Invertebrate Passions 14. Garden snail (Helix aspersa)

Hermaphrodite Garden snails whip eachother into a frenzy with their calcareous 'love darts'.

Invertebrate Passions 13. Green-veined white (Artogeia napi)

Wait until you see the whites of the Green-veined white's eyes!

Invertebrate Passions 12. Great black slug (Arion ater)

These hermaphrodite Great black slugs are fertilising eachother's eggs.

Invertebrate Passions 11. Gatekeeper butterfly (Pyronia tithonus)

Gatekeeper butterflies opening the door for eachother.

Seeing the Changes 2094

On the cliffs, between the Gower's Langland and Caswell, spotted lots of Black bryony (Tamus communis) berries. Also saw a Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) hover and dive.

Invertebrate Passions 10. Gastrophysa virdula beetle

That's my female full of eggs!

Invertebrate Passions 9. Dark green fritillary butterfly (Mesoacidalia aglaja)

These Dark green butterflies mate in damp areas of South Wales and elsewhere.

Perceptions of Solutions?

George Monbiot rails against what he calls 'perceptionware'. This term refers to the plethora of 'technofixes', frequently advocated by commercial interests to counter climate change/loss of biodiversity (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/12/fossil-fuel-companies-environment-greenwashing). Monbiot targets carbon capture and storage. This is the physical removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locating it (e.g. in plastics or as a liquid) in depleted mines or oil-wells. He notes that petrochemical companies have suggested carbon capture and storage as a solution to climate-altering anthropogenic (human-mediated) 'greenhouse gas' emissions. After almost 50 years, it's hardly got beyond a trial stage. Still, governments are encouraged to invest tens of millions in it and to carry on extracting coal, oil and gas. Monbiot also notes that 'sustainable' aviation fuels are fequently floated. He thinks there's no sign that these can ever be a viable commercial alternative to the currently largely-untaxed fuels for jet aircraft. Some companies have explored the possibility of obtaining petrochemicals from algae (marine plants). The funding for this 'green development', has now largely been discontinued. One could add to the list, the idea that the solution to petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles is simply to replace them all with EVs? Monbiot also draws attention to a Science paper, analysing the effectiveness of 1,500 'climate policies', introduced by governments around the world. That study found that only 63 had delivered significant benefits. Policies that worked, included fuel taxes; carbon floor prices; bans on damaging technologies; renewables mandates; energy efficiency mandates; strong building regulations and higher industrial performance standards. These are, of course, all the things that most commercial bodies don't want to see. They would hit profits. Monbiot thinks big companies use their expensive 'perceptionware', largely to distract from such workable solutions.

Invertebrate Passions 8. Cranefly (Tupila maxima)

Craneflies or 'Daddy Long-legs' mating on the wall of my house.

Invertebrate Passions 7. Common green shield bug (Palomina prasina)

Welsh bugs also indulge in sexual behaviour.

The Future of UK Steel?

It's claimed that "If you want to have a car industry, shipbuilding or any form of heavy manufacturing, you need a steel industry". Blast furnaces are essential if you want to make steel from iron ore. They require, however, large work forces as well as producing enormous amounts of climate-altering 'greenhouse gases'. The UK is about to become the only G20 country without a blast furnace for steel production. UK steel production has massively declined, since it was privatised in 1988. The existing UK market has also recently been flooded with cheap, subsidised steel, notably from China. The current owners of steel production in the UK are consequently cutting their blast furnaces. The country is likely to be left only with electric arc furnaces, as they require a much smaller workforce. Electric arc furnaces are less polluting but only produce new steel from scrap (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/11/port-talbot-job-losses-whats-next-for-british-steel-production). Jobs losses are a major concern but the reduced workforces would make UK-based steel-producing companies more profitable. The UK has lots of scrap steel. Electric arc furnaces could, consequently, be sufficient for 'local' steel needs. Multinationals might be tempted, of course, to operate blast furnaces in countries with cheaper employment and fewer environmental potections. UK-based electric arc furnaces could use their output to produce specialist steels. Removal of blast furnaces will also help the UK achieve its carbon zero commitments more quickly. The fact that the blast furnaces are abroad, doesn't reduce 'greenhouse gas' emissions. There might, however, be a problem for the UK, if international tensions ever reduce the importation of new steel from overseas blast furnaces.

No Brain: No Pain?

Vegans feel that eating multicellular animals or their direct products (like honey or almonds) is wrong. They generally want to avoid animal pain in their dietary choices. A small minority of vegans, however, have recently decided that oysters and mussels can be consumed. They judge that these seafood items, "feel no pain". This seems, however, a tad inconsistent with strict veganism? (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/12/ill-have-them-with-hot-sauce-should-vegans-eat-oysters). Such folk, class themselves as followers of 'bivalve veganism'. Bivalves are certainly animals. They are, however, sessile. They don't move about much, remaining in their protective shells. This means they don't writhe about, when faced with potentially 'painful' stimuli. That doesn't, of course, mean they are incapable of feeling pain. Oysters, for example, produce pearls, in response to internal 'irritants' like grit. It's true that oysters and mussels don't have much of a 'brain'. Their neural ganglia are, however, not too different in size from those of an insect or a worm. Insects and worms are, of course, much more likely to wriggle or try to escape. Is that the reason, they are not also on the 'menu'? Oysters and mussels are also in the same Phylum as the squid and the octopus. Squids and octopuses are the biggest-brained invertebrates. Isn't eating an oyster less 'vegan' than eating honey?

Invertebrate Passions 6. Common grass yellow butterfly (Eurema hecabe)

A similar mating strategy is used by this butterfly from Sikkim (NE India).

Invertebrate Passions 5. Common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)

This common Welsh butterfly also shows sexual dimorphism, when it flies too close to the sun (icarus).

Invertebrate Passions 4. Chrysomela populi

Welsh beetles beetling about.

No 'Rewilding' Around Here?

Over the past 20 years, the UK has lost 97% of its species-rich grassland. A predictable consequence, has been the enormous reduction in the numbers of flying insects. This, of course, has detrimental effects on ecosystems. The loss of important plant pollinators (e.g. bees, butterflies and hoverflies) is a particular issue. One way of recovering the meadows and their associated insects, is to 'rewild' wasteland controlled by local councils. This land can be near communities or bordering the extensive road system in the UK. The latter is an area approximately the size of the county of Dorset. The easiest way of 'rewilding', is to cease regular mowing of these areas. The effects are not immediate but, eventually, the land's 'seed banks' eventually restore the original flowering plants to these habitats. This enables the insects to re-establish themselves. Twenty percent of English County Councils have now embraced such 'rewilding'. There's been, however, a rather sad reaction to this in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. There, 'vigilante mowers' have taken to cutting the grass in the vicinity of their own homes (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/10/the-meadow-mutiny-why-a-rewilding-scheme-sparked-a-residents-revolt). The 'vigilante mowers' have reportedly convinced themselves that the failure of their Council to cut 'their' grass, is a barely-disguised economy measure. They also appear to have lots of worries about the 'dangers' of long grass. These include being depositories for dog faeces and nitrous oxide capsules. These same householders also believe it reduces the value of their properties; gives their visiting grandchildren nowhere to play and constitutes a fire risk. It seems evident that this type of 'rewilding' scheme, needs both careful explanation and sensitive introduction. Some folk have even suggesting that calling reducing grass mowing 'rewilding', is detrimental to the project. 'Rewilding' conjures up images of wolf and beaver reintroductions. Perhaps calling it 'biodiversity recovery', would make this project less contentious?

Invertebrate Passions 3. Blue-tailed forest hawk (Orethetrum triangulare)

Foreplay by this dragonfly from Sikkim (N-E India). Displays and sexual dimorphism (the males and females looking different) is a common feature in reproductive behaviour of many species.

A Climate of Fear?

Some people think fines and prison sentences are imposed to simply punish behaviour. Others believe that rehabilitation is the primary aim. Offenders, they argue, can be convinced of their wrong-doing and will consequently change their activities. This distinction is important, when the'punitive' measures used to 'crack down' on climate protests by countries in the 'global North' are considered. Most climate change protestors believe they have 'right on their side'. They are no more likely to change their beliefs, than participants in the UK's suffragette movement of the early 20th Century. In spite of derision, fines, physical attacks and prison sentences, they maintained their belief in the 'rightness' of women's votes. Suffragettes were not rehabilitated and prison had little effect on their subsequent behaviour. A vast majority now celebrates the suffragette movement. A Climate Rights International report maintains, however, that countries, including Australia; France; Germany; the Netherlands; Sweden; the UK and the US, essentially violate the basic rights of climate change protestors. They, the report says, have their freedoms of expression; assembly and association strongly curtailed. In the UK, for example, some climate change protestors have recently received very long prison sentences. The report opines that the 'Global North's' "harsh, vague and punitive measures" used against climate change protestors are similar to tactics employed by the 'Global South' against 'their own' dissidents. Weirdly, politicians in the 'Global North', however, often criticises 'suppression' of basic rights in the 'Global South' (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/10/climate-rights-report-draconian-measures-protest). It seems extremely odd that some UK climate change protestors are getting long prison sentences, at a time when folk convicted of other 'crimes' like theft are being given early release (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c047dkjgpxyo#:~:text=The%20government%20will%20announce%20plans%20on%20Friday%20to,emergency%20measures%20to%20free%20up%20space%20in%20prisons.). This early prison release is to prevent serious overcrowding. Overcrowding makes timely 'justice' more difficult and prisons difficult to manage. Filling UK goals with climate change protestors consequently seems counterproductive. These protestors are unlikely to alter their beliefs by being incarcerated. A growing section of society also now appears convinced that they 'have a point'. They may not like the protestor's methods but they are worried about climate change. That was probably basically true of attitudes towards suffragettes in the early 20th Century. Prison just created martyrs.

Invertebrate Passions 2. Southern hawker (Aeshna cyanea)

Mating in dragonflies is far from romantic. Males can scrape out the sperm from the female's previous encounters, before depositing their own.

Invertebrate Passions 1. Azure damselfly (Coenagrion puella)

Sexual behaviour is a means of generating genetic diversity to counter environmental changes. These Azure damselflies, appropriately, adopt a heart shape.

Sharks Driven From Coral Reefs?

The oceans store much of the heat, resulting from the 'greenhouse gas' emissions produced by current human activities. Oceans also store much of the carbon dioxide, increasing the acidity of their waters. These warming waters, have a lower oxygen content. This, as well as the increasing temperatures per se, challenge survival of many marine species. Most ocean animals are poikilothermic ('cold blooded'), taking on the temperature of their surroundings. Temperature change forces some to relocate. This was illustrated by tagging a total of more than 120 Grey reef sharks. From 2012-2020, the movements of these top predators on coral reefs in the Indian Ocean's Chagos archipelago, were studied. Ocean heating, caused these sharks to desert their reefs, often for extended periods. They consequently spent much less time there. This was especially evident in the especially hot El Nino event of 2015-16. There's concern that such impacts on behaviour, damage both the sharks and the fragile reef ecosystems (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/09/sharks-deserting-coral-reefs-climate-crisis-heating-oceans-study). This study clearly illustrate that the excess heat produced by anthropogenic climate change, will have wide repercussions on marine ecosystems. This will impact on fisheries and other ecosystem services relied upon by humanity.

Fruits and Seeds

Varied fruits and seeds from numerous plants and many locations.