‘The Project Area represents high faunal and floral diversity with numerous SCC identified throughout. The vegetation communities associated with the highest species richness were the Rocky Outcrops and Wetland communities. However, in the context of the Project Area all the remaining natural vegetation provides habitat for numerous faunal and floral species and therefore is of conservation significance’
Coal still has a huge ‘financial potential’, despite its decline in the UK (and we are probably going to open a new one at Whitehaven). Continuing uncertainties over the supplies of natural gas, together with wariness amongst the financial markets over renewables and nuclear, mean that it will likely remain a component of our energy supply for a long time yet. And the ‘lost science’ of coal chemistry (I recall a huge tome in a company’s technical library entitled ‘The known components of coal tar’) may return to the fore as and when oil supplies are disrupted by political events.
Environmental impacts seldom sway opinions when there’s big money involved. To quote (from memory) the Worcs R&A Group’s newsletter ‘No Fur, No Feathers’ some 30 years back: “if someone can make more money from a dead frog than a live one; it’s still ‘bye-bye, Froggy’,”
The ecologist’s report (at least it’s good to know someone is getting paid to be an ecologist)…
So the summary **Based on the baseline information, and impact assessment significance ratings, it is the opinion of the specialist that this Project is feasible and should be considered. However, if mitigation measures are not adhered to, the Project may potentially inflict irreversible damage to sensitive habitats such as Wetlands and Rocky Outcrops. suggests it will go ahead.
Penultimate para: A thorough screening prior to construction for the locality of faunal and floral SCC should be done. Protected flora will require permits for removal or destruction.
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So, as Amadan suggests, it’s ByeBye Khadia carloninses.
But at least we have a record on iSpot…
Take a look at the Crassula we photographed in 2003 - I found some amazing links and the original find dates back to - Crassula rupestris L.f. First published in Suppl. Pl.: 189 (1782)
Then the Swedish Herbarium has quite a few scanned - I chose the one from Table Mountain dated 1824-03-07
Wonder how long they have existed - and will climate change get them in the end?
See how clever they are as describe by Ivan Latti here:
I like it. The description, with comments on’how & why’ the floral parts are as they are, is very helpful to put it in perspective.
The sparse botanical language we are probably more used to reading is not always accessible in meaning to the less experienced readers.
Also one needs to understand that English is not always a home-language in RSA - my West Coast Guide is also written in terms that are easier to understand by the lay-person, with Afrikaans or other home language. I frequently source my common names there.
Heritage railways are looking for alternatives to coal - one was trialling the residues from oil-seed rape processing. The main drawback was that it’s yellow, and some customers were a bit unhappy at the appearance - not ‘traditional’.
(They have another looming threat - a proposed ‘ban’ on slam-door carriages, which are considered too dangerous these days.)
The intended market is steel production. The coal is transformed into coke, and the coke used to reduce iron ore to iron. In the long run the general intention is to replace carbon as the reducing agent by hydrogen.
I can confirm that slam-door carriages are quite dangerous as my grandmother got her fingers caught in one of them. However they did recover after several months. Enough to terrify us kids into being a bit more careful.
