David Westwood

164 Followers
370 Following
5.4K Posts
European. Woke. Moving further to the left as I get older. Moved here from Mastodon social. Lifelong interest in natural history, these days mainly entomology, mainly, but with a wide range of interests. Semi retired.
#Entomology #Moths #butterflies #insects #bugs #spiders #arachnology #nature #beetles #nature #wildlife

Israel is now blatantly beginning to take control of southern Lebanon, using the same playbook as in Gaza and West Bank, and the majority of our political elites here in lovely civilised Europe do not bat an eyelid. Genocidal warfare and territorial expansion normalised and endorsed.

https://aje.news/eiz4vg

Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies

Israel’s far-right finance minister says Litani River must be ‘the new Israeli border’, as attacks on Lebanon ramp up.

Al Jazeera

A cooler and windy day today, so a couple of Spring flowers, Wood sorrel, Oxalis acetosella, and Wood anemone, Anemenoides nemorosa.

#nature #Wildflowers #Bloomscroll

Its clearer & clearer that either the Tangerine Tyrant himself, or people in the room when decisions are made for/with him are playing the market(s) to their won advantage.... (this time both in the oil futures market & on the share market).

So if you were wondering who exactly the Tangerine Tyrant is governing for... its not the 'American people', it his inner circle - this looks like corruption of the highest order with little real interest is masking what's going on!

#Trump #USPOl
h/t FT

“Developers will be required to install solar panels and heat pumps in all new homes in England as part of updated planning requirements published by the government.”

—> credit where due, good policy by the UK Labour government!

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjw7klkjm2o

#GoodNews #UK #UKPol #Climate #Energy #Solar #HeatPump #Renewables

Heat pumps for all new homes and plug-in solar in green tech drive

Solar panels that can be plugged in at home could be available to buy in supermarkets in the coming months.

#London has been named the 2026 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize laureate, recognising its innovation, long-term leadership and #urban transformation under Mayor Sadiq Khan. The award highlights progress in air quality, housing, #transport and economic growth, alongside inclusive public spaces and community-focused planning. Key initiatives include the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which has significantly reduced pollution, free primary school meals, and major transport investment such as the Elizabeth line, which has supported new housing and regeneration. Judges praised London’s ability to balance heritage with innovation while remaining liveable, diverse and economically strong. Governance reforms and sustained investment over recent decades have enabled coordinated development across the capital. The city was also recognised for its global leadership in finance, culture, research and technology.
https://www.london.gov.uk/media-centre/mayors-press-release/london-wins-the-prestigious-global-2026-Lee-Kuan-Yew-World-City-Prize
London wins the prestigious global 2026 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize

London wins the prestigious global 2026 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize

London City Hall

A first for me today, a Hairy-footed flower bee, Anthophora plumipes. This is a female feeding on Flowering Currant.

#nature #Insects #Bees

Bluebells, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, are starting to flower.

#nature #Wildflowers #Bloomscroll #Spring

Gauguin? Matisse? Miró? Well, actually, it’s… sea slug! 🤗 A team at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids & Interfaces discovered that #nudibranchs - a type of marine slug often called 'the #butterflies of the #sea' - produce their brilliant hues not with pigment chemistry as previously thought, but through structural colouration, arranged in pixel-like patterns.🦋🐚🎨.🌊 More: https://www.mpg.de/26287823/impressionist-sea-slugs [Credit: Samuel Humphrey/MPI of Colloids and Interfaces]

The Triangulum galaxy up close 👀

Located about 3 million light-years away, this nearby galaxy was captured in the festive-looking image below with ourVery Large Telescope (VLT).

The colours represent different elements: blue, green and red indicate the presence of oxygen, hydrogen and sulphur, respectively. But there's more than meets the eye in this image... 1/

📷 ESO/A. Feltre, F. Belfiore, G. Cresci et al.

#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science

Culross in Fife, on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. The village has been beautifully restored over many years and is the nearest thing to a 16th century time capsule that Scotland has to offer. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/culross/culross/index.html

#Scotland #Fife #Culross