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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 APRIL 2014 40 THIS WEEK Take a sunset walk along a country road. Shortly after the sun dips slow down a bit and start peering into the shadows among stones and patches of vegetation, and you may spot a tiny point of bright sulphurous yellow light. You may blink and think it's a re ection or a trick of the failing light, but that, my friend, would be a glow-worm! Glow-worms (M: Musbieh il-Lejl) are actually beetles, not worms, but they certainly glow. The males and females look very di erent: the male is small and winged, very much an ordinary-looking beetle; the lady, on the other hand, looks rather like a at-topped caterpillar, black with magenta edges. She can't y like the male, but it's only she that does the lighting trick. The light is produced not by electricity but by a chemical reaction inside the animal's body, and the female uses it not to read by torchlight but to advertise her presence to passing males. The attraction done, they mate and she lays eggs to start a new generation. Shortly after, her light goes out – literally – and she dies. Text and photo Victor Falzon 399. GLOW-WORM Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us www.foemalta.org. You can also support us by sending a blank SMS donation on 50618070 (€4.66) or 50619223 (€11.65). GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 301: DITCH THE COTTON WOOL - Save waste in the bathroom; instead of removing make-up with disposable cotton wool balls, invest in a washable flannel This target relates specifically to known threatened species. IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species currently lists more than 19,000 species as being threatened globally. Threatened species include those species which are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Other categories used by IUCN to describe the conservation status of species include near threatened, least concern, extinct in the wild, extinct or data deficient. In addition many countries may have their own lists of threatened species. This target has two components. The first component deals with preventing further extinction, entailing that those species which are currently threatened do not move into the extinct category. Of the more 19,000 species known to be threatened globally, more than 3,900 are classified as critically endangered. Critically endangered species are considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. The second component deals with improving the conservation status of threatened species. An improvement in conservation status would entail a species increasing in population to a point where it moves into a lower threat status. Using the IUCN criteria a species would no longer be considered as threatened once it moved into the near threatened category. Though some extinctions are the result of natural processes, human action have greatly increased current extinction rates. Reducing the threat of human-induced extinction requires action to address the direct and indirect drivers of change and can be long term processes. However, imminent extinctions of known threatened species can in many cases be prevented by protecting important habitats or by addressing the specific direct causes of the decline of these species (such as overexploitation, invasive alien species, pollution and disease). As part of its national obligations Malta targets that by 2020, the risk of local extirpation of known threatened species is to be reduced, with 30% of the species of European Community Importance in the Maltese territory having a favourable or improved conservation status. Aichi Biodiversity Targets – Extinction prevented The origins of Spider-Man EURO Media Forum and Eden Cinemas present 'The Amazing Spider-Man: How Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's webcrawler has in- spired the geek pop culture and science forever' on April 17 at 18:00 at Europe House, 254, St Paul Street, Valletta. This event coincides ahead of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 screening on April 18 at Eden Cinemas. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko, one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, the Amazing Spider-Man first swung into comic strip in 1962 and the rest as they say is his- tory. Everyone's favourite webslin- ger soon leapt off the comic page and into the mainstream media. From that classic 1960s animated TV series whose signature theme still resonates till this day to the live action TV series. Spidey's gi- ant web of international stardom would leap to a higher level when Holly wood gave the green light to the big budget films starring Tobey Maguire and with now the much acclaimed reboot series star- ring Andrew Garfield, Spider-Man shows no signs of retiring anytime soon as the webcrawler's success- ful reinvention is a crowning web force to be reckoned with. Comic book researcher David Pace and film researcher Justin Camilleri will give an insight into what made Spider-man's comic books so appealing to teenagers in the 1960s and how now many teenagers and adults all over the world identif y with Spider-Man's alter ego Peter Parker. Both speak- ers will delve into how Peter Park- er spawned the geek pop culture from the Big Bang Theory to Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook empire. The speakers will also give an in- sight into how Spider-Man is an unrecognisable media icon and how his popularity is inspiring sci- ence and technology. The event will also feature a Spi- der-Man themed quiz. The event is also being supported by Eden Cinemas, Giotto restaurant – St Julian's and DESA. Entrance is free, however lim- ited seating is available. Booking is recommended either through email euromediaforum@gmail. com or an sms to 99454066, or log in http://w w w.facebook.com/ Euro.Media.Forum