Beside the tree out of the clouds and warming your soul love is like the sum coming

 Sycamore Gap tree: The story so far

30 April 2024

By Chris Robinson,

BBC News, North East and Cumbria

Carrie Page and Christine Hopper paid homage to the tree with this postbox topper

The Sycamore Gap tree, which once stood in a dip next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, has been chopped down. It was an incredibly popular landmark, but what was so different about it and why did it affect so many people?

What was the Sycamore Gap tree?

Quite simply it was a single sycamore tree growing in a natural dip in the countryside along Hadrian's Wall, close to the village of Once Brewed.

The National Trust, which looks after the site with the Northumberland National Park Authority, said it was planted in the late 1800s by previous landowner John Clayton to be a "feature in the landscape".

While a popular spot for walkers and photographers due to its unusual setting, it became famous after featuring in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner. Afterwards it gained the nickname the Robin Hood Tree - although in reality it was some 170 miles (273 km) from Sherwood Forest.

Dan Newman, whose character Wulf hides in the tree and is rescued by the eponymous hero, told the BBC it was the first scene he filmed on his very first day on set.

The film's director Kevin Reynolds said it was "one of the most quintessentially idyllic spots in the world and now it's gone, it's murdered, and for what reason?"

Podcast: The Sycamore Gap story - It's not just a tree

The Northumberland National Park Authority said the site was its "most-photographed spot", and in late 2016 it was crowned English Tree of the Year in the Woodland Trust's awards.

Author LJ Ross, whose second novel was named after the tree, said many creatives "felt inspired" by it.

It was also a focal point along the 84-mile (135km) Hadrian's Wall route between Wallsend, North Tyneside and Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria.

What happened to the tree?

On the morning of 28 September, 2023, news spread that the tree had been "deliberately" chopped down overnight.

A police investigation was launched and a cordon put in place.

Forensics officers were seen taking measurements and samples from the remains and photographing the area.

One was heard saying: "In 31 years of forensics I've never examined a tree."

On 30 April 2024, two men in their 30s from the Cumbria area were charged with criminal damage of the tree, and criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall, Northumbria Police said.

They are due to appear at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on 15 May.

The force has previously confirmed that a man aged in his 60s and a 16-year-old boy, who were also arrested, would face no further action.

How did people react?

The toppling of the tree led to an outpouring of anger and astonishment.

Hexham Conservative MP Guy Opperman said people he had spoken with were "utterly stunned" and "devastated" at the damage, and described the sycamore as a "symbol of the North East".

Hairy Biker Si King, who grew up in County Durham, posted on social media that a "sentinel of time and elemental spirit of Northumberland" had been "murdered".

People were also keen to share their memories of the tree and why it was so special to them.

Alice Whysall, from Brampton, Cumbria, believed she may have taken the final photograph of the tree the previous evening, as she stopped there in the rain while on a hike.

She said it was "such an emotional thing to have seen it in its final hours".

It was also the scene of marriage proposals, sentimental moments and the scattering of ashes.

The outpouring of emotion led to impromptu poems about its untimely end and photographs from every angle, and every season, were shared.

It was "a place where truly one could be set free," wrote Harriet Robinson.

What will happen to the tree?

The trunk of the tree was removed on 12 October, and because it was so big it was cut into large pieces so it could be taken away by crane.

In December, the National Trust confirmed that seeds collected from the tree would be used to grow new saplings, and work is being carried out at its rare plant propagation nursery.

In March, it was confirmed new life had sprung from the rescued seeds and twigs of the Sycamore Gap tree.

The National Trust is still deciding what to do with the shoots once they are strong enough.

While it is hoped that the original tree will regrow from its trunk, it will take up to three years before experts know if this is possible, the trust said.

Plans have also been announced to put the largest section of tree on public display at The Sill, a visitor attraction near the site, in September 2024.

People have also been keen to lend a helping hand.

A fundraising site has been set up, with more than £4,000 raised to help to "improve and rejuvenate" the area around the stump.

The National Trust has advised people to "treat the stump with respect", and it has encouraged people to share their ideas.

However, a sapling which was planted nearby in a bid to restore "hope" was removed by authorities, as the site has Unesco World Heritage status.

National Trust manager Andrew Poad said the stump was "healthy" and they might be able to coppice the tree, where new shoots grow from the trunk's base, but it could take up to 200 years to get back to what it once was.

There have also been suggestions about what to do with the remaining wood. The High Sheriff of Northumberland, Diana Barkes, suggested that something could be created from it "for people to come and remember the tree and remember their loved ones".

Thousands of ideas have been sent to officials including turning the trunk into benches or sculptures.

Elsewhere, other projects are benefiting from the loss. In North Yorkshire, artist Lucy Pittaway, who painted the Sycamore Gap tree, has planted trees at the Swinton Estate for every print copy she sells, hoping a new woodland will revive the area.

資料來源:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729

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 4/2 「巧克力危機」：西非面臨 45 年來最嚴重可可豆歉收，全球面臨巧克力缺貨危機

今天的新聞很酷，是我們很少討論的話題。

以前我們大概談過幾次物價，

2020 年左右談過油價，當時石油期貨跌到負值；

俄烏戰爭爆發後我們也聊過植物油，

淺談一場戰爭如何影響全球植物油供給，

以及後疫情時代的糧食保護主義。

今天我們的主角不是小麥主食，也不是燃料，

但它對於你和我生活有著畫龍點睛的重要效用。

可以說，

沒有它，我的人生大概就黑白一半了。

愛吃巧克力的朋友，

做好漲價的心理準備囉。

可可價格創歷史新高

漲幅比比特幣還驚人

上個月，全球可可期貨價格飆到歷史新高。

紐約期貨交易所的可可價格來到 10,080 美元，

這已經比某些貴金屬來的值錢。

更驚人的是，兩個月前，

這個價格不過才 5,000 美元；

一年前更低，3,000 美元。

也就是說，可可價格幾乎是短時間內翻倍，

甚至有報導說：

「現在可可價格比金屬貴，漲幅比比特幣驚人。」

發生什麼事？

可可價格上漲又會帶來哪些影響？

聖嬰現象導致歉收

但長遠問題在人禍

我們先從源頭開始。

生產巧克力，最常見的做法是從可可豆當中取出可可脂，

經過各個加工手續，

最後做成我們熱愛的巧克力成品。

也就是說，可可豆是巧克力的最重要原料。

全世界最主要的可可豆生產國是象牙海岸，

整個國家供應全球超過 40% 的可可豆。

其次是迦納，也大概有 20% 的市佔率。

也就是說，在西非的這兩個國家就佔了全球六成的可可豆生產。

然而，最近這兩個國家面臨非常嚴重的天災和人禍。

首先是天氣。

今年西非迎來聖嬰現象，整個天氣乾燥炎熱，

導致可可種植園遭遇嚴重的黑莢果病（ black pod rot ），

使得大量可可豆損壞，可可樹更是直接死亡。

另外就別說大雨了。

異常氣候使得西非的可可樹更難生存，

不是泡水就是曬不乾，產量大減。

如果只是天氣問題倒也還好，務農的本來就靠天吃飯。

但這時再加上兩個人禍，氣候轉好也於事無補。

第一個人禍：採礦。

之前我們就介紹過，西非礦產豐隆，

什麼金、鈾、鐵礦石和鑽石，

在這塊土地上隨手可挖。

所以現在西非有著嚴重的非法採礦現象。

這些採礦山老鼠會破壞土壤品質，

還會留下大量受氰化物污染的廢水，

使得這些土地再也無法用於種植可可樹。

農民們要嘛失去大量耕地，

要嘛乾脆不那麼辛苦了，直接把地賣給商人採礦還賺比較多。

第二個人禍：老樹。

不像第一點，我們至少有個明確對象可以怪罪，

第二個人禍其實是整個產業永不永續的問題。

在可可生產周期當中，可可樹是會老化的，

當可可樹老化時，它會變得比較容易生病，

才會得到我們剛剛說的那個黑莢果病。

所以如果要讓可可園永續經營，

正常來說要常常換新的樹，投資更多錢來養地力。

但在可可產業鏈來說，農民分到的利潤太低，

養地根本不划算，

所以農民往往傾向直接找新的土地開墾。

而這個偷懶的方法已經隨著時間累積變得越來越難行，

新的土地越來越少，有些還被拿去挖礦，

全國的可可種植面積就這樣一點一滴消失殆盡。

加工廠陸續停工

巧克力終端售價已漲

可可豆歉收這件事，影響的不只是農民。

要製作巧克力，得先拿可可豆去加工，

加工成可可脂後再送到最後的巧克力工廠做成各種口味的巧克力。

所以這當中還有加工廠的產出。

加工廠通常都會先跟巧克力公司（例如 Hershey）簽定合約，

每一季承諾提供大量的可可脂給客戶。

結果現在最上游的可可豆缺貨了，

加工廠又還是得交貨，

使得所有加工廠拼命加價收購剩餘庫存，

一層一層墊高最終的巧克力售價，

身為巧克力愛好者的我們得花更多錢才買的到快樂的泉源（欸）。

我們很熟悉的瑞士三角巧克力 Toblerone 已經開始漲價，

轉一轉再泡一泡牛奶的 Oreo 也在去年漲了 15%。

去年美國整體零售商店的巧克力產品售價上漲了 11.6%。

前天剛好是復活節，

每年復活節英國都會賣出超過 8,000 萬顆巧克力蛋，

使得巧克力奇貨可居，成為超市裡漲幅最高的食品。

每次提到氣候變遷，

我們都只想到地球暖化、海平面上升、北極熊挨餓。

都覺得好像離我們很遠，暫時影響不了生活。

萬萬沒想到，

氣候變遷也會影響到我去隔壁小七買一條七七乳加，

如果巧克力真的漲價，

我恐怕無法豪邁地加點一杯熱可可來喝了。

最後貼上倫敦巧克力品牌 Lucocoa 創始人阿瑪拉奇克拉克的話：

「當我們在聊巧克力時，

你可曾聽過『氣候變遷』、『生活收入』或『缺乏投資』這些關鍵字？

沒有吧？

但這些都是息息相關的。

如果你沒有給農民合理的報酬，他們就無力投資。

他們不僅種植不了新的作物，

他們的農地也熬不過氣候變遷。

甚至有時候你還會看到奴隸和童工。

現在巧克力價格上漲對我們來說的確是個打擊，

但這也是個機會，

讓我們好好思考，

我們將走向哪裡？

我們還有多少時間？」

參考資料

Exclusive: African cocoa plants run out of beans as global chocolate crisis deepens | Reuters

Cocoa surpasses $10,000 a tonne as shortages squeeze ‘out of control’ market

Cocoa prices hit $10,000 per metric ton for the first time ever

Cocoa beans are in short supply: what this means for farmers, businesses and chocolate lovers

Cocoa prices rise to fresh records: Will we run out of chocolate? | Euronews

Germany: Ahead of Easter, cocoa prices hit 20-year high – DW – 03/26/2024

Easter egg prices soar as cocoa crops are hit by climate crisis and exploitation | Chocolate | The Guardian

Chocolate prices to keep rising as West Africa’s cocoa crisis deepens | Agriculture News | Al Jazeera

Cocoa prices are soaring to record levels. What it means for consumers and why ‘the worst is still yet to come’

資料來源:

https://www.mindiworldnews.com/20240402-2/