DAWN OF THE STEEL AGE

In 2017 a 91-year-old national treasure showed us images of albatross chicks eating a diet of plastic. A year later, a 15-year-old environmentalist skipped school to protest outside the Swedish parliament. The quiet Sir David and outspoken Greta transformed public opinion around the globe. Mass protests erupted and the environment topped every political agenda from Davos to the UK election. Almost overnight, caring for our planet had gone mainstream.

This February, no doubt keen to remain at one with public opinion, nine rural organisations including BASC, the GWCT and the NGO published a joint statement. They “wish to see an end to both lead and single-use plastics in ammunition used by those taking all live quarry with shotguns within five years”. The statement caused a bit of a hoo-ha. Although broadly in agreement