A Really Extreme Weather Event!

Hailstones are produced by droplets of water, being turned to ice. The particle is then repeatedly carried higher into the atmosphere, each time getting a new, concentric ice layer. When it becomes too heavy to be taken back up, the hailstone drops to the ground. In Catalonia's (Spain) Girona region, a 20 month old girl was recently killed, after being stuck by a 10cm diameter hailstone (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/31/girl-dies-in-catalonia-after-being-struck-by-large-hailstone). Girona had lacked meaningful rainfall for several weeks. According to accounts, the storm, when it arrived, only lasted circa 10 minutes. The hailstones, however, were up to 11cm in diameter and seriously dangerous. Hailstones of this diameter can only be produced, if there are enormous energies high in the atmosphere. This really is extreme and unusual weather!

The Demise of 'King Car'?

John Vidal (former Guardian environmental editor) says that the death of 'King Car' can't come soon enough (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/30/car-is-king-accidents-pollution-road-vehicles-public-transport). Vidal points out that road vehicles are major people killers. More folk are killed and maimed in Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) than die/are incapacitated in major wars. The emissions from cars and trucks also pollute our atmosphere. This doesn't just add to 'greenhouse gas' emissions. Oxides of nitrogen and particulates (from diesel fuel), damage human respiratory health and cause early deaths. Vidal opines that many people in European cities are enthusiastic about Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes. He hopes that public transport and ride-sharing will accelerate the demise of the car in city centres. He may be being a touch optimistic? 'Traffic logic' may be too firmly entrenched (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2022/aug/31/how-car-culture-colonised-our-thinking-and-our-language). 'Traffic logic' is an assumption that car culture has to be an integral part of lives, especially in towns and cities. This 'logic' appears to have a strong hold in many UK cities, where public transport is generally expensive and unreliable. Being a pedestrian or a cyclist can also be quite dangerous activities. The demise of 'king car', if it occurs at all, could be quite a slow process.

No Cultural 'Warm Banks' This Year?

Birmingham, Ipswich, Gateshead and circa 9 Scottish Councils have all explored the possibility that their local museums could act as 'Warm Banks' this coming winter. A 'Warm Bank' is a heated location, where people could go, when priced out of, by rocketing energy costs, heating their own homes. Culture and warmth? Unfortunately, the scheme appears a 'non-starter' (https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/aug/31/uk-museums-rising-energy-costs-could-hamper-warm-banks-plan). The Museums Association represents circa 1800 UK museums. Museum energy bills are currently rising between 200 and 600%. These dramatically increased costs will inevitably mean reduced openning and closures. Unless there is financial support, it's not just pubs that will be closed this winter!

A Travel Experiment Worth Replicating?

Germany's 3 month experiment, selling 9 euro tickets entitling the holder to a month's unlimited travel on regional train networks; trams and buses, has been a great success. The scheme was largely devised to reduce motor congestion in German cities (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/30/germanys-9-train-tickets-scheme-saved-18m-tons-of-co2-emissions). In addition to reducing congestion, the 3 month experiment has reduced German carbon dioxide emissions by circa 1.8m tons. This is a considerable chunk of 'greenhouse gas' emissions. The scheme should be the shape of things to come. It's unlikely, however, to currently work in the UK. To get folk out of their cars, public transport, in addition to being cheap, has to reach all locations, as well as being clean, reliable and frequent. Strikes (although understandable) also wouldn't help such a transition.

Cooking on Gas?

In the UK, soaring electricity and gas bills have generated a wave of advice on cheap methods of cooking (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/aug/27/best-ingredients-and-appliances-to-save-cash-when-cooking). Electric cookers are the most expensive devices. Air fryers, slow cookers and microwave ovens are all cheaper to operate. Families have been urged to batch cook; use the right-sized pan with a lid; simmer rather than boil and go for recipes that use a single pan. People are also advised not to over-fill their kettles. It has been claimed that households could save up to £600 per year, by switching to more efficient cooking methods. This, however, doesn't get near to compensating for the increased energy costs. Further, people 'on the bread line' haven't got the money to buy new cooking equipment or the ingredients to batch cook (which generally have to be frozen). Even 'well-heeled' folk will not benefit, in the short term, by purchasing new, more efficient cooking devices (most such items would have to be used for years to recover the outlay). The tips are useful but they are essentially fiddling on the margins. They not even pertinent to all!

Last Orders, Please!

Pubs sell beer, spirits and food. The UK has a long tradition of these institutions and currently boasts about 47,000. The country may soon have considerably fewer (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/30/thousands-of-uk-pubs-face-closure-without-energy-bills-support). UK Pubs experienced inevitable financial difficulties over the Covid19 pandemic. Brexit also resulted in those institutions losing many of their casual workers. Now, tenants of some pubs are giving in their notice, as they can't afford the burgeoning energy bills (for heating, lighting, refrigeration and cooking). Owners predict that thousands of pubs face permanent closure, unless they receive support for their gas and electricity bills. Pubs are businesses and don't even receive the 'protection' of the price cap.

Culling Cows?

Eire (Ireland) has 7.3 million cattle. In recent years, that country's 'greenhouse gas' emissions have continued to climb. 37.5% of Ireland's national emissions come from agriculture. This is the highest proportion in the EU. Highly potent 'greenhouse gas', methane, from belching cows, makes a major contribution. Ireland's emissions cannot consequently be effectively reduced, without agriculture making a major contribution (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/29/irish-farmers-cull-cows-meet-climate-targets). By 2030, the Irish government wants cuts of emissions from agriculture; transport and commercial/public buildings, to be respectively 25; 50 and 40%. Irish farmers are not at all happy. They claim a cut this size, will drive many farms to bankruptcy. They may even be forced to cull some cows. The Irish farmer's objectionss are emotive (and understandable) but the world cattle population will have to be substantially reduced, if this planet is to remain a viable option for humans and many other lifeforms. There actually seems little option for Ireland, other than cutting back on cows!

You Can Only Kill the Fish Once!

A former employee of the UK's Environmental Agency, says its officers are demoralised by instructions to ignore some calls about river pollution from the public (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/29/environment-agency-tells-staff-to-ignore-river-pollution-complaints-age-of-extinction). The Environmental Agency has responsibility for looking after the health of English rivers and lakes. Many such UK waterways are seriously damaged by effluent. This is largely sewage from privatised Water Companies and 'run-off' from 'factory' farming (especially of chickens). Industrial pollution is also sometimes a culprit. The former Environmental Agency employee, maintains that staff are instructed to ignore calls about 'lower impact' (categories 3 and 4) events. As she points out, once a river has been damaged, it becomes much harder to have a major incident on it. Major incidents (categories 1 and 2) are signalled by seeing lots of dead fish on the water surface. The fauna of damaged rivers, however, takes a long time to recover. The fish can only be killed once. Lack of action, following 'lower impact pollution events', means the health of UK rivers will continue on a downward spiral.

People Need to Be Less Squeamish About Drinking Water Derived From Sewage?

It's clearly inefficient that UK Water companies, take the sewage from people's houses, (generally) treat it and then discharge the result into rivers and seas. The same Water companies, then take fluid from reservoirs, rivers and aquifers, process it and supply the result to people's household taps. The Head of the Environmental Agency thinks that part of the solution to UK droughts, is to change people's squeamishness (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/28/britons-need-to-be-less-squeamish-about-drinking-water-from-sewage-says-agency-head). The Environmental Agency's Head notes that water from sewage treatment, can easily be turned back into perfectly safe and healthy drinking water. He says, however, that many people wouldn't currently fancy it. Water is, however, simply H2O. The water cycle operates continuously. Most water molecules (even from reservoirs) will have passed recently through multiple kidneys before they reach the tap. If people would accept drinking water from treated sewage, much less water would have to be taken from other environmental sources. Rivers could continue to flow and aquifers would stay undepleted, even under drought conditions. Wild life would also benefit.

The Global South Gets the Worst of It!

Pakistan's top climate official has said that a 'cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wrecking non-stop havoc' across her country. In Pakistan, since mid-June, deaths from flooding have topped 1000 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/28/pakistans-south-braces-for-deluge-as-death-toll-from-floods-tops-1000). Flooding in that country has washed away villages and crops. Some 33 million people have been displaced by the rising waters. Climate change is largely generated in the Industrialised Northern hemisphere. Its most drastic consequences, however, are currently being felt most strongly in the poorer South. This doesn't appear to be fair?

Burn, Baby, Burn!

Portovaya is a Russian plant, connected to the Nordstream 1 pipeline, designed to take gas to Germany. Supplies to Germay have now been much reduced, as a consequence of that country's opposition to the war in Ukraine. Portovaya appears to be burning off £8.4m worth of gas each day (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/26/russian-plant-portovaya-burning-off-8m-of-gas-a-day-as-supply-to-germany-is-limited). Portovaya is North-East of St Petersberg and close to the Finnish border. Environmentalists are very concerned by the amounts of carbon dioxide and soot released by Portovaya's flares. Not only is Germany being starved of gas (and considering restarting some coal-fired power stations), the planet continues to have 'greenhouse gases', associated with the Russian 'export' uselessly pumped into its atmosphere. It's just like having an unwanted giant gas patio heater in the middle of the countryside? It's not only Ukraine that is being attacked!

Seeing the Changes 1698

Sadly, a Poplar hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) larva was an RTA on the Bynea to Penclacwydd cycle path.

Litigation Across the Nation?

Both Moderna and Pfizer made billions of dollars from sales of their Covid19 vaccines. Moderna is now suing Pfizer for patent infringement (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/26/moderna-sues-pfizer-biontech-covid-vaccine-patent-infringement). Moderna is also suing Pfizer's German partner, BioNTech, claiming that they copied its RNA technology. Moderna maintain 'their' technology was developed years before the pandemic, when searching for a cure for MERS. Pfizer is also being sued, on different grounds, by other US vaccine producers. I suppose the US lawyers now want their cut? It seems a rather sad postscript to a successful application of science to attempt to deal with a serious public health emergency.

The 'High Ambition Coalition' Shows a Singular Lack of Ambition?

Currently, nothing protects our oceans, when they are more than 200 nautical miles from a shoreline (and they get little enough help there). The 'High Ambition Coalition' is a grouping of circa 50 nations who favour the idea of protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/27/time-running-out-to-protect-worlds-oceans-conservationists-say-as-un-treaty-talks-stall). In New York, a 5th round of UN negotiations to produce a treaty to protect and manage the 'high seas' has agonised for 2 weeks. On August 26th, it was announced the negotiations had failed to reach agreement. Without agreement, the 'high seas' continue to have no legal protections. Conservationists repeat the mantra 'Time and tide wait for no man'! Time is running out to save the seas.

Night and Day?

By 2100, the tropics could be 'dangerously hot' for half the year (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/25/half-of-year-will-be-dangerously-hot-in-tropics-by-2100-research-shows). If people are very proactive and limit 'greenhouse gas' emissions keeping within the parameters agreed in Paris (i.e. limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees Centigrade above pre-Industrial levels), the outcome might be just about tolerable. If, however, emissions continue to rise, a study confirms that there will be huge consequences for people, primarily in the global South. The South doesn't contributing as much to the climate emergency as the North. The South's regions would, however, become unliveable for half the year. There would be many deaths, serious problems with food production and massively increased pressures to migrate. The difference between the two outcomes would be comparable to the distinction between night and day. There are, however, few current indications that limiting planetary heating to 1.5 degrees Centigrade above pre-Industrial levels, will be achieved. This would inevitably generate massive global tensions.

Come Back Monty!

People may be intrigued by the pictures of a 5.5 M Burmese python, invading the home of a family in Hampshire. The snake was the escaped 'pet' of a neighbour. Paul Rowley (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) has suggested that such constrictors can actually be more dangerous than venomous snakes (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/25/escaped-python-hampshire-home-reptile-safe). In the UK, it's thought that, in 2020, more than 500 venomous snakes were kept as pets. Such reptiles, however, have to be registered. There is, however, no such requirement for constrictors. Constrictors are strong and can push the lid of unlocked enclosure open. They can even crack the glass of their tank. Rowley points out that, if you are bitten by a venomous snake, it's generally possible in the UK to get timely access to an anti-venom injection. Once a constrictor has a human, cat or a dog in its coils, its too late to do anything (unless you happen to have some aerosol hand gel handy, to squirt in its mouth). Rowley says it's relatively common for pet snake keepers not to inform their neighbours of their passion. They know that many people are frightened of snakes. Perhaps constrictors should also be licenced animals? Baby pythons grow relatively quickly into 5.5 M snakes!

Seeing the Changes 1697

Many of the butterflies, largely absent from the Swansea area, were reasonably abundant in Aberglasney Gardens (Carmarthenshire). They included Peacock (Inachis io); Painted lady (Cynthia cardui); Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta); Large white (Pieris brassicae) and Small tortoiseshell (Anglais urticae).

Vote For Me: We Should Never Have 'Followed the Science'!

The underdog in the drawn out 'election' for leadership of the UK's ruling Conservative Party, has opined that it was 'a major error' to 'empower scientists' in the Coronavirus pandemic (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/24/sunak-says-it-was-a-mistake-to-empower-scientists-during-covid-pandemic). The candidate reckons that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) had too much sway on issues, like closing schools. He claims he was banned from discussing 'trade offs'. It's surely apodictic, that if your country is facing a life-threatening viral pandemic, the best advice will come from bankers, economists and investment advisors. The last people you want to listen to, are those pesky SAGE virologists, public health experts, behavioural scientists, vaccine producers, immunologists etc etc. And, anyhow, they haven't got a vote in the election of the next Prime Minister. The next pandemic could be terminal for the UK.

Tracks of Their Tears?

Many parts of the US are experiencing an extreme drought. Dinosaur Valley State Park is located in NW Texas. People visit this park to see the footprints of these enormous extinct reptiles. The drought is now revealing even more traces in the park (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/aug/24/dinosaur-tracks-footprints-texas-drought-river). The Palluxy river, that flows through the Dinosaur Valley State Park, has almost completely dried up. The 113m year old tracks of Acrocanthosaurus have consequently been revealed on the dry river bed. One might suggest that it's a good time to remind humans of mortality and species extinction!

Say the Bells of St. Clement's?

UK supermarket, Tesco, is in trouble with vegans. Tesco is accused of selling oranges and lemons with bug-assisted shiny skins (https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/aug/22/forbidden-fruit-why-vegans-are-up-in-arms-over-tescos-oranges-and-lemons). Vegans claim that Tesco lemons are rendered shiny, with shellac from the female lac bug. Oranges are treated in a similar fashion with beeswax. The shiny skins make the 'non-vegan' citrus fruits more attractive to most purchasers. Vegans are especially concerned because zest from oranges and lemons may be used in the preparation of dishes. All fruit, of course, owes something to insects as pollinators but shiny skins are optional?

Seeing the Changes 1696

Some spots at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (Penclacwydd). Water forgetmenot (Myosotis scorpioides) and Bistort (Polygonium bistorta) were in flower. A mirid bug (Deraeocoris ruber?) ambled over a leaf. A Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) lazed and a Little grebe or Dabchick (Tachyhaptus ruficollis) dived repeatedly.

Some of My Favourite Pictures of Indian Caterpillars and Pupae

Indian caterpillars are amazingly diverse. They are all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some 'pretend' to be other things!