Trainhugger Treehuggers?

'Trainhugger' is a newish train ticket-booking agency with a novel twist (https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/dec/03/new-uk-rail-travel-platform-trainhugger-promises-to-plant-a-tree-for-every-train-ticket-sold). Trainhuggers has a booking fee of £1.50 per ticket but they undertake to spend £0.50 on buying a 'whip'. A 'whip' is a tree shoot that is much smaller than a sapling. The 'whips' will be planted by the Royal Forestry Society or the Royal Scottish Forestry Society. They will be placed in forests owned by the societies or on the land of participating farmers. Treehugger thinks the schemes will appeal to 'eco-concerned' train travellers (they can have details of the total of the number of trees they have 'contributed'). Not all the 'whips' will survive to become mature trees. Trees only become important carbon sinks when they reach a reasonable size. The organisers think, however, that their scheme will markedly boost the numbers of trees the UK government, says have to be planted to counter the climate crisis. Treehugger do offer some reassurances about maintaining biodiversity. Their collaborators will not (it is said) plant inappropriate tree species in locations. Having said that, it is to be hoped that the scheme doesn't simply subsidise some commercial forestry initiatives.

A Possible Explanation For VITT as a Rare Side-Effect of Using the Oxford/AstraZeneca Vaccine?

Scientists in Cardiff and the US have found a possible explanation for an extremely rare side-effect of Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covid19 vaccine (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/02/covid-scientists-blood-clots-astrazeneca-covid-jab-vaccine-side-effects-pandemic). The side-effect is called vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia (VITT). VITT is a chain reaction, resulting in the formation of dangerous blood clots in a very tiny proportion of subjects, vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca preparation. That vaccine uses a primate adenovirus, like a tiny syringe, to 'inject' coronavirus material into human cells. Entry of this material triggers the protective immune response. The scientists found that the adenovirus used, carries a high negative charge. This can be attracted to a positive charge on platelet factor 4 (this is part of the body's clotting mechanism). The resultant binding can trigger VITT. There might well be similar issues with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. It also uses an adenovirus. The mRNA vaccines (BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna) do not employ adenoviral transport systems. mRNA vaccines can also have rare side-effects but VITT is unikely to be one of them. All the currently-approved vaccines, however, offer excellent protection. You would be extremely unlucky to experience a serious side-effect. Unvaccinated people are exposed to much, much higher risk.

The Buck Stops Here?

The British can't make their minds up about European rabbits. The 'bunny' is not a native UK species. Rabbits were introduced in the Norman invasion (1066), as a food item. The species re-wilded itself, thrived and eventually became the farmer's public enemy number one. Rabbits were shot, trapped and hunted with ferrets. They were also deliberately infected with myxomatosis, with a view to wiping the species out in Britain. Although UK rabbit populations eventually became immune to myxomatosis, numbers have been subsequently decimated by other infections including haemorrhagic disease virus type 2. British bunny conservation suddenly, however, appears to be in vogue in some circles (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/28/hope-rabbit-hotels-can-help-britains-decimated-population-bounce-back). Rabbits are obsessive burrowers and this activity, as well as their grazing, 'helps' a number of endangered species of animals and plants. The lottery-funded Shifting Sands project aims to improve the biodiversity of the East Anglian Brecks (a dune system). One of the things planned, is the creation of 'rabbit hotels'. These are simply piles of branches near existing warrens (rabbit burrow systems). The branches should offer protection from aerial and terrestrial predators. They are also intended to provide cover for female rabbits, allowing them to safely burrow prior to giving birth. It is hoped that the 'hotels' will boost rabbit numbers and increase their activity on the Brecks. Suddenly, rabbits are valued 'ecological engineers'.

Mushroom Leather to Mushroom?

The Mycoworks company is producing 'mushroom leather'. This should more properly be called 'mycelium leather', as the material is cultured from the subterranean tubes that are the main manifestations of fungi (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/02/californian-firm-touts-mushroom-leather-as-sustainability-gamechanger). 'Mushroom leather' can be grown in trays, within a few weeks. It can be engineered to resemble calfskin or sheepskin. The material out-performs animal leather in terms of strength and durability, so it can be used to make shoes, handbags etc. 'Mushroom leather' also has the big advantage of having a much smaller carbon footprint than traditional leather. Its use could consequently help to limit climate change. It has been suggested that 'mushroom leather' is a 'vegan' alternative. This is also a misnomer, as fungi are not plants. This is a very interesting development. Human logic, however, maintaining that the Animal Kingdom is sacrosanct, whereas Plants and Fungi (also fellow Eukaryotes) are infinitely exploitable, seems a bit of a stretch.

Cut Short?

Britain has reportedly 'lost' around 50% of its public toilets in the last 10 years (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/01/the-urinary-leash-how-the-death-of-public-toilets-traps-and-trammels-us-all). This dramatic loss is largely a consequence of a) toilet provision not being mandatory and b) declining public funding (for maintenance, cleaning etc). This may not sound a big deal but it is proving a real problem for the aged and people with a variety of medical conditions. Some people have to carefully plan trips, by first locating public toilets in the area (shops are not always convenient). In some cases, folk have to locate coins (in a 'cashless society') to operate the toilet. Other people deliberately dehydrate or simply cease going out. If they can put toilets on space tourism craft, they should be able to provide facilities for folk in the high street!

Swiftly Speeding to Extinction

The 'red list' of Britain's most endangered birds has been increased to 70, by the addition of four new species (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/01/britain-endangered-birds-red-list-rises-to-70-species). All the added species have shown substantial declines in their UK populations. Swifts, House martins and Bewick's swan all undergo substantial annual migrations. These species may be threatened en route as well as by local changes. The Greenfinch appears to have been decimated by infections, sometimes picked up from bird feeders. Many of Britain's birds are threatened by factors, including climate change and habitat loss.

OhMyGod: Mixed UK Messages in the Time of Omicron?

Strange times in the Democratic Republic of the UK. George Monbiot thinks that people 'should be out on the streets in millions', objecting to the extra 18 pages of 'backdoor' amendments to the government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/01/imprisoned-51-weeks-protesting-britain-police-state). New 'crimes' will include individuals attaching themselves to another person, an object or land. It will also be a 'crime' to obstruct any major transport work (airports, rail or road); to cause a 'disturbance' or to encourage others to protest. The standard punishment for these and other activities appears to be 51 weeks in jail. Monbiot also notes that the police will have expanded stop and search powers. They will be able to stop and search in areas where there might be a demonstration. Monbiot feels the UK is drifting into becoming a police state. Perhaps he might be surprised, that members of that same government are fulminating about a real attack on 'civil liberties'. There is a 'new' (i.e. re-imposed for 3 weeks) requirement to wear face-masks in specified locations in England. The locations include, whilst using public transport, entering shops/supermarkets etc (these requirements have long been in place in many of the other UK countries). The requirement for face-masks seems to be a fairly minimal response to new concerns about the omicron variant of Covid19. The requirement is for the protection of others, as well as that of the wearer. Marina Hyde seems surprised that these 'babies' are 'throwing their toys out of the pram', about having to wear a 'face nappy (diaper)' (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/30/anti-mask-blitz-war-public-good). One might wonder, if objectors to face-masks (including certain MPs), will ever be threatened with 51 weeks of jail time? Being asked to don a face-mask seems to be a very small 'imposition', even if you don't like the 'look'. The 'fun' doesn't stop there. The Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, suggested that, until we know more about omicron, people should consider reducing their social contacts. Social contact spreads the virus. She was immediately contradicted by the UK's PM (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/30/boris-johnson-contradicts-expert-advice-to-cancel-christmas-socialising). The PM says people should 'bop 'til they drop'. That means going to every Christmas Party/ Nativity Play to which they are invited. The country seems somewhat confused (and confusing) for old folk, like myself!