The ETA terrorist group says it’s unhappy with the way things have gone since it declared its latest ceasefire. And it’s threatened to ‘respond’ to what it sees as failures on the part of the leading national and local political parties. One of ETA's disappointments appears to be that France has not acceded to its demand that it includes itself in the ‘peace process’. Since it never will, the latter seems rather doomed.

A Hezbollah spokesman has said that, as President Zapatero has called them ‘resisters’ and not ‘terrorists’, Spanish troops will be welcome in Lebanon. Hmm.

A couple of readers have responded to my comment on water management in Spain with examples of the profligate way it’s wasted by their neighbours. So perhaps it’s not too surprising that consumption in Spain of 171 litres per capita per day is 16% more than in the UK. But today there were reports of a price increase of 12% so maybe things will change. Though I rather doubt it short term, the two main barriers being a lack of awareness and the [in]famous ‘individualism’ of the Spanish. Not to mention the divisive regional antipathies which the current government seems bent on increasing in its political interest.

It’s official – we’re having a brief winter moment. The cause is a storm which brewed off Iceland, headed [naturally] for the UK but got lost and meandered south. Or possibly decided to have a vacation at our expense. Warmer temperatures are forecast to return pretty soon, when I will be able to put my pyjamas back in the drawer for a few more weeks.

Today’s Fire Facts

We have a new figure for the total area burned during the recent fires in Galicia – 92,000 hectares. This is from the Central Scientific Institute and is nearly 20% more than the Xunta’s earlier figure.

The environmental organisations have given the following advice:-
- Don’t cut down the trees
- Don’t remove the ashes; they form a vital organic layer
- Cover them with vegetal blanket or herbaceous layer prior to replantation.

The Galician Xunta has promised to spend 3m euros on promoting rural tourism in the areas most affected. “Come see a burned tree”??

Unsurprisingly, the Spanish government has said it’ll be seeking substantial funds from the EU Catastrophe Fund. Thank God the central state exists for this sort of begging activity.

Ecologists forecast that the following animals will prosper in the new spaces created by the fires:-
- ‘Running toads’
- ‘Midwife toads’
- Lion ants
- Janitor lizards[?]
- ‘Ladder’ and [as you would expect] ‘bastard’ snakes

And these will be the losers:-
- Rabbits
- Rats
- Moles
- Wolves
- Foxes
- Wild boars
- Lizard snakes

Not to mention the rural population.