Snow threatens wildlife
January 11, 2010 10:46 AM
By Cllr Tony Harwood in The Independent
By Cllr Tony Harwood in The Independent
The impact of prolonged snowfall on birds and other wildlife is causing starvation, dehydration and hypothermia, a grim toll rising with every day the snow blanket persists.
Less widely understood is the insidious toxic legacy for wildlife of the tonnes of salt grit spread on our roads, a few footways and some car parks. Road-salt contaminates ground- and surface-water, poisons wildlife and kills trees and other vegetation. Birds, including already-declining species such as house sparrows, are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of ingesting road-salt. Aquifers, rivers, streams and ponds (and hence our drinking water) are also sensitive to contamination from road-salt and anti-caking agents.
To tackle this toxic legacy, local authorities and their contractors must rely far less on liberal applications of often ineffective road-salt and more on the traditional approach of mechanical snow-clearance, using contractors with machinery and shovels. De-icers and traction-aids should be deployed in environmentally sensitive rural and riverside locations.
We can help our embattled wildlife by keeping feeders well-stocked, and regularly putting out scraps and fresh water.
Cllr Tony Harwood
Maidstone, Kent
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