Readers respond to Sam Dumitriu’s article on protecting Britain’s environment

In his article on nature protections ( How can we really protect Britain’s environment?, 8 March ), Sam Dumitriu of Britain Remade celebrates habitat recovery and calls for more focus on such efforts and less on legal protections for nature. But legal protections are the only thing protecting the habitats we have left.

Over the past 100 years, the amount of healthy natural habitat in England has shrunk : 99.7% of fens, 97% of species‑rich grasslands, 80% of lowland heathlands, up to 70% of ancient woodlands and up to 85% of saltmarshes have been lost.

Readers respond to Sam Dumitriu’s article on protecting Britain’s environment

In his article on nature protections ( How can we really protect Britain’s environment?, 8 March ), Sam Dumitriu of Britain Remade celebrates habitat recovery and calls for more focus on such efforts and less on legal protections for nature. But legal protections are the only thing protecting the habitats we have left.

Over the past 100 years, the amount of healthy natural habitat in England has shrunk : 99.7% of fens, 97% of species‑rich grasslands, 80% of lowland heathlands, up to 70% of ancient woodlands and up to 85% of saltmarshes have been lost.

Readers respond to Sam Dumitriu’s article on protecting Britain’s environment

In his article on nature protections ( How can we really protect Britain’s environment?, 8 March ), Sam Dumitriu of Britain Remade celebrates habitat recovery and calls for more focus on such efforts and less on legal protections for nature. But legal protections are the only thing protecting the habitats we have left.

Over the past 100 years, the amount of healthy natural habitat in England has shrunk : 99.7% of fens, 97% of species‑rich grasslands, 80% of lowland heathlands, up to 70% of ancient woodlands and up to 85% of saltmarshes have been lost.

Dave Lawley recalls his father’s involvement with the Argyle Library Egg

It was sad to read the saga of the Argyle Library Egg ( My dad made the biggest jewelled egg in the world. The obsession would destroy his marriage, family and fortune, 7 March ) and of the untimely death of Paul Kutchinsky. But repeated references to the egg that he made is akin to crediting Elon Musk with devising the Tesla car. There were six master craftsmen who worked 7,000 hours to create the egg. My father, Geoff Lawley, made all the intricate furniture mounted on the three 120-degree vistas inside the egg.

When the egg could not be sold, my father and the other craftsmen were made redundant by the De Vroomen Alexander workshop. He never worked again, but I’m pleased to report he is alive and well and celebrated his 95th birthday this week, although his memories of his part in the creation of this masterpiece are now fading.
Dave Lawley
Buckland, Hertfordshire

Dave Lawley recalls his father’s involvement with the Argyle Library Egg

It was sad to read the saga of the Argyle Library Egg ( My dad made the biggest jewelled egg in the world. The obsession would destroy his marriage, family and fortune, 7 March ) and of the untimely death of Paul Kutchinsky. But repeated references to the egg that he made is akin to crediting Elon Musk with devising the Tesla car. There were six master craftsmen who worked 7,000 hours to create the egg. My father, Geoff Lawley, made all the intricate furniture mounted on the three 120-degree vistas inside the egg.

When the egg could not be sold, my father and the other craftsmen were made redundant by the De Vroomen Alexander workshop. He never worked again, but I’m pleased to report he is alive and well and celebrated his 95th birthday this week, although his memories of his part in the creation of this masterpiece are now fading.
Dave Lawley
Buckland, Hertfordshire

Dave Lawley recalls his father’s involvement with the Argyle Library Egg

It was sad to read the saga of the Argyle Library Egg ( My dad made the biggest jewelled egg in the world. The obsession would destroy his marriage, family and fortune, 7 March ) and of the untimely death of Paul Kutchinsky. But repeated references to the egg that he made is akin to crediting Elon Musk with devising the Tesla car. There were six master craftsmen who worked 7,000 hours to create the egg. My father, Geoff Lawley, made all the intricate furniture mounted on the three 120-degree vistas inside the egg.

When the egg could not be sold, my father and the other craftsmen were made redundant by the De Vroomen Alexander workshop. He never worked again, but I’m pleased to report he is alive and well and celebrated his 95th birthday this week, although his memories of his part in the creation of this masterpiece are now fading.
Dave Lawley
Buckland, Hertfordshire

Prof Liv Nilsson Stutz and Prof Sarah Tarlow respond to an article on ethical questions about remains from overseas in UK museums

Regarding your article on “overseas” human remains in British museums ( Vast scale of overseas human remains held in UK museums decried by MPs and experts, 7 March ), while the public may be surprised, the issue of human remains in museums has been central to archaeologists, anthropologists and museum professionals for decades. The question for us is not whether it is acceptable that human remains can be found in “sacrilegious” conditions (clearly not), but how can we best care for human remains in museum collections? What we find both counterproductive and incorrect is the suggestion that collection managers and museums are unmoved by the ethical challenges posed by the remains in their care.

We recently concluded a large research project examining the ethical treatment of human remains in European institutions. Our survey clearly shows that collection managers, often with very scarce resources, are deeply concerned with the human remains in their care, and overwhelmingly demonstrate empathy and concern for them. Moreover, human remains from colonial contexts tend to receive more, not less, ethical attention than human remains from local or archaeological contexts.

Prof Liv Nilsson Stutz and Prof Sarah Tarlow respond to an article on ethical questions about remains from overseas in UK museums

Regarding your article on “overseas” human remains in British museums ( Vast scale of overseas human remains held in UK museums decried by MPs and experts, 7 March ), while the public may be surprised, the issue of human remains in museums has been central to archaeologists, anthropologists and museum professionals for decades. The question for us is not whether it is acceptable that human remains can be found in “sacrilegious” conditions (clearly not), but how can we best care for human remains in museum collections? What we find both counterproductive and incorrect is the suggestion that collection managers and museums are unmoved by the ethical challenges posed by the remains in their care.

We recently concluded a large research project examining the ethical treatment of human remains in European institutions. Our survey clearly shows that collection managers, often with very scarce resources, are deeply concerned with the human remains in their care, and overwhelmingly demonstrate empathy and concern for them. Moreover, human remains from colonial contexts tend to receive more, not less, ethical attention than human remains from local or archaeological contexts.

Prof Liv Nilsson Stutz and Prof Sarah Tarlow respond to an article on ethical questions about remains from overseas in UK museums

Regarding your article on “overseas” human remains in British museums ( Vast scale of overseas human remains held in UK museums decried by MPs and experts, 7 March ), while the public may be surprised, the issue of human remains in museums has been central to archaeologists, anthropologists and museum professionals for decades. The question for us is not whether it is acceptable that human remains can be found in “sacrilegious” conditions (clearly not), but how can we best care for human remains in museum collections? What we find both counterproductive and incorrect is the suggestion that collection managers and museums are unmoved by the ethical challenges posed by the remains in their care.

We recently concluded a large research project examining the ethical treatment of human remains in European institutions. Our survey clearly shows that collection managers, often with very scarce resources, are deeply concerned with the human remains in their care, and overwhelmingly demonstrate empathy and concern for them. Moreover, human remains from colonial contexts tend to receive more, not less, ethical attention than human remains from local or archaeological contexts.