Artificial Seawalls and Rubbish Habitats

For the past couple of months, opposite the overhang on the Ellon Bridge which crosses Thurso River there has been a discarded Tesco trolley which is covered and uncovered by the tide each day. After reading this recent article (available in abstract form), with Dr. Angus Jackson as lead author, and seeing this photograph by Biting Midge of Sunshine Coast Daily Photo, I am inclined to go and pull it under the bridge out of view.

Jackson et al. examined urbanized coastal areas around Sydney, Australia and the adaptations of intertidal species such as whelks (Moruba marginalba) and Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata) in establishing a habitat. Whelks serve as predators in intertidal habitats; although they may feed on immature oysters, they most receive indirect resources such as food and shelter. The more oysters there are, the greater in number and larger the whelks appear to be.

Not all human development is bad for species, and oysters are known to prefer artificial seawalls, such as concrete harbour walls, to natural surfaces such as rocky shores. On the other hand, exposure on uniform artificial seawalls to distrubances such as wakes from passing vessels will dislodge growing oysters.  Increasing human construction around densely populated coastal areas is presenting oysters with this double-edged sword.

In examining artificial seawalls and rocky shores around Sydney, Jackson et al. did note that on those artificial seawalls which were protected distrubances such as the wakes of passing vessels, oyster sizes and numbers were greater than on even the more optimal natural rocky shores; with accompanied increased in whelk size and numbers.  And vice versa on exposed artificial seawalls.

With human population increases naturally tending towards the coastal areas, adaptations to the shore-line may present another indirect threat to an integral member of local marine ecology.

Back to the haunting image of urban decay displayed above (taken further up the Australian coast).  With a then-PhD student now Dr. Brianna Clynick, one of Jackson’s co-authors, Dr. Gee Chapman also authored a study into the colonization by marine life of human ribbish such as discarded trolleys (this featured in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2005).  And so it goes.

FURTHER READING: Chapman and Clynick (2006) Experiments testing the use of waste material in estuaries as habitat for subtidal organisms. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 338 164-78

Jackson et al. (2008) Ecological interactions in the provision of habitat by urban development: whelks and engineering by oysters on artificial seawalls. Australian Ecology 33 3 307-16

Lybster to Become Saudi Arabia of the Hyperborean North

Caithness Oil, a subsidiary of London-based Caithness Petroleum is currently investigating the economic viability of receiving oil at Lybster from a field about two miles into the Moray Firth. This week’s Caithness Courier is reporting that, although falling global oil-prices have put a temporary kybosh on plans, Lybster and Clyth Community Council intends to create a charitable trust to invest profits from any future extraction (helped by five grand already donated by Caithness Petroleum).

(Copyright Marshall Bowman.)

Elsewhere, the Scotsman reports on developing plans to turn the Pentland Firth into what Fish-heid McMoonface has called the “Saudi Arabia of marine power” (the ability of this trained economist to predict financial meltdown is little better than his apparent appreciation of geo-science).

As I discussed in this missive, Google was eyeing the strong currents in the Firth for as a potential source of energy for its newly-patened water-based data centres. As the Scotsman article stated, the Crown Office cautioned that the 40 or so bids for the Firth was dependent on factors including grid connection, consenting processes, supply chains and economic support. Grid connectivity would not, at least, be a concern for the data-centres.

Gordon Ramsey v. Tracey Grimshaw: Two-Way Cage Fight

This is Tracey Grimshaw. She is a journalist and anchorwoman on Nine Network, an Australian television broadcaster. Gordon Ramsey appears to think she resembles a woman on all fours with a pig face.

I do not think that.

This is Ramsey (that is not his wife). Some people think he is good looking. The Australian Deputy Prime Minister certainly does. Well, she has said he belongs in the kitchen.

I do not find him good looking. I do find Grimshaw good looking and, no doubt, talented.  Maybe I am a lesbian.

Highland Votes on Euro 2009

This week’s Caithness Courier gives a breakdown of the votes cast in the Highland Council Region as part of the Scottish Region in the European Elections 2009.  Although 4,130 people voted in Caithness, no break-down is given for the county.  Out of 52,924 votes cast (turn-out 30.2%) these are in descending order:

• Liberal Democrats, 14,550 (27.5%);
• SNP, 14,393 (27.2%);
• Conservatives, 6,728 (12.7%);
• Labour Party, 5,325 (10.1%);
• Scottish Green Party, 3,806 (7.2%);
• UK Independence Party, 3,458 (6.5%);
• Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship”, 1,485 (2.8%);
• British National Party, 979 (1.8%);
• Socialist Labour Party, 596 (1.1%);
• Duncan Robertson (independent), 414 (0.8%);
• No2EU: Yes to Democracy, 361 (0.7%);
• Scottish Socialist Party, 336 (0.6%);
• Jury Team, 275 (0.5%);
• Rejected votes, 218 (0.4%).

Rejected votes almost included my mother’s, who initially thought it was STV as used in the Scottish Parliament elections and received only confused looks from the polling officer.  Note also that the SSP received only 336 (no sign of Solidarity), one third of the BNP vote: good one, Tommy Sheridan.  I am struggling to see why 979 voters in a region more or less completely unaffected by the social angst which the BNP is preying on chose to vote for this party.  Maybe they were appealed to by a semi-criminal racist party by convicted drug-dealers or violent and sexual offenders with a core of unreconstrucred Nazis and Odinists.

Even when contrasted with the Scottish Region wide, never mind the national vote, the difference in political allegience can be seen. There is rough parity for the parties other than Labour and the LibDems, with the latter there appearing to gain its additional popularity at the expense of the former. I do not think this is due to disenchantment with Labour, as the three Westminster constituencies (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Ross, Skye and Lochaber; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey) all return LibDem candidates (John Thurso; Charles Kennedy; Danny Alexander), and have done for decades. Holyrood constituencies (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Ross, Skye and Inverness West; Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) members are two LibDem and one SNP (Jamies Stone; Farquhar Munro; Fergus Ewing). Additional members for Holyrood cross boundaries with other Council regions.

Efrafa Warren’s preferred candidate for Westminster, John Thurso, is the grandson of Archibald Sinclair who was a leader of the British Liberal Party, and MP for the Westminster constituency of Caithness and Sutherland (as it was) and Secretary State for Air during WWII. He lost to a Conservative candidate in 1945, and was enobled. All went Liberal again in 1964 with the election of the now Baron Mackie of Benside (who is still kicking around).  He was unseated in 1966 by a Labour candidate, the now Baron Maclennan of Rogart, who defected to the SDP in 1981, which he headed followed by and SLP and, finmally, the LibDems.

What is more, Thurso is genuinely popular as an individual; despite attempts by serial candidate and all-round comic relief, Gordon Campbell, to claim otherwise.

This is not Labour country.

Let’s Not Make Symmetrical Comparisons Between 1930s Spain and 21st Century Israel

John Wight, sometime press-secretary to the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and Edinburgh Stop the War – No! Not that One! – Coalition, appears to be a free-thinker. Someone who has no political affiliations but supports organizations or movements based on dipassionate assessments on the exegenses of the moment.

Nobby No-Mates as some might say. Or a first year undergraduate sociology student.

This includes Hamas, the religio-political party which promises only a “hudna” (cf. temporary truce) with Israel before enacting the clause its Charter to pursue 80% of her inhabitants to behind the last gharqad/boxthorn tree; or the SWP which has encouraged antisemites such as ~*someone whose name I dare not mention lest he actually turn up*~ and Israel Shamir (a.k.a. Adam Erdash), or whose [former] Central Committee member, John Rees, abuses Quaker hospitality by arguing for violent retaliation against Israelis within the confines of Friends House… no… arguing within the confines of Friends House for violent retaliation against Israelis.

The reason for Wight’s support is, of course, Hamas and the SWP’s opposition to International Jewry… no, sorry… Zionism.

As for Hamas, I support them in their resistance to ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and the murder of men, women, and children completely. As to their political programme, this is another matter.

I stand four square with the SWP against the BNP and against Zionism.

The latter, in particular, began as a discussion about Nick Griffin being egged but which Wight took, in just seven comments, to those who bomb Egged buses. Funny, eh?

Further down, he states:

Hamas are socially progressive, despite your sad and tired attempt to smear them. They provide social services, schools, and hospitals for a people who would otherwise have nothing, due to the actions of that barbaric settler-colonial state otherwise known as the State of Israel.

Not when there is an opportunity to steal it or when they are concerned it may go to political rivals!

Attempting to proffer a symmetrical comparison between Spain in the 1930s and Palestine today is quite ludicrous.

[…]

Hamas stand in the tradition of the former, as do Hezbollah, while Christian fudamentalists stand in the tradition of the latter in their support for Zionism.

I had to re-read this and, even then, wait for others to comment to confirm what he was saying. Yes, he was proferring a non-symmetrical comparison between Hamas and the Republican fighters in the Spanish Civil War.

Hint, John, Hamas are the Falange.

The Correct Pronounciation of Nazi

It is pronounce “nahsi”, no internal lingual upper-dentine flick. So there.

John Wight Update

UPDATE – 9 JUNE. A number of comments have been left from an apparent associate of Wight casting doubt on the original blog-post at the Scottish Patient; which has now been removed. I cannot comment on it further, in that case.

Caithness to Fight for the Restoration of the Nations

Well, march we on.

To give obedience where ’tis truly owed.

Meet we the med’cine of the sickly weal,

And with him pour we, in our country’s purge,

Each drop of us.

Macbeth 5:2:27/9

As Sure as Eggs is Eggs…

Originally posted on 9 June. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même (see Iain Dale).

Further comments directed here.

… out come the Squadists. Flush from his the success of his party at the Euro Elections 2009, Nick Griffin organized a press conference in front of *another* legislature… the Palace of Westminster. He was cornered and pelted with eggs by United Against Fascism, formed by a coalition of the Anti Nazi League and NAAR.

What a disaster. As much as I derived visceral satisfaction from watching Grffin flee like a sinister Billy Bunter, this has given wall-to-wall coverage of a democratically elected [racist scumbag] representative being assaulted in the street by a gaggle which scored a fraction of his party’s vote in the Euro Elections. One rebranding effort of the BNP has been to present itself as caring for the views of the white working-classes (appealing to, as UK Polling suggests, Tory-inclined voting working-classes more than Labour-inclined) which is under assault from a grimoire of political freaks and unrepresentative loonies. Which a lot of observers have seen happen right here.

Not that this is uncharacteristic behaviour for the UAF. Its ANL component was seen as a front for the SWP, which included active Squadists who, after their Kronstadding by Tony Cliff in 1981, went on to form a pro-IRA group called Red Action; at least two members of whom were convicted of gun-running for Irish Republican terror groups. In this respect, I compare the peripheries of the SWP to those peripheries of the BNP which go to join Combat18.

Twenty years on, the SWP helped turn the opposition to the invasion of Iraq; arguably the greatest mass-movement – crossing racial and political and social barriers – since Dunkirk into a withered shell of political cranks, racists and more-than-objectively pro-fascists.

The NAAR component was a front for serial-entriest Socialist Action which, I assume, is smarting after the loss of its influence in the London Mayoral office with the defeat of its patron, Ken Livingstone.

Four years ago, both helped force out the thoroughly decent Searchlight from the UAF on the grounds of its being “Zionist”. Now it and others in the UAF have found another tinder-box part of British politics to toss a match into. Bless.

Meanwhile, the latter-day Miss Jean Brodie, John Wight who believes that Hamas is the democratically elected government of the Palestinian Territories and should, therefore, be engaged with, is delighted at this assault on a democratically elected British fascist.

UPDATE – commenter Dan at Harry’s Place makes an apposite observation:

The situation would be made far worse if the UAF mob came along and harassed the BNP and then left the local residents to deal with the consequences. The UAF and the BNP are very similar in this way – they march into an area, cause problems that didn’t exist before and then march away again looking smug while the people who live there pick up the pieces. The UAF are unelected, unaccountable, extremist and violent, just like the BNP. But unlike the BNP, they have no concept of community-led action, only direct action fly pickets fuelled by illusions that the 1970s are back again and it’s time to riot.

If the UAF are reading this, kindly piss off and don’t come near Essex again until you bother, just for once, to communicate and co-ordinate with local people who know better than you (which is never, I guess).

FURTHER UPDATE – See Bob in the comments for a more sympathetic view of Red Action and Squadism.

Euro Elections 2009

Grim days in British politics as an associate of Italian fascist, Roberto Fiore, and former chairman of the National Front are elected to the European Parliament. The latter, in particular, has expressed concerns about the exuberance of attacks on synagogues, but stated those responsible had their hearts in the right place.

Both can be seen in this archive photograph from the 1970s (C. David Hoffman).

Hope Not Hate has launched an Internet petition to defy of these two representatives. Here I disagree. The only Internet peitition I ever have signed is the one which called for Tony Blair to stand on his head and juggle ice-cream. The BNP is a legal political party so opposition should either be based on reversing this status, or working to encourage more voter participation than the dismal 1/3 showing across the United Kingdom last Thursday: not a commitment free click with a mouse. When a potential 30 millions British voters do not vote in an election, dedicated retinues for such minority parties are always going to succeed under such PR systems (which, I concede, I do not fully understand).

Nor can 943,958 British voters (including 27,714 in Scotland) all be classed as the same core of unreconstructed Nazis and Odinists and criminally-inclined racists which dominates the BNP leadership. For whatever reasons, many will have been beguiled by the leadership into thinking the three main political parties have failed them and the BNP represents their concerns. One of those caveats is true. It is damning with faint praise indeed to observe that Labour came second in the Scottish region with three times as much as UKIP, giving them two MEPs.

What should also be noted is, as with across the EU, the move towards insular nationalist-inclined groups; such as UKIP and the BNP and, yes, the SNP. Fifty years ago, Scotland returned a majority of MPs for the Tories. Whilst this party’s vote has dropped through the floor – largely due to Margaret Thatcher – the SNP’s vote has risen inversely.

What, I have to ask, is there to suggest that the SNP ever could be a party of the Left?

(Six MEPs were returned from the Scottish region: Ian Hudghton and
Alyn Smith of the SNP; David Martin and Catherine Stihler of Labour; Struan Stevenson of the Conservatives; George Lyon of the LibDems.)