Wildlife disaster Politics and greed are destroying our wildlife.

In 2009, David Cameron, in his desperation to gain the support of the powerful National Farmers Union prior to the 2010 election, signed the death warrant of the badgers.

Expert scientific evidence, public opinion and even democracy itself had to be brushed aside in order to follow through on this pact. The fact that in the two cull zones where the slaughter is being undertaken are strongholds for the lucrative pheasant breeding and shooting estates is an added bonus for those who will always put profit before wildlife or the environment, as ‘protected’ badgers are regarded as a nuisance.

Cameron has tasked his fellow blood sports enthusiast Owen Patterson (the anti-wildlife ‘environment‘ minister) to see through this cull, who is now considering approving the disgraceful method of gassing badgers in their sets (banned in the 1980s as inhumane) and has also seen fit to add buzzards to the list of species that must be killed in order to protect the interests of the hunters, in spite of growing anger of those opposed to these activities.

It is ironic that in this Conservative- led coalition the only wildlife being properly protected is that which is artificially bred/reared in order to be later killed in the name of sport.

For the full facts, search for Dominic Dyer of ‘Care For The Wild’ or the ‘Stop The Cull’ Facebook page, as this disaster for wildlife must be stopped now.

David Chilvers Peatmoor Swindon

No to green waste

Another brainstorming idea but without brains – the leader of the council David Renard is pushing the new green waste scheme but like most of the wacky ideas coming out of SBC, like yellow lines down alleyways, not a lot of information is forthcoming.

Just like mushrooms we are kept in the dark about how they are going to carry out this money-making scheme. You tell us its going to cost us another £35 to buy another bin and then £35 per year to have the green waste collected. Why?

I do not do green waste, I have no need for another wheelie bin cluttering up my small rear garden – sorry, not a garden, I have landscaped it and have plant pots and no grass. Why, I hear the tree huggers ask? Because I chose to slab over my land and not do green waste.

You say you are having to make £48m in savings over the next three years – how much has been saved? With all the other cuts over the past few years it seems to me it will never stop. The amount we are supposed to save never seems to get any smaller.

All this is is another idea to squeeze another portion of my hard-earned cash to pour into the council.

My last point is how do you expect to police this scheme? How can you collect this money from me if I don't do green waste, nor will I ever do green waste because I don't have anything green?

John L Crook Haydon Wick.

Swindon.

Stop intervening

The news that heavy drinkers can be helped to reduce their alcohol consumption by a new drug that works by lessening the pleasurable effects of their chosen tipples opens up an interesting possibility.

Hopefully a drug could be found to give over-enthusiastic proponents of the current healthy lifestyles, which they try to impose on the whole of society. Specifically the health lobbyists who have won over our crop of Parliamentarians to vote in the ‘Smoking in building with access to the public’ act which has ruined many pubs.

Possibly in the Blair days the Parliament then contained too many members who were either too sensitive to certain pressure groups or maybe not too in touch with wider public opinion.

If our Westminster politicians become even more sensitive to every (thought up) risk to public health then meat eaters beware, we may soon have militant vegetarians dictating Government policy on intervention and restrictions on the supply of meat.

Who knows where it will end.

N Gardner Carlisle Avenue Swindon

Letter preference

Ian G Hunt has complained about boring letters (October 16). I am possibly one of the culprits, but I can understand his frustration.

Personally I would prefer if letters in the Adver were restricted to items relevant to local affairs, but when I see alarmist propaganda presented on the letters page as fact, I feel it is important to challenge this.

I can only wish that I could add a lighter touch to my letters, but unlike some correspondents, creative writing is not my greatest talent. At the end of the day it’s the editor’s job to choose what is published. Maybe the editor chooses to publish my boring tracts because he needs something to fill the letters page, in which case there is an obvious solution.

Howard March Tudor Crescent Swindon

Wishful thinking?

With great sorrow I have learned from Steve Thompson that he is unable to read and understand our native tongue!

In my previous letter, I mentioned UKIP as a voice of sanity regarding immigration from the EU. Forced abortion is practised by the Chinese and my comments about euthanasia came from a book by Isaac Asimov.

None of this was mentioned in connection with UKIP, as was suggested by Mr Thompson. I have to ask myself the question, where did he get these mis-facts from? It certainly did not come from my letter. Was this just wishful thinking on his behalf? I hate to think what he makes of the Bible with its tales of genocide.

Barry E Woodham Scotby Avenue Swindon

Farewell to hares

Any time soon, the developers will come to wipe out some of the last remaining rural land in Swindon.

They will tell us it is good for the community; they always say that when erecting nasty little houselets. It is only good for their pockets.

So this morning, I went to say farewell to those lovely hares that up until now have lived safely on the land. They brought a tear to my eye, as I saw a pair together in the early morning autumn sun. What a pity our children won't have the opportunity to see them as I have today, wiped out by greed and excuses.

RUSSELL STEVENS Wyld Court Blunsdon St Andrew