The Queen May Not Say 'Cheese' (Anymore)!

The UK's Queen has bestowed a royal warrant on Dairy Crest, makers of her favourite Cheddar Cheese. The company is now threatened with the warrant's possible removal, on environmental grounds (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/29/queen-could-revoke-davidstow-cheddar-dairy-crest-royal-warrant-river-pollution). Dairy Crest have filled an entire river near their establishment with noxious black sludge. A royal warrant is a useful marketing device. It seems a bit feeble to suggest Dairy Crest should get its environmental act together, to retain it. Dairy Crest: makers of Davidstow cheddar and noxious black sludge?

Don't Cut That Tree!

A University of Nottingham study, used Woodland Trust data, to generate models, predicting where, in England, ancient and veteran trees were likely to be located. Volunteers were sent to selected locations to determine what trees were actually present. Relatively inaccessible locations all had many such trees. The study suggests there are more than 2 million ancient and veteran trees in England. Most are currently undocumented (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/30/study-suggests-existence-of-up-to-21m-ancient-and-veteran-trees-in-england). Ancient and veteran trees have no protections, unless they happen to grow in conservation areas or are associated with endangered animals. Campaigners are calling on the UK government to give ancient and veteran trees the same protections as wildlife and old buildings. This seems very unlikely. The UK government's Environmental Secretary actually appears intent on 'amending' the EU Habitats Directive (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/30/uk-government-scrap-european-law-protecting-special-habitats). The Habitats Directive protects designated Natura 2000 sites. England has more than 300 Natura 2000 sites, where special habitats are protected. The Environmental Secretary sees these as 'red tape' and is keen to make the countryside 'a place of business'. Protecting old trees would not be on his agenda.

Seeing the Changes 1659

The only 'new' things at Crymlyn Burrows today were Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) and Six-spot Burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae).

Environmental Laundries

As they say,'cleanliness is next to godliness'. Politicians and many industrialists appear very keen to wash their dirty linen in public. We have all heard about greenwashing. Greenwashing is the attempt to fool people into believing that an activity or product is more environmentally acceptable than it really is. Eleanor Salter now introduces the concept of youth-washing (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/29/children-arent-the-future-where-have-all-the-young-climate-activists-gone). Salter poses the question 'Where have all the young climate activists gone?' She notes that, between 2016 and 2020, no televised political or commercial meeting was complete, without inviting a few young people. The youth-washers clearly intended to give the impression that they cared about future generations. Salter broadly concludes that the young climate activists haven't gone anywhere. It's just that youth-washing has become a bit too obvious. Clearly, the climate emergency is not just a problem for young folk and their children. The climate change is with us NOW! Many young climate activists are now working with a whole bunch of other concerned individuals across the generations. Perhaps politicians and industrialists can replace their cosmetic exercises with meaningful action? Washing isn't working!

Long Covid and Blood Clots

Covid19 infections appear to increase the risk of blood clots. Such blood clots could result in strokes, coronary heart attacks or even deep vein thrombosis. It has been suggested that blood microclots, as well as clotting abnormalities, are relatively common in patients with Long Covid (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/27/possible-link-between-blood-clots-and-covid-symptoms-investigated). The University College of London's Stimulate ICP study will investigate the potential link between blood clots and Long Covid. This will, presumably be a double blind study (one where neither the patients nor the scientists know which treatments patients receive, until the end of treatment). The recruited 4,500 Long Covid patients, will be allocated to 4 groups. They will be respectively given:- a) normal care (with placebo 'medication'?); b) anti-histamine; c) an anti-inflammatory or d) an anti-clotting drug. Patients, in this trial, will receive their treatments for 3 months. The effects of the 4 treatments on Long Covid symptoms (especially chronic fatigue) will then be assessed. The study would have to be double blind, as will rely on self-reported assessments e.g.'fatigue'. Hopefully, the data will enable the researchers to establish whether blood 'thinners' can be safely used to improve Long Covid symptoms. Anti-clotting drugs might cause inappropriate bleeding in some patients.

Don't Blame Every Extreme Weather Event Exclusively on Climate Change?

A study in Environmental Research: Climate used 'attribution science' to assess how human-induced climate change altered the impact of 5 extreme weather events (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/28/climate-change-heatwaves-droughts-study-weather). The 5 extreme weather events looked at were:- heatwaves; heavy rainfall; drought; wildfires and tropical cyclones. The role of climate change was clearest in relation to heatwaves. Average and extreme heat levels, on every continent, were increased because of human-mediated climate change. There was a tendency in some other extreme weather events (e.g. drought, floods and tropical cyclones), however, to focus exclusively on climate change. Climate change also clearly influences the frequency and severity of these events. Other factors like poverty, missing infrastructure, lack of investment and missing health care systems, however, also play roles. The distinction is helpful but climate change is uniformly problematic.

Some of My Favourite Pictures of Indian Moths