Insect Food Plants 27. Painted Lady Butterfly and Thistles

The Painted lady (Vanessa cardui) only reaches the UK as a migrant (it can't survive our winters). Its home larvae feed on thistles, burdocks and mallows.

Norway: A Schizoenvironmentalist Country?

Norway has an electricity grid, running almost entirely on renewables (largely hydro- and wind-power). Norwegian citizens are also likely to drive an E-vehicle and use a heat pump for home central heating. As a group, they wax enthusiastic about fish, forests and fjords. The ultimate green nation? This impression is in stark contrast to the fact that Norway digs more petroleum per citizen, than Russia; Iran; North America and even Saudi Arabia (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/26/climate-hero-villain-fossil-fuel-frenzy-challenges-norway-green-image). One might say Norway has become 'schizoenvironmentalist' i.e. confused in its response to the climate challenge. A less kindly label, already applied by some, is that it's 'hypocritical'. Government responses are, of course, rarely fully 'in tune' with the attitudes of its citizens. Adding to the 'National Wealth Fund' is clearly popular. Planting trees is also a good thing to do. Perhaps, however, the time has come for leaving more Norwegian fossil reserves 'in the ground'? You can't 'save the planet', by increasing the extraction of fossil fuels!

Insect Food Plants 26. Common Map Butterfly and Banyan tree

The Indian Common map butterfly (Cyrestis thyodamas) larva mainly feed on Banyan trees (Ficus benghalensis).

Insect Food Plants 25. Small White Butterfly and Wild Mignonette

In addition to cabbages (Brassicae), Small white (Artogeia rapae) larvae eat Wild mignonette (Reseda lutea).

Seeing the Changes 2075

In Bynea, almost stepped on an impressive Long-horn beetle.

Having the Cake (And Eating It)!

If the planet is to stand any chance of avoiding 'runaway climate change', there has to be a rapid transition from burning coal; oil and gas. It consequently seems obvious that "rich countries with relatively low dependence on fossil fuel revenues should be the first to stop issuing licences" (to drill for oil and gas). The opposite is happening. More than eighty percent of all new licences are currently handed out by wealthy nations (almost 1,500 by the US alone). Many of these licences are issued by governments that present themelves as 'world leaders' in the battle against global heating (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/24/new-oil-gas-emission-data-us-uk). This behaviour isn't, to put it mildly, setting a very good example. Greed seems to have trumped logic. An analysis by Jonathon Watts concludes, that "Western countries that got rich on fossil fuels should lead the transition, not copy petrostates". Petrostates often have few options. That's certainly not true of the countries that have benefited from long periods of industrialisation. They seem to 'want to have their cake and eat it'. Perhaps, a tad hypocritical?

Barking?

A study in the journal Nature, reveals that tree bark bacteria remove atmospheric methane. This happens with trees in tropical rainforests; temperate woodland and boreal forests. Methane is, of course, a very potent 'greenhouse gas'. In deed, it's estimated to cause around 30% of current global heating (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/24/tree-bark-vital-role-removing-methane-atmosphere-climate). Rather obviously, a combination of maintaining current woodlands and forests, with new tree planting, could help limit the effects of rampant climate change. If done appropriately, it would also facilitate biodiversity.