The text discusses the state of Britain's rivers, particularly the River Brent in West London, which is severely polluted by sewage. The narrator mentions the creation of a citizen science group called "Curb Clean Up the River Brent" to combat this issue. The group uses pollution sensors to monitor the water quality and campaigns with various stakeholders and agencies.
The text also touches on the broader environmental issues in the UK, including the loss of biodiversity due to human activity, the illegal chopping down of a 300-year-old sycamore tree, and the government's decision to drill at the UK's largest untapped oil field, despite environmental concerns.
The narrator expresses optimism about the potential of citizen science in addressing these environmental issues and believes it could be a model for other regions. However, there are also discussions about the impact of plastic pollution, the government's decisions regarding energy and environmental policies, and the state of wildlife in the UK.
Overall, the text highlights the severity of environmental issues in the UK and the role of citizen science in addressing them. It also critiques the government's decisions on energy and environmental policies and points out the impact of these decisions on biodiversity and wildlife.
1. Many of Britain's rivers are polluted with sewage often flowing down drains.
2. Citizens are fighting back against this pollution, with some using genius shed technology.
3. The River Brent in West London is one of the badly polluted rivers.
4. Environmental groups are upset as drilling at the UK's largest untapped oil field is given the go-ahead.
5. A landmark report finds that the UK has lost at least half of its biodiversity due to human activity.
6. An iconic 300-year-old sycamore tree is illegally chopped down.
7. The poor quality of waterways is causing a public and political outcry.
8. A citizen's group, Curb Clean Up the River Brent, uses pollution sensors to monitor the river's condition.
9. The group's monitoring system includes a custom board that measures total dissolvable solids, including soap, food waste, and human excrement.
10. The environment agency is funding the installation of more sensors.
11. The quality of the Brent Reservoir is not great, as it was created by damming the river Brent.
12. The river Brent and the Silk Stream, which feed into the reservoir, are now simply drainage ditches.
13. The government in England has moved to ban certain single-use plastics.
14. The government has given approval for drilling in the Rosebank oil field in the North Sea.
15. Campaigners estimate that burning through the oil could generate more CO2 emissions than 28 low-income countries do in a year.
16. The government's future environmental land management programs are supposed to address the issue of farmland.
17. The red kite has made a conservation success, with 4,700 breeding pairs now in England and Scotland.
18. The Duke of Burgundy butterfly has also made a conservation success, thanks to habitat restoration.
19. The government's watering down of some Net Zero related policies has sparked controversy.
20. The environment is moving up the political agenda, with plans for drilling in the North Sea and the government's watering down of some Net Zero related policies.