A third of North America’s birds have vanished • Hacker News Board

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#241

Post by sieabahlpark » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:00 AM UTC

bmitc wrote: post #114

23B1 wrote: post #35

One thing I dislike the most about these problems – and the information/media/activism around them – is the "solutioning". Yes, we should recycle and reduce carbon emissions and learn to live in a more integrated fashion with earth. But the problem is so diffuse and requires substantive work against powerful forces (government, business, apathy). What I'd like to see more of, when presented with these sorts of proble…

Individuals cannot solve this. I leave trees up, dead or alive. I plant native plants. I remove invasive species. I only keep invasive bushes if they house birds. I don't spray for insects except around the base of my house, I don't kill off chipmunks, voles, squirrels, rabbits, etc. How can this compete with the dozens of neighbors in a half-mile radius that have removed in excess of hundreds of trees, big ones like…

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Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#242

Post by ChatGTP » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:01 AM UTC

mplewis wrote: post #234

23B1 wrote: post #35

One thing I dislike the most about these problems – and the information/media/activism around them – is the "solutioning". Yes, we should recycle and reduce carbon emissions and learn to live in a more integrated fashion with earth. But the problem is so diffuse and requires substantive work against powerful forces (government, business, apathy). What I'd like to see more of, when presented with these sorts of proble…

There is no individual solution to climate catastrophe. The vast majority of individuals have little to no impact on carbon emissions. We need concerted legislation focused on fixing the causes of our ecological collapse to make a dent. The market will not save us and neither will individual action.

When people say "We need concerted..." how do you suppose we get it. I'm 100% agreeing with you but how?

Vote for RFK? Honestly and respectfully?

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#243

Post by tacocataco » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:02 AM UTC

tnias23 wrote: post #132

Like almost every other goddamn problem we face, the solution is boring as hell: campaign finance reform. If politicians actually represented their constituents, they would be able to effect the policy changes required. But they don’t, because campaign finance is broken, allowing the richest, most blood-sucking elements of society to have the biggest influence. If you have the opportunity to vote for someone who beli…

Could we add electoral reform to the list? We need to introduce competition in our political system.

People deserve the right to vote for who best represents them, while still counting their vote if that candidate doesn't win.

The First Past the Post electoral system most states use will always result in a two party system.

Since the electoral process is run at the state level, we can pass electoral reform one state at a time. Some states have already passed reform!

CGP Grey has a great video on First Past the Post voting if you're interested in learning more.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo&pp=ygUcY2dwIGdyZXk...

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#244

Post by bombcar » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:03 AM UTC

bmitc wrote: post #156

23B1 wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, which is why you have the opportunity to evangelize what you're doing. Like for example, a two dudes in my hood have swapped their lawns over to micro clover because I did it three years ago; the lawn is packed with wildlife, and it looks great. Wouldn't have happened had they not come over for BBQ one day and asked about it.

I redid parts of my lawn last fall (first time ever doing so or even having the opportunity). I did about 30% of that new European microclover and 70% various fine fescues. Not sure if I feel it was a success or not, but the clover does make it look like a nice meadow. But the clover and fescue, if I let them grow, it gets so thick that I can't even mow it effectively. Do you just let the microclover fully take over…

Consider getting a European style scythe. It’s not much harder than a reel mower and can work quite well in tall grasses.

I’ve used one from https://scythesupply.com/

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#245

Post by yareally » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:05 AM UTC

da39a3ee wrote: post #175

HideousKojima wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Not sandpipers though! I wonder what you meant there? We've got a few blocks of open fields right next to our house and there are several families of sandpipers (or some other sort of curlew I guess?) that nest in the grass. We actually have a huge wild migratory bird refuge about 10 miles away, so we've seen all sorts of bird life.

Ah right, Killdeers I'm thinking?

The shorebird that frequents parking lot islands more than actual ones? It's probably them, unless you're close to the ocean or the great lakes. I saw some rare piping plovers though the other year on Lake Erie.

I used to have a love/hate relationship with killdeer, but while on the trip to see the plovers, I saw a killdeer mom and her babies do the most adorable thing. The mom would let out a little "peep" while forging and expect her babies to peep back one at a time. Gave me a new respect for a bird I used to think of as a suburban parking lot nuisance.

It was like a bird implementation of the ping protocol

https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/rare-northwest-ohio-...

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#246

Post by travisporter » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:09 AM UTC

paulcole wrote: post #179

jemmyw wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That depends enormously on what 'efficient' means. They certainly save a lot of time so that's an efficiency. They do use less water for the same amount of washing, so they are more efficient with water. The only problem with that is that, just with most efficiency gains, the result is more consumption. In this case, dirtying more dishes. So I would argue dishwashers are demonstrably more efficient than hand washing…

> So I would argue dishwashers are demonstrably more efficient than hand washing dishes Yeah my argument is that this is nonsense. Just turn the tap off often when you’re scrubbing the dishes (use the water for rinsing) and it should be obvious that you’re using less water — particularly when you take into account the fact that a dishwasher uses 4 gallons of water no matter how many dishes are in it. Under ideal cond…

The average faucet puts out about 2 gallons per min. Even if i turn off the faucet between scrubbing it would take more than two mins of the faucet on for me. I do agree that it me use more dishes so there’s that.

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#247

Post by jrflowers » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:09 AM UTC

23B1 wrote: post #35

One thing I dislike the most about these problems – and the information/media/activism around them – is the "solutioning". Yes, we should recycle and reduce carbon emissions and learn to live in a more integrated fashion with earth. But the problem is so diffuse and requires substantive work against powerful forces (government, business, apathy). What I'd like to see more of, when presented with these sorts of proble…

> All too often the "solutioning" defaults to the highest concentration of power, e.g. government/regulation – but that obviously isn't working at the speed it has to, and I suspect its because it's very easy to say "they should/we should" instead if "I will/we will".

I love this idea. Affecting large change is best done by embracing the status quo of large power structures. Few have the fortitude to ask “What if everybody individually just sort of came up with their own ideas of what solutions to problems are and eschewed organization”

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#248

Post by flagrant_taco » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:10 AM UTC

jjallen wrote: post #239

bmitc wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Individuals cannot solve this. I leave trees up, dead or alive. I plant native plants. I remove invasive species. I only keep invasive bushes if they house birds. I don't spray for insects except around the base of my house, I don't kill off chipmunks, voles, squirrels, rabbits, etc. How can this compete with the dozens of neighbors in a half-mile radius that have removed in excess of hundreds of trees, big ones like…

Yeah when 99% of people don't care about this sort of issue or are unaware of it and keep cutting trees down it doesn't matter if a few people are doing all they can. I go home to my parents' neighborhood in Florida and more and more of the trees are disappearing in a 100-year-old neighborhood. It's not even new houses being built. These are 50-year old houses. There is 1 house in the entire neighborhood (has to be a…

The planet will bounce back one way or another, short of a global nuclear war I don't see how we can do more damage than the asteroid that took out the dinausaurs. Humans just may not be here to enjoy it if we can't get out of the way and stop consuming natural resources for the sake Of GDP growth.

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#249

Post by thebigjewbowski » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:10 AM UTC

nemo wrote: post #212

smaudet wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of it is evangelizing, but its bigger than that - the yards of tomorrow need to look at lot more like grasslands and a lot less like farmland or golf courses, though. Grassland is long grass, and it shelters a lot more than just insects and birds. It can be cover for small dogs, cats, beavers, possums, moles, mice, snakes, etc... Understandably most "neighborhoods" don't want snakes, raccoons, or possums in thei…

Yeah a lot of inhabitants of a healthy habitat are labeled culturally as "pests" and "pest control" does a lot of damage to native plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife. I go out identifying insects under my porch lights or out in the yard submitting iNaturalist observations. There' an amazing, diverse natural world out there that can be accessible in a local yard that's a native habitat. I'm up to 400 species a…

> But in reality there's a lot of people who see any snake, insect, or arachnid, and respond with "kill it with fire."

Did you have a natural (or learned) revulsion for bugs? If so, how did you get over it?

I’ve gotten over mice completely, never felt right killing one in the first place.

I’ve been trying to make peace with bugs; I unplugged my mosquito zappers last summer shortly after getting them when I realized they were zapping mostly everything but mosquitoes.

Still something inside of me that has such a visceral reaction to bugs. I wish they would just stay away from me and I’d happily respond in kind :’(

Re: A third of North America’s birds have vanished

#250

Post by danbolt » Sun, Jul 16, 2023, 5:11 AM UTC

awongh wrote: post #197

vhlhvjcov wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with the sentiment but a couple problems with this approach 1. When you put the onus on the individual, powerful organisations will jump at the opportunity to absolve themselves of blame. Look at recycling and how it was pushed by the plastics lobby or the idea of a “personal carbon footprint” that was pushed by oil companies. There is a fact that these are systemic problems, that require systemic solutions.…

Re. #1 it drives me nuts when I see articles with titles like “Did you know that almond milk uses X gallons of water to make?” as if the onus is on me to understand the calculus of almond vs. cow milk vs. just pouring plain water on my cereal. If we look at every issue an article like that wants to point to they all have mostly systemic causes, big Ag pushing factory dairy farms, heavy water subsidies for almond grow…

Personally, I think this is why solutions such as carbon taxes and appropriate pricing are the way to go. Market forces start bringing out the desirable outcomes as people look to find ways of living, purchasing, and consuming sustainably.