Vous êtes un agent provocateur n'est-ce pas mon ami!
I think Phil knows I don't need to be provoked where the authorities are concerned Mike
Just come in from taking the dog out and have had a quick read through it, on first glance it looks as if those that can achieve something are at last in the mood to do that something, that's until you have another look, 17% of rivers attaining Good Ecological Status is pathetic but then one reads that the figure now is 14% that being so how can anyone believe that those that could do something are about to do that something.
Its my opinion that more money to combat pollution/improve water treatment should come from different area's firstly the amount of profits made by foreign owned water companies are obscene, but then why should a foreign company bother when the fines handed out to them for polluting are not exactly going to break the bank are they?
The price we pay for water should imo reflect the publics will to clean our waters up, unfortunately although lots will moan about our rivers not being of Good Ecological Status and the resulting dwindling of our wildlife but they would also baulk at paying more to achieve anything within the watery environment.
This country and the water companies waste so much water its ridiculous. While the public cannot do anything about water running down the road they can do something about the waste within the home, I have no idea of the figures but there must be a large % of homes in this country with "combi boilers" how much water is wasted while waiting for the water to get hot to wash for instance that's just one example.
"Half of our freshwater wildlife species are in decline" I can think of one that isn't and could be partly responsible for falls in some numbers but imo its mostly caused by habitat destruction and habitat takeover by our ever expanding population, what can be done about the latter I have no idea but there is plenty that can be done about the former.
My problem with this kind of thing is that its all pie in the sky, the Water Framework Directive has been about since iirc the year 2000, in 17 years we have managed to get just 17% tops now down to 14% into a Good Ecological Status, yes other rivers have improved but as well as those 17/14% but if that's this country trying I see no future for our waters I hope I am wrong and my grandchildrens children will live in a world of clean water and a thriving aquatic environment but those doubts just keep niggling away at me.