Inga Horwood

Squirrel!

I hoped this would be the BBC Horizon programme "Snowball Earth" (2001). Fascinating - back then, plenty of people didn't really believe it and would not commit to it as a fact. I think the science is pretty firm now, though.

Well, not in Wigan. Further south it's another story (another horror story, from my point of view).

Brilliant book - it's not geeky to be bowled over by the natural world and its wonders.

Scientific awareness of the Greenhouse effect goes back to the middle of the nineteenth century. John Tyndall published on it, but apparently an Irish lady is credited with having spotted it a few years earlier. Meet the woman who first identified the greenhouse effect WWW.CLIMATECHANGENEWS.COM Eunice Foote demonstrated the heat-trapping properties of carbon dioxide at a scientific conference in 1856, newly digitised records show It became politicised in the 1980s, I think. That's about when the scientist v. denialist battles kicked off, as far as I recall.

Keep an eye on that tortoise. My nephew's disappeared during a hot spell a few years ago. We spent ten days searching for him all over the garden, under every shrub, behind every plant pot, at the back of every border. He turned up ten days later in almost the same place where he had last been seen. Really good at camouflage, tortoises.

It went on longer, for sure. My sister was off from work for a week (she was a postie back then) during the '76 heatwave suffering from heat stroke. She remembers feeling very ill indeed. I hope people are taking care today.

Rather amusingly, this doesn't include the UK, which will continue to be subject to the same tariffs since we are no longer in the EU. Perhaps Johnson can spin this as part of a green policy.

Longer, if we do nothing about it and pretend nothing is happening. Other countries are getting on with their normal lives but not suffering this level of infection because they are taking mitigating steps against it.

Anyone have any idea how development of osmotic energy is going?

The Independent already has.

First day of Chorley Flower Show tomorrow: it's bound to linger.

There's no dawn chorus in New York City. Just hectic traffic noise and constant hooting 24/7. I don't know how they endure it.

Or the West Pennine Moors, and what about Pendle? Then there's the coastal areas too. I have a particularly soft spot for the Fylde, and for the Arnside/Silverdale area. We have everything in the NW.

I remember July 14th, billed by the credulous as "Independence Day". Chilly, drizzly, damp all day. Not a glimpse of the sun, just this clinging mizzle. Got back from a walk soaked through. An omen of what was to come, pandemic wise.

There's a real sparkle to the frost here, now the cloud is clearing! Looks gorgeous. Winter Hill living up to its name in the best way.

BTW, did anyone else notice the name Ridley Scott on the credits, as I think "designer". Could it be that Ridley Scott? He was born in 1937. He must have started his career somewhere.

I was the right age to enjoy it.

It was perfect walking weather around Rivington - there was plenty of sunshine, but it wasn't hot and there was a light breeze, which was very refreshing. Had a lovely day out.

Real cloud burst on the Horwich side of Winter Hill right now.

My friend in Maine had four inches of snow yesterday - on the coast.

The rain is coming in as snow (mostly big wet flakes) and turning to instant slush as it hits the roads and pavements.

Regardless of what the BBC is saying, we have snow on Winter Hill.

We had a thin covering of snow on Winter Hill at midnight, which had started to disappear by 6 am and is now nearly gone from roads or pavements. The showers in a brisk wind continue, coming down as snow, sleet or rain and not settling. A sunny interval would be nice.

On the Western flank of Winter Hill, we had a smidgeon of wet snow about an hour and a half ago. Just having something which briefly turned sleet, went back to rain and is now snow. Nothing settling.