Sycamore Gap or Rosebank Oil field, Which is the Greater Crime?

 It may be because I‘m a Sheffielder, who has witnessed many of our street trees being felled, but I can’t get worked up about the felling of a single sycamore tree on Hadrian’s wall. Especially when it occurred a few days after the UK Government announced it would be opening up new oil and gas fields, loosening its commitment to phase out gas boilers and pushing back targets to stop selling petrol and diesel cars. In my eyes both acts are wrong, but one is criminal vandalism and the other is a crime against humanity.

The motives of the vandals is currently unknown, but if they were trying, by the sacrifice of a single tree, to open our eyes to show how blind we are, I have to congratulate them on a job well done. The tree, because it is so wonderfully photogenic,  is world famous, being framed in perfect symmetry between two sinuously curving hills. It’s unforgettable image is ideal for our tiny screens that we now use to experience the world, and Its destruction has left a hole in our lives and generated an outpouring of emotion.

But are we so obsessed with our tiny screens, screens that only allow us to view the world through a business controlled keyhole, that we have become blind to the bigger picture and what is really important?

Can we not see that the felling of this single sycamore, is insignificant compared to the damage that will be caused by the extra carbon dioxide emitted because of our Governments recent policy announcements?.  The felling of this tree harmed no one, but more CO2 in the atmosphere will damage the planet and will lead to more human suffering. 

Just because policy announcements don’t make a stunning photo, can we not see who the real criminals are?