People Versus Nature Debate Generates More Heat Than Light

Publish Date: Thursday September 5, 2024

By Jeremy Harris, CEO, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust

The BBC recently ran a story headlined Nature funding to be used to settle council pay deals. Initial reactions in the article from WWF, RSPB and others were predictably damning of the decision to plunder the Nature Restoration Fund money.

While I tend to agree with the position taken by those leading environmental organisations, and the sage individuals quoted in opposition of the move, as I have reflected on the news, I realise that I am in fact most bothered by the BBC’s journalism.

There is a fable that speaks of Socrates being visited by a friend who wants to share some gossip. Ahead of him sharing it, Socrates is said to have insisted on it passing three tests: Is it true? Is it good or kind? Is it useful or necessary? It’s a lesson I have taught my children and sometimes I feel like journalists might do well to be reminded of it.

Aside from not passing any of these tests convincingly, what bothers me about the BBC article is that it threatens to reignite the old and unhelpful conflict between people and the natural world. A debate that has so often generated more heat than light.

I find it frustrating that we entertain anyone who stirs up tension and conflict, unless explicitly to constructively tease out learning from conflicting views. Frankly, there is enough drama in the world.

Complicated

Government budgets are complicated things, and our elected officials wrestle daily with what must feel like the impossible task of balancing apparently competing demands. It is undoubtedly more difficult when we have a media that appears to delight in profiling anything that might spark a little controversy.

Personally, I choose to believe that our elected members and civil servants do in fact know that separating the climate and nature crises from the wellbeing of our societies makes little sense.

Certainly, as we at FCCT talk widely about the very real benefits available from connecting environment and people (our Mission statement for those that may not know) we are met with wide ranging support for our message.

An increase to public sector wages across Scotland will apparently cost around £732 million. Most of us will have strong views as to what pot should or shouldn’t be looked at to find that money. Or even if it should be found at all. I know that hard conversations are happening across Fife Council as I write – not only because of a need to increase wages, but also because of growing demands on depleting public finances.

Empathy

I am fortunate to work closely with some of Fife’s decision makers and so have seen how deeply and carefully they weigh the decisions that rest on their shoulders. I am saddened by the knowledge that so often they must not only consider the merits to Fife of a decision but also how the media will portray it.

Wouldn’t it be great if the starting point of any media article was empathy for the decision maker, and respect for the challenges faced by those we have entrusted with taking these decisions on our behalf? In such a world, the headline would perhaps have read “Hard decisions, not lightly taken. Councils encouraged to support pay deals as a top priority”. Written well, I think this may still have received as many clicks, and it would certainly be more likely to pass Socrates’ tests.