Muck

Funny old world we live in. Red lines are drawn and laws passed to apparently make our world a better place. However only too often do the red lines get crossed, the goalposts moved and hidden by personal self gain. Sometimes you lose hope that things will get better and that, of course, is fatal and leads us to make decisions based on our heart and not our head - protest votes that seldom make the situation better.
 
I could and indeed had written a War & Peace bit on this for today's Blip but have had to scrap it is simply too emotional. So let’s simply say that improving our lives and especially our environment are clearly noble goals but they will only truly work if the majority of us are convinced ourselves of the need. Governments need to react to this by supporting, encouraging and where absolutely necessary by passing laws. Doing it the other way around by passing laws and then trying to win public support seldom works. These laws, sold as the solution, are seldom more than superficial and very short-term.
 
In many consumer matters we do have that powerful tool “Voting with our Feet” but sadly there are many things where we cannot have a say and our ability to vote things in or out are very limited by the quality of the people and parties there are to choose from and the form of democracy used.
--------------------------------------------------
An early start, the guy who does the legally required inspection and maintenance of our septic tank had phoned yesterday afternoon to say he would be around this morning. One gets to know one’s tradesmen and so I was standing on the mat before 9:00 having done a quick check and clean of the tank. Even fished out by chance a water snail that seemed to suggest the water quality couldn’t be too bad. To my eyes and nose, the tank seemed to be in very good order.
 
Sure enough, he turned up at 9:15, 45 minutes early. The check always follows the same pattern, sight control, water sample undergoes an electronic check from some machine in the van, a very long tube inserted into the first chamber to determine how deep the solids are (and thus if it needs to be removed) and then the longest part checking through the electronic and mechanical parts of the control unit and its compressor which pumps oxygen into the water. A cup of coffee, a chat and that’s it. Well almost.
 
This time he tells me that he has to legally increase his number of visits by 50% and thus the annual costs by 50%. Goal posts moved without any reason. No change in any performance limits and thus Zero improvement for the environment. Senseless for the 2% of Bavarians who have to use septic tanks and a huge increase in costs. It is accepted by all that the quality of water from household waste put into our rivers is at a very high standard – some (fishermen on Lake Constance) complain it is so good that the fish are dying from lack of food.
 
Quick dog walk with Luna as Farmer Franz was due late morning to collect our horse muck heap. Angie was in Munich getting her father into hospital following her action last week to do something about his state of health which had been ignored by those closest to him. Things don’t look good but hopefully, her action may still save the day. I wish he would base himself here during this time but understand his reservations about being "away from home". Depending on the outcome of tests Friday, the situation may change.

 
Saw Farmer Christian ploughing his field that was Bliped on Tuesday. Had a very short chat as the tractor was running hot and switching off the motor was not a good idea. I would have liked to have talked with him about the new slurry and muck laws farmers are faced with and which is under heavy criticism from all sides. In principle, looks good and we do know there is a nitrate in drinking water problem. But now the laws are governed by some spreadsheet devised by accountants with no room for the people who daily work with the “product” to make decisions. Nature has been taken out of the equation and the social and environmental problems of industrial, intensive, mono-agriculture ignored.
 
 Farmer Franz then arrived and fortunately, son Markus has a week’s holiday and was able to help. With only two horses now, we do have a very noticeable 50% decrease in the muck and so were able to remove it all from our two heaps in one single trailer full. The trailer is rented and one pays “per load” not time or distance. The saving for us on the €15 per load charge is not going to compensate for the increased human waste costs!


Normally Franz always has time for very lengthy chats and he likes to inspect our property but today for the first time in 15 years, he was under time pressure. So I didn’t find out any more on the laws but as far as I know, muck spreading is far less controlled than slurry as it is more environmentally friendly than slurry. Another argument for “old fashioned”, animal-friendly, straw litter cow stables.
 
Angie came home at this time after successfully getting her father settled in the hospital and could relax for an afternoon in the wonderful hot sunny weather. The same weather that Theresa was enjoying down the road in Salzburg. What a pile of muck that was. In this case, the EU red lines have been known for well over 2 years and yet with typical ignorance, arrogance and stupidity, she tried her Boedicea Thatcher act. Her, and the UK’s, credibility is hanging on a very thin thread.