It’s not the first time. I wonder if this one will last past February.
2024 was clearly a year when terrible things happened to so many people around the world. So it feels a tad insensitive to celebrate it. But good things happened too. My personal highlight was winning my case against oil production in the Supreme Court, the culmination of a five-year legal fight with the Weald Action Group against a planning decision made by Surrey County Council in 2019 – and at least five years opposing oil production in the Weald before that.
At the outset, it felt unlikely we would achieve anything much but we have literally changed the future of the oil & gas industry in the UK. Possibly the future itself. The judgment has seen off a number of fossil fuel projects across the UK, which have also been found unlawful, conceded before they came to court, or withdrawn, on the same grounds. The biggest so far being the planned new coal mine in Cumbria, which had its planning permission quashed in September. And we’re all waiting to hear the outcome of the court hearings on the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields, expected soon…
Best of all, the government is reviewing its whole approach to assessing climate impacts of oil and gas developments; a consultation is live till 8 January so please have a look if you’ve got views on that. I’m writing a response and so is the Weald Action Group, we’ll share them when they’re done.
I really believe we could be on the point of actually halting all new drilling in the North Sea, thereby keeping 3.8 billion barrels of oil safely in the ground. If the UK – an advanced developed economy – were to do this, it would send ripples around the world, inspiring other countries to follow.
It has been a huge thrill to be part of this case and to witness the fall out, and to meet so many wonderful people in the process. And I’ve loved seeing our win mentioned in so many other people’s highlights of the year. I feel so lucky to have been in the right time and place, and with the right people, to achieve this result.
Aside from fighting fossil fuels, I have enjoyed being part of Tidelines, bringing people together to celebrate and care for the Atlantic Salmon through the Salmon Run and school assemblies. This is my last photo from 2024, we were searching for redds (nests where salmon lay their eggs) in the upper reaches of the River Exe. We didn’t find any. A reminder of how much is at stake and how we need to do absolutely everything we can to defend our beautiful world.
Happy new year to anyone who finds this newborn blog.
Hope you keep it up (though it’s quite a commitment, I’m sure). I’d love to hear more about Tidelines and your connection with the Exe – it’s not exactly next door to the Weald. And I’m guessing you’ll review Robert Macfarlane’s Is A River Alive?, so you’ll have to keep going until May!!
PS I’m interested in the *Cringe* about blogging too – will you write about that?
Hello Martin, Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!
The Exe is my local river now, I moved to Devon three years ago (but still have one foot in the Weald). I’ll definitely write more about Tidelines. I’m looking forward to Is A River Alive? too. As for the *Cringe* element, I don’t know!