The governments Environment Bill is an attempt to reduce domestic environment thresholds following Brexit. the House of Lords have tabled over 100 amendments. The ECJ is to be replaced by an Office for Environmental Protection. Which will weaken not strengthen environmental protection. The government maintains that it will be operationally independent from Defra and ministers will not be able to influence its decisions. Anyone who believes that is a total fool.
CROWD FARMING
Take a look at this web site and if interested in sharing a box of clementines or whatever let me know. Crowd Farming
EARTHQUAKE
We have not had a major earthquake for a while. With climate change glaciers are melting, thus transferring a huge weight of water from the land to the sea. readjustment must be expected.
HURRICANE LARRY
With winds above 130kph this hurricane looks to be heading for Bermuda avoiding the Caribbean and mainland North America.
HURRICANE IDA
This hurricane has continued to wreak havoc as its wind intensity diminishes. Its capacity for rain though has caused multiple deaths in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile in the mid-Atlantic Hurricane Larry has already recorded wind speeds close to 130kph. Its course is too early for great predictions but could cause problems in a weeks time. At present it looks like it could cause problems in the Bermuda region and then then Canadas Atlantic provinces, having been deflected away from the USA coast by the jet stream. It is only the start of September so we can expect more activity over the next 6-8 weeks.
ELECTRIC CARS
LABOUR SHORTAGES
HURRICANE IDA
Is on track to hit New Orleans on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Sunday. A storm surge of 3m is expected in many areas and winds in excess of 130kph. Oil production has been ceased in many rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. And another depression developing in mid-Atlantic whilst Hurricane Nora hits the eastern Pacific region with high winds and rainfall near Puerto Vallarta and Baja California Peninsula.
NEW ZEALAND – COVID RESPONSE
It is interesting to see how restrictions can work. The outbreak there is slowing. The government identifies sites of interest and all who have visited these sites and their contact have to self isolate. These sites are updated and published every 2 hours. The government there are reasonably confident they can contain the outbreak and return to ‘normal’ soon.
CUMULUS CLOUDS
Super day – blue skies with cumulus humilus gradually being depleted as the afternoon warms up. Temperature t-shirt weather – just nice to sit in garden. Montbretia and begonia adding an orange tinge, a few bees, hover flies and wasps around. A buzzard wheels across the sky – is it hunting or just enjoying the power of flight? I have huddles in flower, mints also in flower, I have left some stinging nettles, but still no sign of butterflies. The sun is out, bit of a breeze but not enough to deter a couple of damsel flies. I am pleased to see that the herbs in flower are attracting different types of bee and hoverfly.
Similarly the birds are missing from the feeders – this may well be because I stoped filling them up for a while as the pigeons and jackdaws where cleaning them out in minutes. It may also be because other sources are blooming – blackberries (especially those by Lee’s house) are blooming.
I need to sort the raspberries out – or at least weed out the nettles and ivy! Maybe even mow the path through the herbs in the front garden!. Thinking about propagating some mints – eau de cologne has long runners already. Maybe start with 3in. pots in greenhouse? Make sure I have labels!