charles watson
@watsonchas
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Founder & Chairman: River Action @riveractionuk Campaigning to Rescue our Rivers from the escalating crisis of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution
New Forest UK
Joined March 2012
This is why we are taking the Government to court: We are fighting for the rights of our rivers… 💦 to flow 🐟 to native biodiversity ☠️to be free of pollution 🏞️ to be fed from sustainable aquifers 🌳to restoration #SaveTheWye
@RiverActionUK
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💬 “The idea that we should feel sorry for investors - I just don’t go with that. We’ve had the investment era. It’s time to end it and put the public first.” River Action’s CEO, @jaowallace calls on the Govt to END the failed privatisation model and bring in real reform. 👇👇
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🚨PRODUCT RECALL🚨 Item: @RedTractorFood labelled products. ⚠️REASONS FOR RECALL: 60% of inspected Red Tractor farms have breached environmental rules. Time to tell your supermarket to call out @RedTractorFood & demand REAL environmental standards. ▶️▶️ https://t.co/WngkQJiFfY
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If any politician tried to pass off this crap as a solution to the sewage crisis, please ask them these three simple questions: 1. Do you agree that you can’t properly punish sewage illegally entering rivers if you don’t know the location, amount or concentration of said sewage
We're proposing tough, swift penalties to clamp down on water companies harming the environment. These will allow quick action without lengthy investigations. We're taking action to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. Have your say: https://t.co/MJcYRuiPOv
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🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 The @ASA_UK rules @RedTractorFood misled customers on environmental standards. 🌍🚫 📢River Action urges supermarkets to stop relying on Red Tractor’s environmental certification and demand REAL action for our rivers. READ MORE 👉 https://t.co/m5FkZpho7G
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FINALLY the big agri corporations who have profited from ecocide are going to be held to account Thousands join biggest-ever UK environmental lawsuit over river pollution
bbc.com
Livestock and water companies are accused of “extensive” pollution in the Wye, Lugg and Usk rivers.
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As politicians waffle & procrastinate, “action plans” are not actioned - and agriculture continues it’s skilful lobbying to be able to pollute for profit with impunity - Lough Neagh, the UK’s biggest freshwater body, dies before our eyes ☠️☠️☠️ 😡😩😡
theguardian.com
Toxic algae cases in Northern Ireland’s Lough Neagh set to worsen this year, as local fishers’ incomes plummet
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😮 2024 saw the highest number of pollution incidents on record! 💩 Here is a thread of some of the most shocking statistics from this years 'Government's pollution incident report'. Read the full report here 👉 - https://t.co/3iHJhLM6vU 🧵 (1/6)
gov.uk
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Is there anything marshes can’t do? The recent heatwaves have shown the cooling properties provided by urban wetlands. I live in a tidal marsh on the River Roding & on hot days the temperatures have been noticeably cooler, not just in the marsh itself but also in the built up
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On hot days like this one, it becomes painfully obvious how vital it is that we restore Britain's lost wetlands. Our landscapes have been drained and engineered to get rid of water as fast as possible. But water *is life*, and we're running short! Cool, lush wetlands are vital
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"...toxic megafarms produce vast quantities of animal waste, which is spread on local land with minimal consideration for the cumulative environmental destruction it can cause. This week, the high court called time on this practice." - @watsonchas This article is a must read. ⬇️
I explain in the @guardian why @RiverActionUK’s court victory to block a 🐓megafarm in Shropshire creates a critically important legal precedent for preventing the environmental crisis caused by the UK’s boom in livestock factory farming ⬇️
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I explain in the @guardian why @RiverActionUK’s court victory to block a 🐓megafarm in Shropshire creates a critically important legal precedent for preventing the environmental crisis caused by the UK’s boom in livestock factory farming ⬇️
theguardian.com
We won a high court case against Shropshire council’s plans for a new polluting poultry unit. Now a precedent has been set, says River Action founder Charles Watson
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Brilliant: High Court has ruled the cumulative impact of factory farms must be taken into account when considering planning applications. A huge victory for our rivers! Congrats to @RiverActionUK, @alisoncaffyn & all who supported this landmark case.👏 https://t.co/Iqh99U49tD
bbc.co.uk
A high court judge overturns a decision to allow a four-shed site with up to 200,000 birds.
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💥Massive legal win for @RiverActionUK💥 Judge rules that livestock mega farms must take account of cumulative environmental impact Had this ruling been there 10 years ago the desecration of the River Wye by intensive 🐓production would never have happened
shropshirestar.com
High Court quashes planning permission for 200,000-bird chicken megafarm in Shropshire as environmental campaigners celebrate
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River Action Chairman and founder, Charles Watson 🗣️ "We are fast approaching the most pivotal moment in the UK water industry’s history since privatisation over 30 years ago." Thames Water is on its last legs, and the government faces a pivotal decision: 1⃣ Grant Thames Water
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We’ve seen algal blooms up and down the Wye catchment in the last few weeks - here is just a sample of photos showing what citizen scientists are recording across some of our rivers and streams. See this thread and a link to our data map below 🧵👇 Here we have the Ithon…
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🪦 This is what a dying river looks like. 🪦 "No, the river isn't green and bright, its brown and full of 💩" This crisis didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of negligence, weak enforcement, and a broken planning system that’s allowed chicken megafarms to multiply
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3 months into the job, the CEO of Thames Water, Chris Weston recieved a £195K bonus. 🤑 As our CEO @jaowallace72 stated 🗣️: “How can we have an industry that is so heavily indebted, ripping off customers, polluting the water and often criminally behaving and then giving a Chief
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🚨 Attention all river polluters! 🚨 👩⚖️ If you fail our rivers, we will take you to court. If you're a mismanaged water company, a regulator asleep at the wheel, or a council rubber-stamping pollution. This is your warning❗️ Do not fail our rivers. We are watching. 👀 Please
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We’re delighted to welcome three exceptional new trustees to the River Action board! 🎭@TheJimMurray, our new Vice Chair, is an actor, artist and lifelong river defender. You might recognise him from The Crown, or from standing waist-deep in rivers in a suit, taking on Nando’s.
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📣 RIVER ACTION IN COURT TODAY📣 River Action takes Shropshire Council to court over chicken megafarm approval. 💪 Join us as we stand up against pollution, poor planning and a broken system that rewards pollution over protection. 📖Read the full story: https://t.co/xp2piKwlqK
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