BBOWT a new trustee

Sun 19 Dec 2021, 17:56

Berks,Bucks,Oxon,Wildlife Trust JH

Sun 19 Dec 2021, 16:19

What is BBOWT? Kris

Sun 19 Dec 2021, 12:35

But Thames Water is now a primary actor in the "Evenlode Project", so BBOWT certainly has a point on how best to pressure organisations to change.

See https://www.thameswater.co.uk/media-library/home/about-us/responsibility/smarter-water-catchments/river-evenlode-smarter-water-catchment-plan.pdf

And, yes, I realise Thames Water is also dragging its feet on how best to secure change: https://earthwatch.org.uk/component/k2/evenlode

Sun 19 Dec 2021, 12:05

I expect many in Charlbury belong to BBOWT which does excellent work acquiring and safeguarding precious wild areas like chalk uplands and river meadows. However, you may have missed a paragraph in their winter publication 'Wild' introducing two new trustees. I was amazed to see that one is an executive of Thames Water. I wrote to them saying that surely this was a bad idea as Thames Water is one of the major polluters in our area (and others) of rivers. It seems like sleeping with with the enemy.

I received a long reply from the chief executive. Her main point was that Thames does indeed do bad things but that she felt the best way (in fact, she said the only way) of influencing organisations which were harming the environment was from the inside, rather than banging on a closed door from the outside. I responded by saying that was a point but it was not the only way. Some organisations cannot be persuaded to change their ways and then force needs to be applied i.e. law. Also I asked how long would they keep this trustee if there was no success with Thames Water. In which case BBOWT would look as if it was condoning Thames' actions. 

There has not been time for a reply (if I get another one) but I wondered if fellow members might look at Wild, page 6, and possibly also write to BBOWT if they feel as I do. I would hate their excellent work to be tainted in this way.