“There has been a 97% decline in semi-natural grassland in England and Wales.” (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/30/york-flood-meadows-special-scientific-interest)
Not so much a slope as a cliff.
Monthly Archives: May 2014
Scorchick
“American scientists are racing to develop chickens that can cope with scorching heat.” (http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/may/25/chicken-to-beat-killer-heatwaves)
Sounds half-baked.
Inseats
“Already, over two billion people around the world regularly eat insects.” (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/world-on-a-plate/2014/may/20/food-insects-entomophagy-fao-bugs-food-security)
In my case, unintentionally: the insects gulp from a glass of water, shortly before I do.
The article then ascends toward an Abbott and Costello sketch, “fourteen percent of Americans count themselves as foodies—people who, says Why, ‘will probably eat the grasshopper that looks like a grasshopper’,” before suggesting, “we also need to think about a bottom-up approach.”
To food?
Gramophene
“Carpets of bluebells transform many of Scotland’s woods … There is a great network of recorders who look for signs of seasonal change in their local area, but we could always use more to maintain a phonological record that goes all the way back to 1684.” (http://www.woodlandtrust.presscentre.com/News-Releases/Scotland-s-bluebells-are-blooming-early-1121.aspx)
If you haven’t heard bluebells tinkling or hawthorn grunting, now is your chance.
Risk
“ExxonMobil said it thought it was ‘highly unlikely’ that the world would cut carbon emissions enough in order to tackle dangerous climate change.” (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/08/oil-capital-climate-change)
How much do you want to bet?
Cotton
“India and Pakistan [are] the world’s second and fourth largest cotton producers respectively with over 120,000 farmers as well as Gin factory owners.” (http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/index.cfm?uNewsID=7145)
Cotton gin trumps cotton candy.
Ecomical 