'Meatable' and Mash?

The Dutch company, 'Meatable', are producers of 'ethical' meat. One of their recent products, is a sausage substitute made from textured pea; chickpea; soy and wheat protein, flavoured with laboratory-grown pig fat cells. Fat, rather than animal protein, gives 'bangers' most of their distinctive flavour. Stem cells are obtained from a fertilised pig ovum (egg). Genes are activated and deactivated in them, to produce fat cells. The Netherlands is the first European country approving tastings of this type of laboratory-derived 'meat' product (https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/apr/17/slaughter-free-sausages-trying-the-latest-lab-grown-meat-creation). Meatable's sausages are reportedly pretty convincing. Their production, however, is a million miles from processes on a typical pig farm. There's certainly much less animal suffering involved in their production. There's also much less production of 'greenhouse gases' and animal waste, than one gets from an intensive pig-rearing establishment. Whether, however, this production can be efficient enough and the 'bangers' cheap enough, remains to be seen. They are not, of course, strictly speaking, 'vegetarian'. Some folk might also be put off by the 'yuk factor'.

Colour-Coordinated 'Weeds'?

'Weed' is a weird term. It basically means 'a plant growing, where humans don't want it'. Climate change might well mean our species having to replace some conventional crops with plants currently designated 'weeds'. Wheat; rice and maize etc. may be unable to cope with climate change. Many 'weeds' are actually nutrious, as well as being better able to cope with climate challenges. It's been suggested, that genetic modification (GM) techniques could be used to introduce distinctive 'colour' markers (from other plants?) into these new crops. This would enable automated 'weeding robots' to be programmed to remove plants that lack these colour markers. These 'new' crops could consequently be grown without the need to use herbicides or to have humans, labour-intensively removing 'weeds' by hand. The 'colours', of course, could be wavelengths (like ultraviolet) invisible to the human eye (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/17/gene-editing-crops-to-be-colourful-could-aid-weeding-say-scientists). Strange, how interchangeable 'weed' and 'crop' would be in our 'brave new world'!

Seeing the Changes 2011

More action at Crymlyn Burrows with Thrift (Armeria maritima); Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) and a Hawkweed (Hieracium exotericum?) coming into flower. A spider did construction work over water.

Wash Out!

Hibernating queens of the Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens), can survive for at least a week underwater. This species, unlike some other North American bumblebees, is not currently in marked decline. This unexpected ability was revealed in a laboratory accident- always the best kind (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/17/bumblebee-species-common-eastern-survive-underwater-hibernating). It's suggested that this feature could help bumblebees survive flooding in the wild. Increased risk of flooding is, of course, one likely consequences of climate change. There's now a rush, to see whether other species of bumblebee, share this ability. It might be an idea to extend this to other pollinators.

Bringing It All Back Home?

Much excitement, as the desert city of Dubai has just received more than 140mm of rain in a single day. This is as much, as this UAE location, generally receives in 1.5 years. The predictable result has been flooding, as most roads in the emirates don't have drainage. The operation of busy Dubai International Airport was severely disrupted. One elderly man also died, when his car was washed away. Lots of dramatic pictures for the media (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/17/dubai-floods-uae-rainfall-weather-forecast). Some folk have speculated that the record rainfall could be linked to 'cloud seeding'. This seems very unlikely (one UK University had to deny it was involved). It's obviously unscientific to link a single event, to a complex, global process like climate change. It's tempting, however, to think the event might, at least, warn some major oil producers of the possible 'home' consequences of burning 'their' hydrocarbons. Perhaps, however, they don't mind a bit more rain?

Steady Ready-Meals?

In some parts of the world (the UK being one of them), 'take-aways' and 'ready-to-eat' meals, form an increasingly large proportion of the diet. They reflect societies, where time is a premium. Such products are generally, however, neither healthy for the eater nor the planet. These foods contain far more salt and meat, than is recommended by nutritionists. It's consequently been suggested that minimal health and sustainabilty requirements should be placed on big companies, that produce most of these products (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/17/healthier-ready-to-eat-meals-would-have-huge-eu-climate-benefits-report). Healthier ready-to-eat meals, should contain 50% fewer refined grains; 67% less meat and significantly more legumes (peas and beans), than current alternatives. It's calculated these reformulations would cut annual European Union emissions by circa 48 million tonnes. They would also annually save customers a total of £2.4 bn. Eating these new healthier products, would also reduce lifestyle-linked diseases, such as atheriosclerosis; coronary heart disease, diabetes; obesity and stroke. This, in turn, would save money for health services. It would also increase economic productivity, as improved diet would result in fewer days off work and increased worker longevity. There might have to be some changes in agriculture but we can always count on the cooperation of farmers! The bottom line is "we can improve health of people and the planet at affordable prices". Seems like a 'no-brainer'? There are, however, some pretty major obstacles to this suggestion. Most fast food companies and producers of ready-to-eat meals, make much of the sumptousness of their products. They ooze cheese and meat in wall-to-wall advertising. They obviously have a vested interest in getting the purchaser to 'come back, for more'. Consumers also appear 'hard-wired' to binge, when the opportunity arises. They might regard themselves as 'short-changed', if they got less meat. We also have the 'individual choice' lobby, maintaining that folk have a god-given 'right' to eat themselves into illness. Action in the direction advocated, seems likely to be, at best, glacially slow. You remember glaciers?

Birder's Bonus 233

Unusually, a Mute swan (Cynus olor) was floating on the Loughor estuary near Bynea.