Simon, the debate is in good humour and if my use of capitals came across as OTT it probably was, sorry. I will state for about the hundreth time (in my life not on this forum!) Unqualified unskilled hacks and loppers are not in the same industry as me or any other properly trained and qualified Arborist adhering to our code of ethics. It is like comparing a qualified and licensed plumber to a bloke who knows how to change the washer in a tap....yes they both work with pipes water and fittings but that is where the similarity ends.
These blokes Eric filmed, I feel as much unhappiness for them as I do anyone else...they are exposed to the same (even more!) risk as I am when I climb and cut, but they have none of the advanages I have...insurance, training, quality gear and experience...not forgetting the support of an excellent groundie in Tim.
The more we percieve ourselves as being merely loppers who can read a bit or who have sat an exam or two the less progress will be made in the care and management of trees in this country. (And no I'm sure that's not what you were saying I'm making my own assertion here)
Arboriculture is not lopping or topping, loppers and toppers can become Arborists I know a few myself personally who are very ashamed of their past practices (though there is no shame in doing what you thought was the right thing back then) Arboriculture has a set of ethics and values trees in critical ways that ensure (as much as humanly possible) a long term perspective, more realistic to the continuation of all aspects of our natural environment, is applied to managing trees in the dramatically altered urban scene.
This is getting way off the original topic and I apologise for that, but to my mind none of you guys should be comparing yourselves to hacks, loppers or toppers..we can never hope to educate the general public at large if we ourselves don't understand why there is a difference between them and us and just what that difference is....and more importantly why it matters (and it aint $$$s!)
