Darth Vader

As you see from the title, I have no idea what this is. As I was taking these preliminary shots, I was thinking a large moth. I decided to try and pull the branch down for a better view but the little beast flew off and I was none the wiser.

Back at the lab, it is clearly not a moth, with its hairless thorax. It has three ocelli (simple eyes) in the middle of its head, between a pair of smallish compound eyes. From what I can see of its legs, it is a beetle of some sorts.

The fact that it was able to fly off so fast, without me getting a clear look at it means that it was an expert flyer. The size of the three ocelli would confirm this, being mainly a tool of flying insects. Most beetles use flight mainly as an escape and they are laborious and cumbersome, hardly expert.

The wing casings do not match a beetle shape either, coming to a triangular point.

I am now thinking cicada, but I have never seen one before.

A few days ago I was reading an article about some guy whittering on about global warming and how the planet is falling apart and it is everybody's fault. I realized that I didn't have an opinion either way, mainly because I did not know enough about the subject to form an opinion.

'Global warming' is the big buzz word of the 21st century and so I thought that I really should do some research and get myself an opinion.

My guess is that many of you, like me, can't form an informed opinion because you simply do not know the facts. So, for the next three days, starting tomorrow, I am going to present to you a summary of all my research. This will save you a lot of complex reading and hopefully by the end, you will understand what all the fuss is about.

The first two days I will present some history and the facts. On the third day, I will present my thoughts and opinions. You can jog in at any time and give me your opinions. Whether they are the same as mine is not important and I don't expect them to be. This is why I am first presenting the facts, to give you a chance to form your own opinion before giving you mine.

I do hope as many join in as possible and post your opinions and ideas.

Dave