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75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

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Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#151

Post by turk184 »

guelo wrote: post #139
spodek wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People here argue things like that if whole industries, laws, etc don't change then an individual's actions don't matter. I see it the opposite. Only if I change can I expect or hope anyone else will. My list includes: - Flying less - Driving less - Eating low on the food chain - Avoiding packaged food - Owning and acquiring less stuff ... things like that. My life has never been better. I wish I had started this cha…

> Only if I change can I expect or hope anyone else will This makes no logical sense. Only if I fly to the moon can I ever expect anyone else too? Some things require collective action at the government level.

Yeah, besides, Harvey Weinstein and all the other Limousine Liberals will happily fly in their private jets and do as they please so what difference does your minute sacrifice even make?

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#152

Post by asquabventured »

sitkack wrote: post #127
ChuckMcM wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was listening to an entomologist podcast on colony collapse and they were suggesting that as members of the colony became more and more impaired the interdependency of the various bee groups (workers, foragers, queen) was compromised and then "all of a sudden" the hive was unable to reliably function. And large social group (ants, termites, bees, etc) might be similarly affected.

Not unlike if one drives up the cost of rent in a city so high that the people who make it function, can't afford to live there and leave. Dogs don't get walked, burritos unmade and drinks unstiffened. Jane Jacobs outlined all of this decades ago.

What city has this problem? I haven't heard of a burrito extinction event, maybe I missed the news though.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#153

Post by mirimir »

smt88 wrote: post #92
nnfy wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of the people you go out of your way to slander as both trump supporters and climate change deniers exist as they do because of people like you, who immediately take any adverse global trend, blame it on climate change with what amounts to shakey, correlative evidence, and then shame anyone who dares glance over with a skeptical eye. We are dumping all kinds of chemicals into the environment - pesticides, plasti…

Saying that science is biased because it fails to see the benefit of global warming is like saying it's biased because it doesn't discuss the benefit of a worldwide plague. Sure, there'd be benefits: fewer lines at amusement parks, all the food you can eat, etc. But that's so far from a net "good" that only a psychopath or moron would publish a paper with that argument.

It'd be good for other species, however ;) Except for those that we farm, anyway.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#154

Post by musage »

harshreality wrote: post #144
musage wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe they're trying to tell you to stop mowing the lawn and start enjoying the meadow?

This might not apply to GP if they're not in an incorporated area, but in cities, the wasps should tell that to city councils, which tend to have established rules regarding height of lawns and weeds and such. Good luck talking to them about it; you'll be labelled a green wacko one step removed from eco-fanatics who firebomb SUV dealerships. If you don't want or like proper suburban manicured lawns, maybe you shouldn…

> Good luck talking to them about it; you'll be labelled a green wacko one step removed from eco-fanatics who firebomb SUV dealerships.

Yes, and? That's them projecting the weakness they actually do have inside them on you. To the degree you are free from weakness, their weakness will destroy them, so be the wall they splatter themselves against, be the water they drown in.

> your neighbors are going to think you're crazy if your yard is all monkey grass or vines or cacti.

If someone genuinely thinks a person who is otherwise acting perfectly normal is genuinely, clinically crazy because of some vines or weeds... there's a reason for that, too. If you end up with such neighbors, laugh your ass off and go about your day. Walk softly, carry a big stick, and let honesty be your biggest ruse. If you want to please everybody, you're going to be a hostage of the worst and then still die like all of us. So "cut the crap, fuck the rest."

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#155

Post by okreallywtf »

christophilus wrote: post #149
carbonmachine wrote: post #75

Being an earth dwelling human, this seems pretty bad. Aside from buying ammo or survival rations, what's something proactive that I can do? Is there an organization that is trying to rid the world of pesticides (assuming that's the cause)? If I opt to call my representatives, what am I calling in support of/against? Over the last year, reading the news had made me more passive and worried. I want to dedicate a slice…

I think supporting permaculture is a big step we can all take. Have a look at Ben Falk's YouTube videos for a quick intro, or Sepp Holzer. We need to move towards a form of agriculture which does active good for the planet. It's possible to do. Edit: Also, a simple step: leave parts of your lawn unmowed for a full year. This gives insects and certain endangered birds much needed habitat in what is otherwise a wastela…

It frustrates me that even though I am not in a HOA area, I cannot do this without getting letters from the city and fines. They will come mow my lawn for me and then charge me if I don't keep them mowed. Even my back yard which is almost 100% enclosed. I rent, otherwise I would build a wall right against my neighbors property so they wouldn't call the city on me for being able to see through a 5 foot gap into the back yard. I try to be considerate and keep the front and side clean but they even complained about there being too much wildlife back there (as if that was a bad thing). I usually have a whole bunny family living back there with birds and lots of bugs but eventually I have to mow it or have it mowed for me at my expense.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#156

Post by phil248 »

crispinb wrote: post #43

Results like this are some confirmation of what everyone not entirely swaddled in the virtual worlds of city and business is already entirely aware of: that our living planet is dying. All the people I know who have lived in rural areas for decades (in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and SE. Asia) are in no doubt that their local ecologies are collapsing, and that the collapse is accelerating. I'm not sure…

" Turning things around would require changes of a pace and scale that we have no idea how to motivate and coordinate."

Things like electricity, the automobile, air travel and the internet went from nonexistent to universal in developed countries in phenomenally short time spans. Renewable energy appears to be following a similar trajectory, leaving all the estimates in the dust and emerging faster than most people realize or can keep track of. Fast enough? Well, we'll find out. But at this point you can't say it's slow.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#157

Post by christophilus »

avip wrote: post #3

Yes. This is a case of hard data confirming what we already know. As in - few types of butterflies I used to like, and see yearly as a kid - are gone. I see them now once in 5 years, if lucky. I bring my kids to look because it's a first time for them. On the other hand, some types of beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, even wasps - are just new. They were not here 20-30 years ago. Now, what are the consequences of all…

This year, I left a portion of my lawn unmowed. I seeded it with a $10 bag of wildflower seeds. It's given me 4 months of beautiful flowers, loads of polinators, many butterflies, and it's given me less yard to mow. I now think that lawns of neatly trimmed grass are about as dumb as it gets.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#158

Post by novaleaf »

Not about insects, but birds:

In the Pacific Northwest, on the coast of Olympic National Park, (Ruby Beach, Kalaloch, etc) 30 years ago (when I was a kid) the beaches were teaming with seagulls. On a given day you would see hundreds.

The last two years I've taken my own kids there, we are lucky to see even 1 seagull each day.

Maybe it's something else, heck maybe there was an open garbage pit 30 years ago and it's since been closed, but as discussed, most of these ecological changes (even human caused) are too slow for individual humans to detect.

So thought I'd share my own anecdote :P

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#159

Post by christophilus »

okreallywtf wrote: post #155
christophilus wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think supporting permaculture is a big step we can all take. Have a look at Ben Falk's YouTube videos for a quick intro, or Sepp Holzer. We need to move towards a form of agriculture which does active good for the planet. It's possible to do. Edit: Also, a simple step: leave parts of your lawn unmowed for a full year. This gives insects and certain endangered birds much needed habitat in what is otherwise a wastela…

It frustrates me that even though I am not in a HOA area, I cannot do this without getting letters from the city and fines. They will come mow my lawn for me and then charge me if I don't keep them mowed. Even my back yard which is almost 100% enclosed. I rent, otherwise I would build a wall right against my neighbors property so they wouldn't call the city on me for being able to see through a 5 foot gap into the ba…

Where the heck do you live? I'm in a small town in the south east coast of the US. I'm pretty sure our city crew would get fired (or shot) here for trying to forcibly mow someone's yard without their consent.
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