Martin Holdgate, British Conservationist, Born (1931)

Martin Holdgate, one of the leaders of British conservation during the past half-century, was born January 14, 1931.  He has been part of most of the major environmental and conservation developments in England and around the world dkuring the last half-century.

Holdgate studied biological sciences at Cambidge University, completing a doctorate in insect physiology in 1955.  At the conclusion of his studies, he joined an expedition to the south Atlantic island of Gough, then a poorly known outpost of the British empire (later made an UNESCO World Heritage site) (learn more about UNESCO here).  That expedition spurred Holdgate’s interest in the Antarctic, which continued as he taught courses at Manchester and Durham universities.  Eventually, he joined the British Antarctic Survey, becoming its Chief Biologist within a short time.

He moved more directly into the practice of conservation and environment in 1966.  He joined the British Nature Conservancy then, performing research that informed their decisions about what lands to protect (the organization is now known as Natural England).  Beginning in 1970, he joined the UK Department of the Environment, rising to the position of Chief Scientist and Deputy Secretary prior to his departure in 1988.  His time in these agencies coincided with the growth of the environmental movement in the UK, representing a “major step-change after World War 2.”

Holdgate was among the world’s environmental leaders who espoused the concept of sustainable development, recognizing that economic development and environmental sustainability had to work together. He was a member of many global environmental commissions, representing the British government. “The environment,” he noted, “is not against the economy.”  Understanding that economy and environment need to go together, he introduced the concept BATNEEC as a guiding principle, requiring that industry use the “Best Available Technology Not Entailing Excessive Costs.”  He later apologized for the tongue-twisting acronym.

From 1988 to 1994, he served as Director General of IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).  IUCN is the largest association of governments and non-governmental organizations concerned with the environment, most notably providing the scientific guidance for species in peril (the Red List) and for protection of unique and outstanding ecosystems .

Holdgate has been honored broadly for his work on behalf of the environment.  He was knighted in 1994, holds several honorary doctorates and is a “Global 500” advisor to the UN Environment Programme.  Since retiring, he resides in the English Lake District, where he serves as President of The Friends of the Lake District.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, he succinctly summed up his understanding, after a lifetime of ecological study and public service, of the relationship of humans and nature:  “If we muck our environment about, we muck ourselves about.”

References:

Friends of The Lake District.  President.  Available at:  https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/presidentmartinholdgate.  Accessed January 13, 2018.

Holdgate, Mr.  1988.  Interview profile of Dr. Martin Holdgate.  The Environmentalist 8(2):87-91 (June 1988).  Available at:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02240273.  Accessed January 13, 2018.

The Guardian.  2012.  Martin Holdgate: reconciling the economy to the environment has been a huge achievement since WW2 (video interview).  Available at:  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2012/jun/13/martin-holdgate-economy-environment.  Accessed January 13, 2018.

United Nations Environment Programme.  Sir Martin Holdgate, CB PhD FIBiol.  Global 500 Advisors.  Available at:  https://web.archive.org/web/20100605000825/http://www.global500.org:80/smholdgate.html.  Accessed January 13, 2018.

This Month in Conservation

May 1
Linnaeus Publishes “Species Plantarum” (1753)
May 2
“Peter and The Wolf” Premieres (1936)
May 3
Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Swedish Oceanographer, Born (1874)
May 4
Eugenie Clark, The Shark Lady, Born (1922)
May 5
Frederick Lincoln, Pioneer of Bird Banding, Born (1892)
May 6
Lassen Volcanic National Park Created (1907)
May 7
Nature’s Best Moms
May 8
David Attenborough Born (1926)
May 9
Thames River Embankments Completed (1874)
May 10
Birute Galdikas, Orangutan Expert, Born (1946)
May 11
“HMS Beagle” Launched (1820)
May 12
Farley Mowat, Author of “Never Cry Wolf,” Born (1921)
May 13
St. Lawrence Seaway Authorized (1954)
May 14
Lewis and Clark Expedition Began (1804)
May 15
Declaration of the Conservation Conference (1908)
May 16
Ramon Margalef, Pioneering Ecologist, Born (1919)
May 17
Australian BioBanking for Biodiversity Implemented (2010)
May 18
Mount St. Helens Erupts (1980)
May 19
Carl Akeley, Father of Modern Taxidermy, Born (1864)
May 20
European Maritime Day
May 21
Rio Grande Water-Sharing Convention Signed (1906)
May 22
International Day for Biological Diversity
May 23
President Carter Delivers Environmental Message to Congress (1977)
May 24
Bison Again Roam Free in Canada’s Grasslands National Park (2006)
May 25
Lacey Act Created (1900)
May 26
Last Model T Rolls Off the Assembly Line (1927)
May 27
Rachel Carson, Author of “Silent Spring,” Born (1907)
May 27
A Day for the birds
May 28
Sierra Club Founded (1892)
May 29
Stephen Forbes, Pioneering Ecologist, Born (1844)
May 30
Everglades National Park Created (1934)
May 31
The Johnstown Flood (1889)
January February March April May June July August September October November December