Thread by @collbradan

in Ireland, the extinction crisis is green:

1) green fields are sterile and simple. each was created through the destruction of a complex wood, bog or meadow that came before. their simplicity is maintained with herbicide and by overloading the soil with nitrates and phosphates

2) they exist for animal agriculture, mainly dairy and beef. the idea is to maximise grass production, which in turn maximises milk or beef production. this model has been pushed for decades, and now most of our countryside looks like this:

3) the nitrates and phosphates that are applied (either as slurry or artificial fertilisers) to green fields seep into groundwater and wash into rivers. this pollution has driven precipitous declines in freshwater life and wetland health

4) pre-sterility, cattle are/were grazed in pastures like below (what today we often call wildflower meadows). these complex grasslands can support a huge diversity of life, including rare species such as the marsh fritillary butterfly

5) restoring life to green fields takes time, because the soil is so saturated in excess nitrates and phosphates. but it is possible by taking repeated hay cuts with no inputs (below pic shows result 3 years in). alternatively, you can go nuclear and remove the topsoil altogether

6) dedicating most of our land to producing ever increasing amounts of milk and beef at the expense of wildlife and clean water is not sensible. the misconception that Ireland is 'green' in a political sense because our fields look green is unhelpful

7) i'm not a fan of the responsibility for change being lobbed on to consumers, but it does seem ridiculous that you can't check on the packet whether your milk/beef is produced on species rich meadow or a sterile green field

8) lastly, idealising sterile green landscapes is kind of heartbreaking: lifelessness if not something to be proud of. instead, get to know our woods, meadows and bogs - they are magical, underrated places in need of a lot more love