It's spring. Nature is thriving. Even more so as we observe Covid-19 guidelines to protect us all, especially essential workers, like the heroes of our NHS.

https://youtu.be/fzs6VgvJ\_0c

So it's criminal that HS2's construction is also deemed essential ... and it's heart-breaking to witness HS2 destroying irreplaceable ancient woodlands full of nature - including nesting birds, active badger setts and swathes of bluebells - at a time when they should be protected. It's unbelievable, horrific and it must end.

ACT NOW - standforthetrees.org

As you'll hear in the film, Boris took full advantage of the platform he shared with Sir David Attenborough in February declaring:

It's only by repairing the damage to the natural world and restoring the balance between humanity and nature - which is now so grotesquely out of kilter - that we can address the problem of climate change.

- Boris Johnson - COP26 Launch - 4th February 2020

Yet the following week Boris betrayed Sir David and all of us by approving HS2, giving permission to destroy almost 700 wildlife sites - including over 100 ancient woodlands, to emit excess carbon emissions for over 120 years when we have just 30 years to achieve Net Zero ... and that doesn't even include the massive airport expansion HS2 is designed to enable. Continuing with HS2 is utter madness in the face of the Climate and Ecological Emergency our Parliament declared just a year ago. The UK government will look like hypocrites in front of world leaders at the next global climate summit they are co-chairing, COP26.

On top of this, the new full business plan used for HS2 to justify the go-ahead from the government didn't even take into account the effects of Covid-19 on the future of travel. It's clear that more of us will work from home and that a far better investment would be high speed broadband, not HS2.

To top it all off, HS2 even wrote-off the £9billion of costs they'd spent to date in order to make its cost of £100billion+ look feasible. It didn't work. HS2 is rated a 'poor' investment, even without the effects of Covid-19 factored in.

Experts estimate HS2's cost is already £250million a month and set to rise dramatically. At this critical time in history, we all know our money could be far better spent elsewhere, like protecting our NHS, restoring nature and supporting the most vulnerable.

So please ACT NOW ... watch the short film and demand a rethink of the insanity of HS2.

And please share this post with everyone you know.

I'll be back in touch soon with an update on our legal appeal.

Many thanks for your support.

Best.

Chris Packham

Find out more -

• https://rethinkhs2.org/
• https://hs2rebellion.org/
• And more...

https://www.facebook.com/studioroolondon/videos/2658481064217805/