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Insects Are Dying En Masse

Jack Hays said:
Erwin says no. He thinks it’s junk science.
“Many of those making facile comparisons between the current situation and past mass extinctions don’t have a clue about the difference in the nature of the data, much less how truly awful the mass extinctions recorded in the marine fossil record actually were,” he wrote me in an email. . . .
“People who claim we’re in the sixth mass extinction don’t understand enough about mass extinctions to understand the logical flaw in their argument,” he said. “To a certain extent they’re claiming it as a way of frightening people into action, when in fact, if it’s actually true we’re in a sixth mass extinction, then there’s no point in conservation biology.”
This is because by the time a mass extinction starts, the world would already be over. . . .
“So you can ask, ‘Okay, well, how many geographically widespread, abundant, durably skeletonized marine taxa have gone extinct thus far?’ And the answer is, pretty close to zero,” Erwin pointed out. In fact, of the best-assessed groups of modern animals—like stony corals, amphibians, birds and mammals—somewhere between 0 and 1 percent of species have gone extinct in recent human history. . . .
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Erwin’s argument is fallacious. He looks at the totality of the Permian extinction event, which took place over the course of 48 million years, and uses that to scoff at the extinction of a select group of animals within “recent human history” (whatever that means). Wrong. We don’t have the benefit of 48 million years of hindsight to compare the totality of impacts. What we can do is look at the rates of extinction and the Holocene rate of extinction is significantly greater than the Permian.
 
Rogue Valley said:
Insects Are Dying En Masse, Risking ‘Catastrophic’ Collapse Of Earth’s Ecosystems

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Catastrophic damage to the food chain will occur if insect populations keep dying off. Wild bumblebees have almost disappeared in the United States.

Related: Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers

Bumblebee listed as endangered species for first time
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If we let major corporations make trillions of dollars now they can use that money to save the planet someday in the future.

or at least that is the right wing theory.
 
Napoleon said:
Erwin’s argument is fallacious. He looks at the totality of the Permian extinction event, which took place over the course of 48 million years, and uses that to scoff at the extinction of a select group of animals within “recent human history” (whatever that means). Wrong. We don’t have the benefit of 48 million years of hindsight to compare the totality of impacts. What we can do is look at the rates of extinction and the Holocene rate of extinction is significantly greater than the Permian.
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To repeat:

“So you can ask, ‘Okay, well, how many geographically widespread, abundant, durably skeletonized marine taxa have gone extinct thus far?’ And the answer is, pretty close to zero,” Erwin pointed out. In fact, of the best-assessed groups of modern animals—like stony corals, amphibians, birds and mammals—somewhere between 0 and 1 percent of species have gone extinct in recent human history. . . .
 
Jack Hays said:
To repeat:

“So you can ask, ‘Okay, well, how many geographically widespread, abundant, durably skeletonized marine taxa have gone extinct thus far?’ And the answer is, pretty close to zero,” Erwin pointed out. In fact, of the best-assessed groups of modern animals—like stony corals, amphibians, birds and mammals—somewhere between 0 and 1 percent of species have gone extinct in recent human history. . . .
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To repeat: the rate of extinctions within the Holocene is significantly greater than that during the Permian.
 
Napoleon said:
It is based on the general consensus of the scientific community.
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". . . I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled.
Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had.
Let’s be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. . . ."

Michael Crichton
CalTech Michelin Lecture, 2003
 
Jack Hays said:
Nope. Not accurate. Hard to have a rate lower than zero.
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Erwin threw out an estimate of somewhere between 0-1% over the course of “recent human history.” He doesn’t say what that means but we can look at it over the course of the entirety of human history, some 200,000 years, and it still doesn’t support your assertion. That rate is still higher than the Permian extinction.
 
Napoleon said:
Erwin threw out an estimate of somewhere between 0-1% over the course of “recent human history.” He doesn’t say what that means but we can look at it over the course of the entirety of human history, some 200,000 years, and it still doesn’t support your assertion. That rate is still higher than the Permian extinction.
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Nope. Not there.
 
DaveFagan said:
CLUE: Global Warming.
/
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Every time something bad occurs, we have someone claiming "global warming." Then they wonder why they have zero credibility.
 
Fledermaus said:
Colony collapse has been seen in areas Monsanto hasn't monopolized.

Scientists have pointed to any number of causes to include parasitic critters and even fungi/molds.

There used to be a wide expanse of grassland near us. Now it is all faux medditeran houses. The Anise weed swallowtail is rare where they used to be abundant.
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It could also be us using electromagnetic spectra that makes their bodies become 1/8th and 1/4 wavelength antennas.
 
Fledermaus said:
That is sort of my question.... I have asked it of others. If one is no where near an E-Vile Monsanto farm how can the Monsanto evils have an effect?
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Yes.

I think the Monsanto thing is a catch all for modern agriculture. I actually think they are a decent company.

I also would include on the suspects list the Tefal process of making none-stick frying pans. It uses very deadly stuff.

Anything with florine in it.

And probably lots more...
 
Threegoofs said:
LOL.

It’s anything except for the thing right under your nose!
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It's most like pesticides. I'm only offering another possible option, rather than being on the first spike of the D-K curve like you are and thinking they already have the answer. I have also read there are certain parasites that attack bees. There are so many things it could be.
 
Jack Hays said:
Monsanto makes insecticides, herbicides and other farming chemicals as well as GMO's.
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And if it was Monstanto, this would have happened decades ago. GMOs have been around for a while, roundup for many many many years on a wide scale.

There are a number of factors, climate change, environment toxins, etc.
 
Lord of Planar said:
It's most like pesticides. I'm only offering another possible option, rather than being on the first spike of the D-K curve like you are and thinking they already have the answer. I have also read there are certain parasites that attack bees. There are so many things it could be.
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Again...you don’t get the DK curve.

Look at what the people who study this for a living say.
 
Tim the plumber said:
Yes.

I think the Monsanto thing is a catch all for modern agriculture. I actually think they are a decent company.

I also would include on the suspects list the Tefal process of making none-stick frying pans. It uses very deadly stuff.

Anything with florine in it.

And probably lots more...
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I'll give 3G et. al. a laugh.

I used to work with a process that emitted lots of fluorine, before we realized how damaging it could be.

It will be comical now to see how they dis' me.
 
Threegoofs said:
Again...you don’t get the DK curve.

Look at what the people who study this for a living say.
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Hey. It is you and your buddies who brought it up. I am one who believe in using the equal or greater ammunition.

And for you to deny the science that EM wavelengths may also be the problem, when several studies suggest they have lost their ability to find home...

Maybe you should study how bees navigate.
 
Lord of Planar said:
I'll give 3G et. al. a laugh.

I used to work with a process that emitted lots of fluorine, before we realized how damaging it could be.

It will be comical now to see how they dis' me.
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Not sure why fluorine toxicity is funny.

I’ll note it doesn’t explain the grandiosity, narcissistic behaviors or delusions of grandeur you seem to express here- I believe Florurine toxicity effects are primarily respiratory and bone fluorosis.
 
Sampson Simpson said:
And if it was Monstanto, this would have happened decades ago. GMOs have been around for a while, roundup for many many many years on a wide scale.

There are a number of factors, climate change, environment toxins, etc.
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Yes, and . . . ?
 
Lord of Planar said:
I'll give 3G et. al. a laugh.

I used to work with a process that emitted lots of fluorine, before we realized how damaging it could be.

It will be comical now to see how they dis' me.
Click to expand...

At what, if any, point did that stop? Has it really or just got a higher chimney?
 
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