TIZER'S SCIENCE NEWS

[Tizer]

This guidance is sorely needed and our Kew scientists are probably the best to provide it...
`Scientists address myths over large-scale tree planting' LINK

[Stanley]

Good link Peter. I suspect her last point, 'Make it pay' is perhaps the most important one. The world is economics mad, everything must pay its way, even survival of the human race!

[Tizer]

The farmer must have had a surprise when they told him how long ago those beetles were living in the lump of oak that he dug up...
`Bog beetles finally reveal their remarkable age' LINK

[Stanley]

Wonderful Peter! Thanks for sharing that link. That's what we need these days as an antidote to the Covid poison that's being dripped into our minds daily. I can well believe forecasts of a tsunami of mental problems crashing down on us. We both have very active minds and are inquisitive so we are protected to some extent. What happens to those not as lucky?

[Tizer]

My cousin's daughters are stuck at home doing their A Level and university studies and reading lots of books in between sessions. One of the A levels is chemistry and I gave that daughter one of our easy-to-read books on the elements of the periodic table. It has lots of interesting stories about the history, occurrence and uses of each element. Then we got a surprise - she recommended another book: `The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements' by Sam Kean. We've ordered a copy from Abebooks! GoodReads

[Stanley]

Curses, it worked. I have ordered a copy.....
I've been wanting to read about the periodic table for a long time. I know nothing about it even though one of my GCE passes was chemistry!

[Bodger]

"periodic table"Regular reading for females ?

[Stanley]

Oh dear Bodge......

[Whyperion]

There has been a (Radio 4 or world service?) series on elements recently , its on the BBC Sounds thingy

[Tizer]

There are two different series on Elements on BBC Sounds. One on Radio 4. The other might be on World Service. Google and you'll find them easily. They've been going for a long time.

[Stanley]

The book arrived yesterday. I fell for another Amazon marketing trick. When I ordered the book they set the postal rate at Premium Delivery and I missed it. They are cunning buggers. You have to double check every time you order anything. They won't get me with that one again!

[Tizer]

It's a while since we last used Amazon. We've been buying from smaller, specialist online businesses wherever possible. They can be no more expensive, or only slightly more so, than Amazon but give a more personal service. Usually rapid delivery and often with a phone number and email address for contact. Even a street address!
[Just after I'd written the above post Mrs Tiz answered the phone and it was a recorded voice informing us that Amazon was going to remove money from her Prime account. Fortunately we don't have one!]

I'm glad this report is getting wide publicity...
`Prosperity comes at 'devastating' cost to nature' LINK
`A landmark review has called for transformational change in our economic approach to nature. The long-awaited review by Prof Sir Partha Dasgupta, of the University of Cambridge, says prosperity has come at a "devastating" cost to the natural world. The report proposes recognising nature as an asset and reconsidering our measures of economic prosperity. It is expected to set the agenda on government policy going forward. At its heart is the idea that sustainable economic growth requires a different measure than Gross Domestic Product (GDP)..'.

[Stanley]

"The report proposes recognising nature as an asset "
That phrase grabbed my attention yesterday when I heard it Peter. What a simple and sensible concept and the first time I have heard it put that way. We all recognise the truth in it, what's the point in being wealthy but living in a waste land. I often think on those lines when I consider people living in a big city like London where they can earn more money but at the expense of being cut off from nature and breathing poisonous air. I'll stick to being poor in Barlick but being able to live the words of the psalm; "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help...." (They did a good job on me with the choir and Wycliffe Sunday School!)

[Tizer]

They talked to Prof Sir Partha Dasgupta on the radio and he gave the example of the Amazon forests not having any recognised financial value until the trees are chopped down and then the wood is worth millions of pounds.

[Stanley]

Perfect example of not being able to see the wood for the trees. Meanwhile, the deforestation continues. I have said it before, we aren't fit to have control of a planet and eventually we will have to pay.
Professor Lovelock was right and we have ignored him. Gaia can survive quite well without us and will eventually heal itself up.

[Stanley]

I see that the Myth of the carbon free generation of power at Drax seems to be about to be confirmed with another contract. High time the biomass scam was stopped!

[plaques]

Trees are only a temporary carbon storage. Now that bacteria has evolved that breaks them down back to carbon when they die to gain ground you have to plant two trees for each one that is chopped down. Its not going to happen. Its all down to the advanced countries to reduce their carbon usage by using clean energy.

[Stanley]

And in addition there is evidence that the biomass imported from the US is chipped mature timber grade trees, not brush and coppice as the Drax people claim. I think I'm right in saying that Drax is by far the biggest single CO2 producer in the UK.

[Tizer]

`Coronavirus: Bat scientists find new evidence' LINK
`Scientists say coronaviruses related to Sars-CoV-2 may be circulating in bats across many parts of Asia. A virus that is a close match to the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, has been discovered in bats at a wildlife sanctuary in eastern Thailand. The researchers predict that related coronaviruses may be present in bats across many Asian nations and regions. Their discovery extends the area in which related viruses have been found to a distance of 4,800km (2,983 miles) [The writer obviously doesn't know the difference between area and length!]. The area includes Japan, China and Thailand, the researchers said in a report published in Nature Communications..'.

[chinatyke]

I wonder if we still have dried bats in our local supermarket? They went down to half price last year! I haven't eaten bats but I've had squirrel and that wasn't worth the effort of sorting the meat from the tiny bones. No wonder these virus cross from one species to man and gain a foothold in Asian countries.

[Stanley]

The bats get blamed for everything!

[Tizer]

Some good news on the ozone layer. It also illustrates how we can now more accurately pinpoint the offenders causing pollution and climate dangers and show the evidence. No hiding place!
`Ozone layer 'rescued' from CFC damage' LINK

[Stanley]

I heard that report Peter. Question is, if we identify miscreants, will anything be done about it?

[Tizer]

Well at least something was done about it in China. They're better than we are when they want something done.

[Tizer]

The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) is great for learning more about Mars but note that the photos are manipulated using false colours in order to demonstrate the features...
`CaSSIS mission: The camera capturing Mars' craters and canyons' LINK