They/we are destroying it all

[G_j]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/sunday-review/the-year-the-monarch-didnt-appear.html?_r=1&

The Year the Monarch Didn’t Appear

--snip--

This year, for or the first time in memory, the monarch butterflies didn’t come, at least not on the Day of the Dead. They began to straggle in a week later than usual, in record-low numbers. Last year’s low of 60 million now seems great compared with the fewer than three million that have shown up so far this year. Some experts fear that the spectacular migration could be near collapse.

--snip--

Another insect in serious trouble is the wild bee, which has thousands of species. Nicotine-based pesticides called neonicotinoids are implicated in their decline, but even if they were no longer used, experts say, bees, monarchs and many other species of insect would still be in serious trouble.

That’s because of another major factor that has not been widely recognized: the precipitous loss of native vegetation across the United States.

--snip--

A big part of it is the way the United States farms. As the price of corn has soared in recent years, driven by federal subsidies for biofuels, farmers have expanded their fields. That has meant plowing every scrap of earth that can grow a corn plant, including millions of acres of land once reserved in a federal program for conservation purposes.

Another major cause is farming with Roundup, a herbicide that kills virtually all plants except crops that are genetically modified to survive it.

...more...

**this horror was a choice, not a necessity.
It's all about greed and it's killing us.

[Oscarmonster13]

1. ...and as the wild bees and other pollenators go...

so do we...

[AndyA]

4. That's what is really scary

Read an article about all the things that would disappear without bees, and it was...well, basically the end of the world as we know it.

[BelgianMadCow]

6. IIRC, about 30% of the world's food supply depends on pollination

Last edited Sun Dec 1, 2013, 08:12 PM - Edit history (1)

something tells me the agrocorps that are happily selling neonicotinoids and Roundup are heavily invested in the other 70%.

I've read Monique Robin's book, the World according to Monsanto, the bit about Roundup and its effects was horrifying. And it's present in the urine of over 50% of Europeans...

here's a docu based on her book:

yet this docu is even better imho (and if someone can tell me why it's not previewing, much obliged):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eUd9rRSLY4A

[G_j]

8. a must see

highly recommended

[Egalitarian Thug]

9. Thanks for this, it's now on my watch later list. n/t

[countryjake]

2. ...

[Trailrider1951]

3. You know, we can be active in the Monarch's survival

Plant milkweed around your yard and along the highways of your community. Milkweed is the preferred plant for the Monarch to lay its eggs on. The hatching caterpillars eat the leaves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly

Right now, the milkweeds have gone to seed, and if you can find some of the dried plants with attached seed pods, you can harvest those seeds for planting in the spring.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkweed

I live in an area that is both on the major migration route of the Monarchs, and is a major grain growing region (central Texas). Most of the agriculture around here is round up ready, so few weeds grow along our rural roads. In the little towns like mine, there are areas to plant a few "weeds" (not that kind!) on the edges of your own property, and on vacant lots and roadsides, where no spraying of herbicides occurs.

Please consider hosting some milkweed and Monarchs?

[G_j]

5. excellent post!

Last edited Mon Dec 2, 2013, 12:56 AM - Edit history (1)

many thanks!!

[countryjake]

7. +1000 !!

Wonderful idea!

[RobertEarl]

10. They could make a comeback

Once the levels of radiation goes down a bit. But with 400 nuke plants in the world we may have to wait a mighty long time.

[Quantess]

11. K & R