Technology, Science and the Environment.

[Jon the Hat]

11 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e48e5p8dlo

 

The UK point of view of the ongoing sixth big mass extinction event. 

Some great positive stories in there.  I sometimes wonder whether with looking at specific geographies we are missing the point re: the movement of species in reaction to changing environments.  I.e. we see populations moving to areas which suit them, and can we learn from that and support or promote future populations in new areas.  Particularly where populations are too small to manage the step themselves.

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Jon the Hat said:

Some great positive stories in there.  I sometimes wonder whether with looking at specific geographies we are missing the point re: the movement of species in reaction to changing environments.  I.e. we see populations moving to areas which suit them, and can we learn from that and support or promote future populations in new areas.  Particularly where populations are too small to manage the step themselves.

Good people are doing their best and we're seeing some success stories as a result. 

 

Be that as it may, however, the trend of biodiversity is overwhelmingly still heading in one direction. 

[davieG]

The World in Maps is in Europe.  · 

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Map shows a fascinating look at how Europe’s time zones would appear without Daylight Saving Time (DST). Instead of shifting clocks twice a year, each country would remain on a fixed time that aligns more closely with natural solar time.

Under this proposal, Europe would be divided into five zones, from UTC-1 in the Azores and Iceland, to UTC+3 in western Russia. The idea comes from the @timeuseinitiative, which argues that adopting permanent, solar-based time zones would benefit public health, education, safety, and even the economy. Their plan calls for ending seasonal clock changes and introducing stable time zones across the EU, with flexibility for regions that straddle different natural time bands.

If implemented, this would mean living permanently in “winter time.” Evenings would be a little darker in summer, mornings slightly darker in winter but the system would be simpler, healthier, and more consistent across Europe.

[blabyboy]

On 26/11/2025 at 17:12, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e48e5p8dlo

 

The UK point of view of the ongoing sixth big mass extinction event. 

May need to be revised in time...

https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481371-theres-growing-evidence-the-big-five-mass-extinctions-never-happened/

[Grebfromgrebland]

23 minutes ago, blabyboy said:

May need to be revised in time...

https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481371-theres-growing-evidence-the-big-five-mass-extinctions-never-happened/

I stopped reading that. Nothing changes the fact that nature is massively depleted and the world is a worse place for it. 

 

It breaks my heart that my children and grandchildren won't be able to experience the wonders of nature that I have and I'm under 50.

[leicsmac]

53 minutes ago, blabyboy said:

May need to be revised in time...

https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481371-theres-growing-evidence-the-big-five-mass-extinctions-never-happened/

It's an interesting POV that plays on the ambiguity of data from certain clades at certain times.

 

That being said, there is data and there is plenty of evidence for the current biodiversity decline which, if left unchecked, will fulfil any criteria for the term "extinction event" that a person cares to name. Eyes need to remain on the ball.

[CornwallFox]

On 28/11/2025 at 09:33, davieG said:

The World in Maps is in Europe.  · 

Follow

 

Map shows a fascinating look at how Europe’s time zones would appear without Daylight Saving Time (DST). Instead of shifting clocks twice a year, each country would remain on a fixed time that aligns more closely with natural solar time.

Under this proposal, Europe would be divided into five zones, from UTC-1 in the Azores and Iceland, to UTC+3 in western Russia. The idea comes from the @timeuseinitiative, which argues that adopting permanent, solar-based time zones would benefit public health, education, safety, and even the economy. Their plan calls for ending seasonal clock changes and introducing stable time zones across the EU, with flexibility for regions that straddle different natural time bands.

If implemented, this would mean living permanently in “winter time.” Evenings would be a little darker in summer, mornings slightly darker in winter but the system would be simpler, healthier, and more consistent across Europe.

Much prefer BST to GMT 

[dsr-burnley]

On 28/11/2025 at 09:33, davieG said:

The World in Maps is in Europe.  · 

Follow

 

Map shows a fascinating look at how Europe’s time zones would appear without Daylight Saving Time (DST). Instead of shifting clocks twice a year, each country would remain on a fixed time that aligns more closely with natural solar time.

Under this proposal, Europe would be divided into five zones, from UTC-1 in the Azores and Iceland, to UTC+3 in western Russia. The idea comes from the @timeuseinitiative, which argues that adopting permanent, solar-based time zones would benefit public health, education, safety, and even the economy. Their plan calls for ending seasonal clock changes and introducing stable time zones across the EU, with flexibility for regions that straddle different natural time bands.

If implemented, this would mean living permanently in “winter time.” Evenings would be a little darker in summer, mornings slightly darker in winter but the system would be simpler, healthier, and more consistent across Europe.

Simpler? I once arrived late for church because I had forgotten to change it, but I wouldn't recommend a Europe-wide change in the clocks just for my benefit.

Healthier? Safer? Better for the economy? Only in the most trivial sense. 

 

Next step - how abolishing leap years may add one minute to one person' life and make two people £1 better off.

[dsr-burnley]

On 29/10/2025 at 17:32, CornwallFox said:

£43bn across 13 years of much less than the £17.5bn in subsidies we give fossil fuels every single year. 

https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/news/uk-government-subsidises-fossil-fuels-by-17-5-billion-every-year-new-research-reveals/

 

If you oppose these "subsidies", then you are advocating that 20% VAT should be charged on domestic fuel, and that all carbon capture research should stop. Why?

 

(Quite apart from why charging lower rates of VAT should be classed as a subsidy for the supplier, since the supplier is merely the tax collector, not the beneficiary.)

[Trav Le Bleu]

What is the point of doing anything for the environment when there's morons doing stuff like this?

 

Trump administration to roll back fuel economy rules set under Biden - BBC News

 

https://share.google/3DuX8gWddYDgnHTEM

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Also

 

'Nothing else looks like them': Saving Japan's exceptionally rare 'snow monsters' - BBC Future

 

https://share.google/QLC0j476VDLnK767w

 

Looks amazing and might sadly pass into memory.

[leicsmac]

On 04/12/2025 at 21:29, Trav Le Bleu said:

What is the point of doing anything for the environment when there's morons doing stuff like this?

 

Trump administration to roll back fuel economy rules set under Biden - BBC News

 

https://share.google/3DuX8gWddYDgnHTEM

 

Because not doing so makes failure (to the ruin of all) inevitable, rather than just probable.

 

I know it's dispiriting, but those who actually care about the future beyond their own eyes have to keep fighting the good fight. 

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1w9ge93w9po

 

A key UN report on the state of the global environment has been "hijacked" by the United States and other countries who were unwilling to go along with the scientific findings, the co-chair has told the BBC.

The Global Environment Outlook, the result of six years' work, connects climate change, nature loss and pollution to unsustainable consumption by people living in wealthy and emerging economies.

It warns of a "dire future" for millions unless there's a rapid move away from coal, oil and gas and fossil fuel subsidies.

But at a meeting with government representatives to agree the findings, the US and allies said they could not go along with a summary of the report's conclusions.

As the scientists were unwilling to water down or change their findings, the report has now been published without the summary and without the support of governments, weakening its impact.

 

When the dust has settled, when the corpses (human and otherwise) have been counted, when there's no more time for activity, there will be accountability. And it will be of the swift and brutal kind. 

 

I just hope enough people remain that can witness it and learn from it.

[CornwallFox]

41 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1w9ge93w9po

 

A key UN report on the state of the global environment has been "hijacked" by the United States and other countries who were unwilling to go along with the scientific findings, the co-chair has told the BBC.

The Global Environment Outlook, the result of six years' work, connects climate change, nature loss and pollution to unsustainable consumption by people living in wealthy and emerging economies.

It warns of a "dire future" for millions unless there's a rapid move away from coal, oil and gas and fossil fuel subsidies.

But at a meeting with government representatives to agree the findings, the US and allies said they could not go along with a summary of the report's conclusions.

As the scientists were unwilling to water down or change their findings, the report has now been published without the summary and without the support of governments, weakening its impact.

 

When the dust has settled, when the corpses (human and otherwise) have been counted, when there's no more time for activity, there will be accountability. And it will be of the swift and brutal kind. 

 

I just hope enough people remain that can witness it and learn from it.

It's a shame that the almighty 'told you so' that's coming won't be very funny. 

We still have to try but tbh, we're kinda tucked with a different first letter. 

Big oil has been incredibly successful at muddying the waters but I've no idea what their execs think they'll get out of it. We're going to see massive problems in the next 15+ years.

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, CornwallFox said:

It's a shame that the almighty 'told you so' that's coming won't be very funny. 

We still have to try but tbh, we're kinda tucked with a different first letter. 

Big oil has been incredibly successful at muddying the waters but I've no idea what their execs think they'll get out of it. We're going to see massive problems in the next 15+ years.

It won't be very funny, but there may be a certain dark satisfaction.

 

Perhaps the look on their faces when they realise all their money, all their influence over people, all their pious little belief, means absolutely nothing...witnessing that brief moment of realisation might be worth what comes afterwards.

[Trav Le Bleu]

On 09/12/2025 at 18:42, CornwallFox said:

 

Big oil has been incredibly successful at muddying the waters

They've certainly had a slick campaign

[Guest kristianity77]

As someone who is approaching 50 and is a bit behind on all things AI, I find Grok to be fascinating and dangerous in equal measure.  I mean, the amount of people at my work I could get bang in trouble by creating a fake video of them is as terrifying as it is funny. Some of this AI generated stuff is so hard to tell the real from the fake these days! 

[Free Falling Foxes]

Just been listening/watching this on YouTube.

Earth looks so incredibly beautiful and fragile in the blackness of space.

 

[blabyboy]

"Our good news is that this rate of new species discovery far outpaces the rate of species extinctions, which we calculated to about 10 per year,"

 

https://phys.org/news/2025-12-species-faster.html#google_vignette

 

A good news story in these interesting times.

 

[leicsmac]

11 minutes ago, blabyboy said:

"Our good news is that this rate of new species discovery far outpaces the rate of species extinctions, which we calculated to about 10 per year,"

 

https://phys.org/news/2025-12-species-faster.html#google_vignette

 

A good news story in these interesting times.

 

That is good news.

 

Also goes to show how incomplete the picture regarding life on Earth may well be. 

[DJW1]

On 28/11/2025 at 10:33, davieG said:

The World in Maps is in Europe.  · 

Follow

 

Map shows a fascinating look at how Europe’s time zones would appear without Daylight Saving Time (DST). Instead of shifting clocks twice a year, each country would remain on a fixed time that aligns more closely with natural solar time.

Under this proposal, Europe would be divided into five zones, from UTC-1 in the Azores and Iceland, to UTC+3 in western Russia. The idea comes from the @timeuseinitiative, which argues that adopting permanent, solar-based time zones would benefit public health, education, safety, and even the economy. Their plan calls for ending seasonal clock changes and introducing stable time zones across the EU, with flexibility for regions that straddle different natural time bands.

If implemented, this would mean living permanently in “winter time.” Evenings would be a little darker in summer, mornings slightly darker in winter but the system would be simpler, healthier, and more consistent across Europe.

I think this is a good idea.

It would not affect the UK but I can see that the public in general in the other countries involved might be against such changes. For example, in southern Spain (where my wife is from), in June-July it would be dark at 19.30 instead of at 21.30 at present. People would be claiming that the days are 2 hours shorter, when in fact the natural daylength would not be affected. I think people would soon adjust to  the changes (like they do twice a year at present). 

I think that mornings would also be slightly LIGHTER in winter (dawn would be 1 hour earlier)

I´ve not yet read the full document, but another benefit would be for pets, who will no longer be confused twice a year when their owners are still in bed or get up earlier!

[DJW1]

11 minutes ago, DJW1 said:

I think this is a good idea.

It would not affect the UK but I can see that the public in general in the other countries involved might be against such changes. For example, in southern Spain (where my wife is from), in June-July it would be dark at 19.30 instead of at 21.30 at present. People would be claiming that the days are 2 hours shorter, when in fact the natural daylength would not be affected. I think people would soon adjust to  the changes (like they do twice a year at present). 

I think that mornings would also be slightly LIGHTER in winter (dawn would be 1 hour earlier)

I´ve not yet read the full document, but another benefit would be for pets, who will no longer be confused twice a year when their owners are still in bed or get up earlier!

I think I was wrong earlier (above). If the UK adopts permanent "winter time" then in June-July it would be light at at 04.00 and dark at 20.30. The solution to this "problem" would be to shift everything forward  1 hour (bedtime, getting up etc.). Merry Christmas.

[The Bear]

This looks like a very interesting and sustainable solution to the forever plastics problem. 

 

https://3dvf.com/en/by-impregnating-wood-with-salt-japanese-researchers-have-developed-a-biodegradable-plastic-with-unprecedented-properties/

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 hours ago, The Bear said:

This looks like a very interesting and sustainable solution to the forever plastics problem. 

 

https://3dvf.com/en/by-impregnating-wood-with-salt-japanese-researchers-have-developed-a-biodegradable-plastic-with-unprecedented-properties/

Are you saying that wood is salt's cousin?

[dsr-burnley]

On 24/12/2025 at 19:33, DJW1 said:

I think this is a good idea.

It would not affect the UK but I can see that the public in general in the other countries involved might be against such changes. For example, in southern Spain (where my wife is from), in June-July it would be dark at 19.30 instead of at 21.30 at present. People would be claiming that the days are 2 hours shorter, when in fact the natural daylength would not be affected. I think people would soon adjust to  the changes (like they do twice a year at present). 

I think that mornings would also be slightly LIGHTER in winter (dawn would be 1 hour earlier)

I´ve not yet read the full document, but another benefit would be for pets, who will no longer be confused twice a year when their owners are still in bed or get up earlier!

There is certainly a benefit to the tiny number of pets whose owners get out of bed at the same time every day, Monday to Sunday. But would you really change the nation's time zone for the sake of three dogs and a guinea pig?

 

Next discussion point: should the Euro be abolished because half a dozen people have a ten franc piece left over from 1999?