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Nature’s give and take

Caribbean Hermit Crab (Coenobita clypeatus)

Never a lender or borrower be, says Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Nature ignores his advice. There is much lending and borrowing in nature’s ways. But perhaps it is more ‘give and take.’ After all, when we lend something, we expect it back. We borrow a lot from nature. Yet, we often forget to give it… Continue reading Nature’s give and take

COP26 falls short of target

With transport one of the biggest causes of global fossil fuel emissions, COP26 falls far short of the 1.5 degrees warming target. Nevertheless, politicians strut the stage and pronounce. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson headed back to COP26. But he had nothing to say. On heralding a move forward to Net Zero, there was… Continue reading COP26 falls short of target

Global warming threat to Aardvarks

The effects of global warming may prove counter-intuitive. A clue comes from Aardvarks in their Sub-Saharan habitats. Climate change is making conditions in the semi-arid regions of aardvark distribution hotter and drier. Yet, animals may die of cold with global warming. Perversely, that may be the global warming threat to aardvarks. Aardvarks – nocturnal animals… Continue reading Global warming threat to Aardvarks

Learning from wood mice

Wood mice are essential to woodland life. So, by learning from wood mice, we get a better understanding of ecological intelligence. Study the forest, and we find the intimate relationship between mice, trees and tawny owls. So what do we know about intelligence? In the 1960s, researchers studied animal behaviour in ‘controlled’ laboratory conditions. Placing… Continue reading Learning from wood mice

Half measures for green heating

The UK government has produced half measures for green heating. With the “Heat and Buildings Strategy”, the UK government plans to give people an incentive for installing low-carbon heating for their homes. It calls the plan a simple, fair, and cheap way of replacing old boilers over the coming decade. But the plan is a half… Continue reading Half measures for green heating

Protecting rainforests needs laws

Laws needed for rainforsts Protecting rainforests needs laws. At COP26, world leaders have ‘agreed’ to stop rainforest destruction by 2030. However, it is ‘too little, too late’. It sounds good, but we need direct action to stop forest destruction in its tracks with an international legal framework. Companies and national governments should by law demonstrate… Continue reading Protecting rainforests needs laws