage ditches/rivers in order to keep the water flowing (allowing the rainwater to run away) A lot of the time during the summer when the weeds grow quickly, the water just sits there if there has been very little rain and the weeds/grass has get a very quick hold, but after a month of wet weather like we have just had, the water is flowing more freely.
These ditches are NOT breeding grounds for fish, they are often stagnant smelly weed clogged bog trenches. The fords either end of the stretch I drove along are usually dry or VERY shallow at the most! Again, only due to the recent high level of rain has the water level risen as the river does its job of ridding the fields of water.
I've attached some pictures below of some similar rivers, in them you can clearly see the result of dredging on the river bank. If this practice wasn't carried out, then they would clog up and hundreds of acres of crops would be ruined:
So the alleged 'act of terrorism' I have committed is actually just a smaller scale version of what happens in these rivers annually and has been happening for centuries!
If for one minute you think I set out to upset wildlife and ruin nature, then you have got me, my car and my activities all wrong!
I would NEVER drive in or along a natural or established river except to use a designated ford as mentioned above.
Throughout the day yesterday, NOT ONE vehicle out of the 20 or so that came fording put a single tyre on anything that could be in any way be considered damaging to the environment! Even when we all had to turn around at one point, we all carried out an awkward multi-point turn in the road rather than taking the easy option of a quick u-turn in the entrance to the farmers field! We all take our 4x4's very seriously and consideration for the environment is paramount.
I have
never taken my Delica anywhere 'off road' except in the following situations:
Through fords and manmade waterways
Across custom, manmade designated off road courses
Across 'vehicular access beaches' like in the beach meets I organise
So, as far as 'eco-terrorism' is concerned, I think you are pointing the finger at the wrong person. I feel greatly offended that you presume to think that just because I own a 4x4, I would intentionally go out and harm the environment of the beautiful countryside in which I live!
I take environmental issues
VERY seriously and maybe after reading the next part about ME and
my approach to the environment, take a look at yourself and ask yourself if you do as much as I do to help the environment (I hope you do??
)
For the 10 years I was teaching in a secondary state school, I personally introduced a lot of environmental initiatives (too many to list here!) as well as co-ordinating the creation and upkeep of a wildlife area in 1 acre of the school grounds: wild flower field, large pond, bog-marsh etc….all to encourage wildlife to blossom and give kids a first hand view and understanding of wildlife, conservation and the environment.
Wherever possible I walk. To work, to the shops, to post a letter, to do anything outside of the house, I always see if I can do it on foot first!
If walking is too impractical, I cycle. I have a mountain bike, but I use it more for negotiating my way around the city during rush hour than I do in the countryside unfortunately! This is because I wouldn't consider using a car if I could do it on a bike!
If I
DO have to drive, then I use my Smart Car for 90% of my vehicle based journeys! 55+ mpg, VERY low emissions, the smallest footprint of any car on the road in the UK, no lugging around a rear empty seat or a large boot! I have owned it for 6+ years and am not someone who changes my car every year or so!
My Delica is used purely for pleasure, or when the Smart will not do the job. For this purpose, the Delica is a VERY handy vehicle (see
THIS thread for when I do use the delica - NO wasteful or unnecessary uses there??)
Me & my other half recycle EVERYTHING we can. Under our stairs, we have a whole load of boxes and bags for specific materials to be recycled. The only things that go in the 'general waste' are items that we cannot recycle!
We have two large water butts in the garden for collecting rain water from the garage roof (for watering the garden) and these are ‘overflowed’ into our large pond so that we do not have to use a hose to top the pond up in the summer!
We have a large composter in garden where a lot of food waste and any garden waste deposited to grow/cultivate our own compost.
Any food waste that will not compost is put in a special food recycling bin that is collected every week.
All our old clothes are recycled as rags or given to charity shops rather than thrown away.
If the weather gets cold, putting extra jumpers or hats on is the first course of action before we even think of turning the central heating on!
Even little things like running low capacity cisterns, filling the kettle with ‘just’ the right amount of water for a cuppa, using old envelopes as notepaper etc….all make a difference in the end.
These are just a few of the things that I do to try and make a difference to the environment. Please take a look at yourself and ask yourself if you actively do as much everyday to help the planet?? If not, then please do not jump in accusing me of being an ‘eco-terrorist’!! Hypocrisy is not a good trait! (I’m not saying you don’t do these things, but you assumed that I just tear around killing the world!)
If your Delica is your ONLY car, then you aren’t off to a good start are you??
I’ll leave it there for now, but a few photos of me in some water is certainly not the basis for accusing me of being an ‘eco-terrorist’!
Hopefully you might now understand why I have responded in this way!!
) It was a lot of fun although - probably much to do with not knowing how the river bed would be?? hidden rocks etc....but there was no way out between the two fords because the banks were too high!
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