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Marco Ugarte / AP file
A monarch butterfly sits on a tree trunk at the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary in Mexico.
MEXICO CITY —The amount of Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico dropped 59 percent this year, falling to the lowest level since comparable record-keeping began 20 years ago, scientists reported Wednesday.
It was the third straight year of declines for the orange-and-black butterflies that migrate from the United States and Canada to spend the winter in mountaintop fir forests in central Mexico. Six of the last seven years have shown drops, and there are now only one-fifteenth as many butterflies as there were in 1997.
The decline now marks a statistical long-term trend and can no longer be seen as a combination of yearly or seasonal events, the experts said.
But they differed on the possible causes.
Who's at fault?
Illegal logging in the reserve established in the Monarch wintering grounds was long thought to contribute, but such logging has been vastly reduced by increased protection, enforcement and alternative development programs in Mexico.
The World Wildlife Fund, one of the groups that sponsored the butterfly census, blamed climate conditions and agricultural practices, especially the use of pesticides that kill off the Monarchs' main food source, milkweed. The butterflies breed and live in the north in the summer, and migrate to Mexico in the winter.
"The decrease of Monarch butterflies ... probably is due to the negative effects of reduction in milkweed and extreme variation in the United States and Canada," the fund and its partner organizations said in a statement.
Omar Vidal, the World Wildlife Fund director in Mexico, said: "The conservation of the Monarch butterfly is a shared responsibility between Mexico, the United States and Canada. By protecting the reserves and having practically eliminated large-scale illegal logging, Mexico has done its part.
"It is now necessary for the United States and Canada to do their part and protect the butterflies' habitat in their territories," Vidal said.
Debate over logging
Logging was once considered the main threat to the reserve, located west of Mexico City. At its peak in 2005, logging devastated as many as 1,140 acres (461 hectares) annually in the reserve, which covers 193,000 acres (56,259-hectares). But a 2012 aerial survey showed almost no detectable logging, the first time that logging had not been found in detectable amounts since the mountaintop forests were declared a nature reserve in 2000.
Lincoln Brower, a leading entomologist at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, said in a statement that "the report of the dwindling Monarch butterfly winter residence in Mexico is ominous."
"This is not just the lowest population recorded in the 20 years for which we have records," Brower said. "It is the continuation of a statistically significant decrease in the Monarch population that began at least a decade ago."
However, Brower differed on whether small-scale logging, the diversion of water resources and other disruptive activity in the reserves in Mexico are playing a role in the decline.
"To blame the low numbers of monarchs solely on what is happening north of Mexico is misleading," Brower said. "Herbiciding of soybean and corn fields that kills milkweed is a serious problem, but the historical decline over the past 19 years has multiple causes.
"All three countries need to face up to the fact that it is our collective activities that are killing the migratory phenomenon of the Monarch butterfly," he said.
Hidden problems
Environmentalist and writer Homero Aridjis praised Mexico for progress in reducing illegal logging, but added that "low intensity logging, not detected in satellite image analysis, continues unabated in and near critical overwintering habitats."
The head of Mexico's nature reserves, Luis Fueyo, said there are still some problem to be solved at the wintering grounds in Mexico, including some small-scale logging and water availability. The Monarchs don't drink any water throughout their long migration until the reach Mexico, and the mountain streams in the area have been affected by drought and human use.
The migration is an inherited trait. No butterfly lives to make the round trip. The millions of Monarchs cluster so densely on tree boughs in the reserve that researchers don't count their individual numbers but rather measure the amount of forest they cover.
This winter, the butterflies covered just 2.93 acres (1.19 hectares), down from 7.14 acres (2.89 hectares) last year.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Welcome to the industrial age. Good by planet earth.
As you type on your computer, or tablet, or smartphone........
With mans greed for money there will be lots of things disappearing , so stupid all within the last 150 years good bye planet. Humans are a virus the SYSTEM does not work
Noticed Monarchs heading south in the fall, no bunches of them, just one here and one there, seemed like a few. We have goldfinches and small sparrows getting ready to head north. The fewest in our yard in 20 years. Only 5 goldfinch this year and 2 sparrows. We used to have at least 2 dozen each - this is just one small suburban yard. In Ohio, the farmers plant to the fences, no longer allowing thistle, milkweed, lace, elderberry, blackberry and many other weeds to grow as they did decades ago. Many farms have been converted to suburbs where the Dads have this fantasy of golf green lawns. Trees and bushes are eschewed because, God forbid a branch should fall and someone be required to go pick it up. In Mexico, tree rustling in the reserves is wiping out habitat. So the critters are catching hell on both ends, north and south. Cedar waxwings passed through in the last 2 weeks and seemed fewer than before. And neighbors cats long ago wiped out the ground nesters. We'll try to take care of what we can, but the critters are getting no help from others.
IReadyou, I remember as a kid growing up here in central Florida seeing flocks of Cedar Waxwings so thick one could not count them. Sadly the last flock I saw was probably 30-40. We used to have Quail roaming through the neighborhood and late one evening while on a campingtrip I saw a flock of Crows that took several minutes to fly over and myself and others could not see the edges of the flock. On the other hand I have seen more Bald Eagles and Swallowtail Kites in the past several years than previosly.
Nailed it, Jack.
According to Monarchwatch.org, habitat loss (milkweeds) are only a part of the puzzle:
More at the link.
The world is rapidly changing, right before our eyes. Yesterday, I read about the changes in Canada - vegetation has moved nearly 500 miles north in just the last few decades. Arctic sea ice may completely disappear in a few years. This is all going far, far too fast.
The Monarch will be displeased upon hearing this!
There is no shortage of information that leads to the inescapable - and accurate - conclusion that we are killing ourselves. That's clear.
What we now have to realize is that we cannot continue to let profits go only to the wealthiest of the wealthy because they use that money to buy governments that make venality look virtuous. We need a government that is not subservient to Big Money and Megabuck Monstrocorp. It's as simple as that.
We have milkweed plants (asclepias curvassica) for the monarchs in our courtyard, side yard, and front yard. This year, over a hundred emerged from chrysalis, but the milkweed hadn't yet leafed out because of a severe drought--within two days there were dead monarchs everywhere.
The elderberry trees (bushes really, but 14 feet high) didn't leaf out until the end of February. We usually have a false spring in early February but this year, with far less rain than normally, there hasn't been any false spring.
We also feed the wild bird populations. This year, there are far fewer American goldfinches, lesser goldfinches, and house finches. Haven't seen any bushtits at all. At our feeders now, we have mostly sparrows. And for the very first time, we now have--city pigeons!
Gone, too, are the coyotes, possums, skunks, toads, lizards, and frogs. What's left? Raccoons.
Pigeons and raccoons. Very sad.
When I was a child living in San Diego, I was fortunate to witness the monach migration. A huge column of them came through the school yard...butterflies as far as you could see. I remember being absolutely awestruck.
The wonders of the world are dying...rather, being destroyed by us. It really breaks my heart.
This is Obama's fault. He cares not a lick about the environment.
No, Obama doesn't give a lick about Mark Taft.
From "The Cooling World" Newsweek - April 28, 1975 - The central fact is that after three quarters of extraordinarily mild conditions, the earth's climate seems to be cooling down. Meterologists are almost unanimous in their view that the trend will reduce agricultural productivity for the rest of the century. If the climatic changes are as profound as some fear, the resulting famines could be catastrophic. Data supporting these findings comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Columbia University, and N.O.A.A. Recent data shows the amount of sunlight reaching the ground has diminished 1.3% from 1964 - 1972, and the winter snow pack in the Northern part of the North American Continent is expanding.
Well?.........maybe the drug cartels have started murdering Monarchs?
Just a thought (-: _______________!
ScienceIntegrity: I think we've advanced our knowledge of climate science quite a bit since 1975 and the near unanimous consensus here in 2013 is that we are facing a steep and rapid rate of temperature increase and climate change.
The misunderstanding is that in 1975, the amount of data showing temperature change wasn't as abundant as it is now.
The Newsweek article was based on the work of Dr. John Murray Mitchell, SI.
In 1971, Mitchell calculated that human-caused aerosol emissions might result in global cooling after the year 2000. It took him just a few more years of study to realize that he was completely wrong - that human-caused CO2 emissions would heat the planet far more than human-caused aerosols would cool it.
He spent the rest of his life working to help the public understand just how dangerous CO2 emissions are, writing a number of books on the topic with special focus on how human-caused climate change would alter weather patterns, and seriously impact agriculture.
It's been nearly 40 years since Mitchell made that mistake. I think it's time to let him off the hook for that one, don't you?
Probably the best thing for planet earth is to get hit by a comet or meteor or something. I so wish I could honestly live in the GOP bubble where everything is wonderful, and all you have to do is sit around and wait for Jesus. Having a brain and actually using it has become a curse. I think therefore I am...depressed.
Thanks for the sanity, sanitycheck. Perfect for a Friday afternoon ;-)
In one of the last migrations a lot of them ended up on car windows. I'm worried that they can no longer make the trip north due to human development. It's a sad state.
Honestly , the human race seems more and more like a cancerous growth.
Mr. Smith had it right in The Matrix......humans are like a virus....
I don't like it any more than any of you, believe me. But what is the solution?
Hi stonepipe2-
Always a pleasure to see you up and about! Answer, write your leaders, make changes in how one lives their life.What they buy, encourage friends.Lead by example. Look at what Gandhi accomplished. Never under-estimate what one very determined individual can achieve.Remember the humble bee's stinger is only 0.059055118 of an inch long or 1.5 mil long. The rest is enthusiasm!
As a young child, I used to visit my grandma's farm and find a whole world of tiny creatures to delight me. From the fire flies who danced in the twilight breeze when I brushed the cattail near the pond, red/black lady bugs I gave flower rides when found in the grass.There were the great green frogs I played hide and go seek with,so many different kinds of butterflies, including Monarch, likewise moths like Luna and bees, wasps, praying mantis and others we called fairy bugs. For delicate pale airy green wings, like wisps of clouds hardly there at all.
However now there are no more fire flies anywhere in the state, same as green frogs and Luna moths. Monarch's are scarce, honey bees have colony collapse disease.My disabled sister says when Grandma passed away, the fire flies and Luna went looking for her,missing the treats she always left for them each morning and evening after meals. They have been lost ever since.While the Praying mantis is nature's way of reminding folks she is praying for people to please stop hurting all of God's plants and animals.Everyone is important and we need each other's help We have been warned, amphibians are like the canaries in the mines, so that places us already far past the warning signs. With the Monarch showing danger signs for a number of years, what more is needed before we get serious about making changes? Oh, wait I know,it personally affecting us. It's the way of humans.
Another Monarch host plant is " Butterfly Weed " ( asclepias ). Beautiful orange, gold,yellow flowers. I grow about 10 each year that produce over 100 new Monarchs. Extremely interesting to watch the cycle from caterpillar to butterfly.
The Breeze: I live in Zone 8 -subtropical. Can asclepias grow here ? We have parlor maple and lantana for butterflies and the monarchs did stop by on the way south.
IReadyou: Yes it will grow in zone 8. I live zone 7 ( NC ) and grow the seeds in containers starting mid April and then transplant to the garden when they get about 6 inches tall. Early Monarchs arrive in June and lay eggs. Then in August they arrive again and do the same thing. One butterfly can lay hundreds of eggs in a couple of days. I save seeds from the seed pods that open during the summer for next years crop. I bought seeds over the internet from a garden supplier-can't remember the name-but the best were a variety that has gold flowers and grows about 4 feet tall. Hope this helps.
Hello again First Lady.
The Breeze: FYI--Milkweed and butterfly weed are both common names for the same plant: asclepias.
The ones that flower in orange and yellow are a variety called asclepias curvassica. It's the one that shows best in cultivated gardens, but there are several other kinds as well.
For those interested in planting for wildlife in the western states, Google the Tree of Life Nursery; they have a plant catalog you can download, stuffed with habitat info and what to plant where.
You can provide food, water, & shelter for wildlife no matter where you live--then get certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation! It's informative and fun for all age groups, costs little, and helps a lot.
Windancersong - I really enjoyed your post. Sounds like we had similar childhoods.
Dee: Right you are. Thanks for the other info. Happy Gardening.
That makes for a good analogy. Humans are the cell on planet Earth that mutated, got too excited, and are now harming the host. Problem is, if the cancer is not halted it could kill the host.
Monarch butterflies and other pollinators are actually abundant and doing well in the herbicide tolerant corn and soybean belt of the upper Midwest USA. Here's a 16 minute video I shot last August showing the abundant bees and butterflies (including monarch butterflies) that could be found along the margins of the corn and soybean fields: watch?v=jZCOJnJU1UE
Oops on the arrow up, not had coffee yet. When I was a boy I was into collecting bugs for the county fair. Ten dozen different bugs was not at all hard. You could not do that today. Last year I did see an upswing on the Monarch tho, almost a dozen. Most of the bugs are the detrimental ones that the chemical companies sell to farmers to get rid of the detrimental ones for some odd reason. Kills off the good bugs while the one's it is supposed to kill get a resistance so they make new pesticides to sell. I don't like what we have done to our "mother" Earth, I hope our children forgive us.
Lots worse to come very soon
This article is about the migration which means although they may be alive and well in the States they are not migrating. Who's to say that you didn't release butterflies and bee's on the purifery of the fields in order to shoot your video. Or they were desparTe to get out of those fileds.
You obviously work for one of the organizations who produced the GMO seeds such as DuPont, Monsanto or others judging by the bold print you typed and your "just so happened to have the video handy" for this comment page.
Spoken like a true representative on Monsanto. At what cost for your Round Up ready corn? BT is no longer working. Round Up is now contaminating composts made from green recycling..on and on and on.
Diane-my first thoughts exactly.
Our increasing use of herbicides and pesticides is insane. I've lived in my current apartment complex for 14 months now and I haven't seen a single crawling creature! I've had a few flies and moths fly in, but that's it. Landscaping sprays chemicals everywhere once a week.
The chemicals make me feel horrible. I can only imagine how the wildlife feel. We've got to stop this madness.
A couple of years ago we visited Disney and despite being in the middle of Florida in summer, didn't see a single bug of any sort. I thought that was mighty suspicious, and did some searching when I got home. Found a few stories about how they spray, mostly along their waterways in the middle of the night when the fewest people might notice. Their waterways can't be isolated, so whatever they're spraying is undoubtedly spreading to other parts of the state. Awfully ironic, or perhaps hypocritical, considering the environmental program featuring Lion King characters we saw in Epcot.
We had a national class fishing lake in the 1980's. Used to see 30 inch bass regularly. Sportsman came from hundreds of miles to fish it. Now it's got a high traffic highway on one side and Mcmansions on the other three. The lake is choked with weeds and no fish because the lawn chemicals and poison from the road/cars wash into the lake. So the folks see a beautiful lake, decide to build on it to enjoy the lake. Then kill it because they don't do any reading, have no time to follow the eocological science and are unrealistically fascinated with the idea that all lawns must be like a golf course. So they fertilize and poison like crazy. Course it still looks like a lake to them from their patio. But it's dead.
Who gets to decide who starves? The real insanity is the number of humans alive at the present time. This is the technology that allows the production required to feed one and all.
not true pedestrian, there have been many studies that show there is no real benefit to crop yields through the use of herba and pesticides. There is a college funded science farm where i live in new mexico, every year they do studies on the new chemicals being put out to see what effects they have and if they outweigh their own negative side effects.
They also do experiments to see what is the minimum amount of water farmers can get away with using, without greatly affecting their crop yields, this way farmers are better informed, and the ones that care can help conserve some of our water that is quickly becoming scarce. it's all very interesting stuff and a good reason why funding to these types of programs are not only a good idea but a necessity.
What you say is a part of the technology. Using chemicals is not insane and of course is part of the way to use less water, better soil, better fertilization, better germination, etc. It was less the a hundred years ago that there was the wheat famine in Russia and the dust bowl in the USA.
The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy just launched a county-wide Monarch Campaign. Plant more milkweeds, help Monarch butterflies. Keep the Magic Alive.
You hit the nail on the head little lady, congrats! It is the milkweed the Monarchs need.
as insane as it sounds, there are many counties/states that consider milk weed noxious and you are not allowed to have it and must destroy it if you do. that is a fact.
here in nebraska i live right in the middle of farm country.
my 24 year old son, still collects milk weed and takes a cocoon home with his every year since he left home. he has taken caterpillars and cocoons to school as science projects and even here in so small a place and so rural it was amazing how many kids knew nothing about the beautiful butterflies in their own back yard. these we high school kids.
we plant and maintain milkweed every year, just for the butterflies. always have:)
as far as i know, milk weed is noxious in nebraska. i don't care, i still plant it in my own yard and i don't plan on stopping.
i have known for a long time that the butterflies were declining because everyone is killing the "weeds" they live on.
it's all about the farmer around here and they don't want anything that competes with their corn and soybean crops.
teach your little ones about the wonder of these beautiful creatures and teach them a life long love. it starts small, things always do:)
We have a steep hill in our backyard I have let grow wild. This included a couple of milkweed plants. We usually get one or more Monarchs each year...but not 2012. Here's hoping for a better 2013. GM Stonepipe.
I had a monarch butterfly. When I was a kid. I raised it from a cocoon I found out a piece of milkweed. It would fly to me across the room and land on my finger. It sipped sugar water from a spoon that I held. When it wasn't feeding time. It would just fly to me and sit on my shoulder and preen itself and clean itself. If I lived where they migrate to, I would plant milkweed as well.
Hi Jay it is good to "see" you! I love the Zebra Swallowtail myself.
I'm 65 and I have seen a lot of changes in wild life. Less bees, butterflies, lighting-bugs or fire flies, crickets and a host of other insects. I do agree that humans and there destruction of the Earth is the cause. To bad today's children will never see the beauty of Nature.
Indeed. The migration of the Monarch is one of the natural wonders, similar to those of the bats (ravaged by white-nose fungus.) It's a shame that future generations may yet not see some of the natural splendor of the earth due to ever encroaching destruction of habitats and increased pollution.
We can either coexist with nature or be destroyed by it, and it seems like we're pushing for the latter, as it's the "path of least resistance." I'm not saying we can't be an advanced civilization enjoying our technological advances, but there's absolutely no reason we still need to be burning fossil fuels and dumping waste when there are smarter, albeit more expensive ways to go about things.
The Monarchs have finally gotten the word about how dangerous Mexico has become for tourists, so they are staying home.
It isn't just butterflies either. I've noticed the last few years that our migratory birds aren't leaving to fly further south in winter like they used to do. They are staying here in Kentucky, wintering in our sloughs and fields or on our ponds.
I suppose they could be fooled into thinking that they are in Mexico when they arrive here. They certainly hear enough Spanish here now, because we're being overrun by illegal alien invaders.
Or perhaps John, rather than being racist they are responding to global warming.
ty standingwave
standingwave - when did Mexican become a race?
I am so happy that I have been to Mexico to see this - really is an amazing site. Sad that modern life is destroying our world.
Author: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet of Environment.
Scientists see ominous decline in Mexico's Monarch butterflies
With the decline of Monarchy in Mexico came the insurgency of Anarchy in the United States!
My Dad studied butterflies and moths his entire life. I am so lucky he passed his knowledge to us as children. We learned to understand the life cycle of caterpillar to butterfly, their host plants and habitats. We raised many different species. My Dad passed his books on to my siblings and I as well. I still raise butterflies and moths in the hope of preventing their demise caused by human greed. Our yard is filled with natural plants and flowers native to our area in order to provide butterflies and moths with foods they need from caterpillar through adult stage. We do not have a lawn but encourage the growth of native plants and add wildflowers to the mix. Each year we have hundreds of caterpillars and butterflies grow and visit for food - even Monarch butterflies, as well as bees and other important insects and animals.It shows us that even one small piece of property in a populated area where natural habitat is dwindling, can offer a safe haven to many creatures in need. There is nothing of value in a chemically achieved lawn except death for the beauty of Nature's small and lovely gems - the beautiful moths, butterflies and insects. They all have an important purpose. Please, humans, please stop your selfishness and allow them to live and bring wonder to future generations.
Looks like it's time to dust off the old slogan "Monsanto Kills"...
Help save planet Earth, commit suicide.
My Dad studied butterflies and moths his entire life. I am so lucky he passed his knowledge to us as children. We learned to understand the life cycle of caterpillar to butterfly, their host plants and habitats. We raised many different species. My Dad passed his books on to my siblings and I as well. I still raise butterflies and moths in the hope of preventing their demise caused by human greed. Our yard is filled with natural plants and flowers native to our area in order to provide butterflies and moths with foods they need from caterpillar through adult stage. We do not have a lawn but encourage the growth of native plants and add wildflowers to the mix. Each year we have hundreds of caterpillars and butterflies grow and visit for food - even Monarch butterflies, as well as bees and other important insects and animals.It shows us that even one small piece of property in a populated area where natural habitat is dwindling, can offer a safe haven to many creatures in need. There is nothing of value in a chemically achieved lawn except death for the beauty of Nature's small and lovely gems - the beautiful moths, butterflies and insects. They all have an important purpose. Please, humans, please stop your selfishness and allow them to live and bring wonder to future generations.
Lawns are symbols of waste and natural destruction. Their only function is to preen human vanity and exert human control. They contribute nothing of real value and without constant care would quickly die. The chemicals used on them spread into the watertable and the foodchain harming animals and insects. In a country experiencing,last I heard, over 60% drought nation-wide, lawns waste a vast amount of fresh water. Yet, even here in Texas, some H.O.A.s wont allow zero-scaping. We humans are proving to be terrible stewards of this world.
lawns are a big problem, here in new mexico i decided to stop the stupid effort of keeping a yellow lawn (i refuse to spray chemicals that would harm my family or the animals around my home so i could never achieve the nice green yard my neighbors have) and stopped watering more than once a week. i may now have more dirt than grass but it was worth it imo.
The big issue that really pisses me off is how much water is wasted in this country on stupid golf courses, its far past time that we demand that all golf clubs be forced to switch to artificial grass/turf. They are the biggest waste of fresh water in the world and serve no real purpose.
In my state and im sure in others as well Pecan farms are popping up everywhere, imo they are another waste of our limited water resources, waste of water for money and a snack...
Another thing that is happening in my area is local farmers are selling their water to the numerous Fracking companies instead of using it for farming, further wasting good fresh water when these companies should be using the brine water that is abundant in the oil fields.
when will we learn that money wont buy the survival of life on this planet....
I purchased my home two years ago in May. I am planting lots of things that draw good insects like butterflies, bees, moths, and birds as well. One tip I would like to offer is; in fall instead of cutting back your dead flowers that come back, such as coneflowers and mums, leave the dead stalks up and the birds will feed off of the seeds all winter. Cut the dead stalks in the late winter or early spring for new growth to occur. I have a fennel plant that draws about every kind of bee you can think of and many butterfly species as well. I will certainly plant some milk weed as well after reading this article. As one poster already stated, you would be amased at what you can do to help wildlife with just a little piece of property.
Simple answer .....Roundup
Carlene-7852573,
Yes, Roundup is bad. I try not to use pestisides. Instead, I prefer organic ways of controlling pests. I spray my apple trees and my fennel plant with soapy water to keep the pests from eating them up. I spray every week, more often if it rains. I also spray alot of my garden veggies with this mixture to keep all kinds of bad insects off of my garden and shrubs. I also try not to kill insects (even the ones that eat my veggies) just deter them from eating my plants, flowers, and veggies. Bay leaves strategically placed will deter ants in your kitchen or any other place they show up, like the bathroom. If you look, you will find antidotes and remedies to all of nature's ills in nature. We have forgotten how to find these remedies, but they do exist and you can find them if you look for them.
The planet earth is in a constant state of flux... we used to be a molten ball of lava now we are far away from that state... The only constant is change. Most of your personal observations about your little backyards and childhood observations add up to nothing consequential from a scientific perspective !
Bobauss,
Do you not think humans are responsible for some of that change? If we are somewhat responsible, shouldn't we also try to do what we can to not contribute to that change? Especially if that change is detrimental to life on this planet?
Bob,
All of your comments are absolutely true. However, they ignore that changes have accelerated significantly in the past 10 years and are influenced by human activity.
Perhaps - but not a single accredited scientific organization in the world disagrees with the statement that human activites are rapidly warming the planet.
It's us, Bob. Even from a 'scientific perspective!'.
Monarchs aren't native to my area, but other butterflies are. I've been trying to find out what to plant to encourage the local butterflies, but if Monarchs were native, I'd have the milkweed for the monarchs.
ElkMeadow,
If you can grow elderberry, I would suggest that. You need a pretty big space for it though. It will attract and feed numerous species of butterfly, bird, and bees throughout most of the year. I guess the down side would be; the purple bird doo that is everywhere, but, bird doo makes for great fertilizer.
I rarely see Swallowtails anymore and the Monarchs numbers are significantly down from 5 years ago.
I know for the last couple of years we have not had apples on our trees because as soon as they blossomed, we got a frost that killed the blossoms.
Good site for milkweed seeds and education: http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm
Read Barbara Kingsolver's newest book, "Flight," to get more about the Monarchs. As for me, I'm going out to plant Asclepias curvassica, milkweed, and fennel.
no one will care until humans are eating each other to survive...and then no one will care until humans become scarce
Sadly the world wont wake up until its too late. Greed is ruining this world, and will be the death of everything.
Monsanto is killing butterfly's and bees and poisoning humans with their farm produce and seeds that are genetically infused with insecticide/herbicide. We all actually eat this stuff! All ill effects are just necessary "Collateral Damage". Not to worry!
Terry Thomas,
The real "collateral damage" is the death of our mother, Earth!
Humans are the only beings on earth that can destroy all life on this planet....
Makes me think that humans are devolved, not evolved. Even birds know not to foul their own nest. If only humans were that smart.....
I am an environmentalist and social scientist - I know the answer to the question with out a doubt. This phenomenon started a long time ago with the frogs in Minnesota, went to the reefs in all oceans, the bees, now the extreme weather patterns and the Monarch Butterfly. There are way mores signs than just these but the alarm has been going off for some time now and very few people understand or care. We are destroying the environment and we will pay dearly with trauma unimaginable. I can assure you that EVERYTHING is connected. The world is way over populated and the resources are going away. I have no problem with GMO's because they are tested, studied and in general improve the quality of the product without too much damage to the process. On the other hand - agribusiness (and I know they are using the GMO's) is killing the environment. Crop rotation is the biggest problem - we have to add so many nutrients to the soil because we are focused on yield right now. The fertilizer industry is making things right temporarily - but that is not going to continue to work. Trust me - the wars, famine, pestilence and disease that are coming worldwide are going to be horrific. The struggle for natural resources will take care of the overpopulation but we have a better path. There is just no way I can see humans taking it because the whole focus of today is the bottom line - greed and money. Too bad because this planet is unique and cool! I am gonna do my best to see some more of it before we really destroy everything. I wonder if there is one event that could finally make the impression enough to "force" change?
Unfortunately, no, there is no once event to force chance. The almighty dollar (euro, yen, etc.) trumps any concern for the future of this planet and the air, water, plants, animals on it.