It's Not Just Ships Using the Suez Canal

Concerns have been expressed that the proposed widening and extending of Egypt's Suez canal will exacerbate the problems with non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/30/suez-canal-scheme-threatens-mediterranean-ecosystem-economic-activity). It is estimated that at least half of the current 700 alien marine species have arrived from the Red sea via the current link and the shipping 'improvements' will make further movement even easier. Already, some species such as the Nomad jellyfish, have disrupted fishing and tourism in the Mediterranean.

Lobster Lobbying

There are reports of Canadian lobsters being sold this Christmas in UK ASDA and Iceland outlets at £5 a pop (http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/28/lobster-wars-discount-stores-slug-it-out-on-high-street-with-5-pound-shellfish). Apparently, traditional fish stocks in Canada are in a marked decline and the seas are warming up, making the lobsters (booming in numbers) accessible for longer. Lobsters largely feed on dead organic material (including dead fish?) and to be sold in the UK require to be rapidly transported by air or by sea. The refrigerated transport generates more carbon dioxide that further increases warming of the seas, killing more fish (until there is nothing much for even the lobsters to eat?). I suspect that this will be a relatively short-lived boom.

Chicken Licken?

The news that the FSA has found that no UK supermarket has chicken on sale with a less than 60% contamination with compylobacter is disturbing (http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/26/chicken-campylobacter-contamination-supermarkets-fsa). The bacterium can cause dangerous food poisoning and many of the stores appear to sell raw chicken meat products with high levels of this agent (or even on the outside of packaging where it can contaminate other foods. One should note that buying 'free-range' chicken is no protection against this agent. The only thing that you can do is to prevent the purchased meat contaminating anything else and to cook it thoroughly.

Clicking Away at the Ecosystem

A quick study by the International Fund for Animal Welfare has found some 33,000 'protected' living animals  (such as tiger cubs and poison arrow frogs) and prescribed products from such beasts (such as ivory and an entire rhinoceros horn) offered for sale online (lhttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/25/wildlife-crime-study-sale-onlinee-online). This little illegal hoard was valued at least £7m. This easily accessible activity seems likely to be the tip of a very big iceberg. One can only hope that ways will be found to discourage this form of e-commerce. Victorians at least had the excuse that most thought their natural history collections were obtained from an infinitely bounteous Earth whereas today few operate under such delusions.

Climate Change: An Update

There is a very substantial review of the science of climate changes and the choices that (a few select people) have for the future (http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/nov/22/-sp-climate-change-special-report). One might point out that most people on this planet have zero choices.

Seeing the Changes 924

Got an interesting angle on a visting Feathered thorn (Colotois pennaria) in Loughor and noted a small Slowworm (Anguis fragilis) chillaxing on the cycle path in Bynea.

Snowed Under With Penguins?

News that the BBC is to produce a program, entitled 'Snow Chick', that is intended to follow an Emperor penguin from egg to adulthood (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/18/bbc-snow-chick-follow-emperor-penguin-battle-for-survival). I appreciate that people seem very taken by penguins (note the current John Lewis Christmas advertisement) but I am not certain that this beast actually has the hardest life of any animal species on the planet (as is apparently claimed) and I am not too keen on these birds that strongly reek of fish. I would also be amazed if the 'life drama' actually followed one egg to adulthood. The thing about penguins is that you can splice material together from several individuals without anyone noticing the variation.