Two Sides of One Coin:
excessive growth, and vanishing species.
Are you as amazed as I am about the apparent complacency that so many people display in the face of climate - well, change doesn’t cut it any more, climate disaster seems more appropriate? A New York Times article reports about an unusually huge blob of Sargassum, a reddish-brown seaweed, which is floating towards the coasts of Mexico and Florida. Some 13.5 million metric tons of a kind of algae which is beneficial for many marine species as long as it stays afloat. It therefore stands under environmental protection and can’t be harvested. Once it’s washed up on a beach, however, it quickly decomposes and releases ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. It degrades the water quality and pollutes beaches. Apparently, it poses serious health risks to human health.
While it has been around forever, it’s accelerated growth within the last ten or so years is alarming, even when it’s still in the ocean: it blocks light from reaching far below the surface, it uses up oxygen that other creatures need, and small creatures such as baby sea turtles can get tangled up in it. The main reason for this drastic increase is the rising temperature of ocean waters and large-scale nutrient pollution caused by human activity such as fertilizer runoff, sewage, intensive cattle ranching and soybean farming. The usual suspects.
Because of its negative impact on tourism (the decomposing Sargassum stinks like hell, or better like rotten eggs because it releases hydrogen sulfide which can cause health problems; in addition, people can’t swim or otherwise enjoy the beach) the problem gets a lot of attention. What gets me all riled up, however, is the fact that the possible solutions all ignore the original cause. They treat the symptom. Entrepreneurs want to transform the seaweed into animal feed, fuel, or construction materials. But there is hardly any talk about one of the main causes of the problem: industrial-scale agriculture. Not only is the meat industry not adequately exposed for its considerable contribution to global warming, but they receive huge subsidies from their governments. In the US alone, the meat and dairy industry receives 63 percent of total agriculture subsidies, compared to fruits and vegetables producers who receive only 0.04 percent of total subsidies.1
Some beaches in Florida, Mexico, and on Caribbean Islands are seriously compromised because of excessive Sargassum growth – why does nobody point the finger at the meat- and dairy industry?
When we look at threatened and endangered species, we find similar causes and culprits.
Not so long ago a Facebook friend posted something that had been bothering him: he noticed that there were hardly any bugs splattered on his car windshield, even when he was driving long distances. I had noticed this too. Whereas in the past – it’s hard to say how many years ago – one had to regularly stop and wash off all the gunk that had accumulated, nowadays one can drive for hours without so much as a dead fly being stuck to the windshield.
This made me curious. We frequently read about endangered rhinos, tigers, leopards, and gorillas, but we don’t hear all that much about insects. Are any of them endangered or threatened? Or better, how many of them are?
As soon as I started some research, a dismal and grim picture emerged. According to the The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List) more than 42,000 species are threatened with extinction. That is 28 percent of all assessed species. More than one quarter of all the species that we know of. Let that sink in… I can’t really wrap my head around this, it’s just too crazy.
The list includes plants, and when I checked the Wikipedia page for the world's 100 most threatened species, exactly 25 of them were plants. The others were animals and fungi. Eight of the species on this list were insects, and one was a spider.
I wanted to focus on insects, and would you know it – there’s something called the “windshield phenomenon”! That’s what Scott Black, conservationist and executive director of The Xerces Society, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat, calls the lack of splattered bugs across the front of one’s car. Scientific reports have confirmed the alarming decline in insect population.
One of the most beloved and interesting insect species whose populations have plummeted in the last few decades is the monarch butterfly. Its population has declined by approximately 90 percent since the 1990s. Main reasons are habitat loss due to agriculture and urban development. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of milkweed, and the use of herbicides has destroyed much of it. Insecticides kill the monarch butterflies themselves. Climate change itself has a negative effect on them because it alters the timing of migration, while changing weather patterns pose a risk when the butterflies overwinter.
Several species of bumble bees have vanished from large parts of their ranges, which is rather concerning because they’re important pollinators of plants and crops. In fact, more than one quarter (28%) of all North American bumble bees are facing some degree of extinction risk. One of them, Franklin’s bumble bee, may already be extinct. Again, habitat loss and climate change are major contributors to bumble bee decline.
Another gorgeous sight are fireflies circling around on a warm summer night – if you've ever experienced this, it will be an unforgettable event. But this magical display is under threat – where the loss of their natural habitats, pesticide use and artificial light put some of the 2,000 or so species at risk of extinction. Climate change - induced drought is another cause for their demise. And they face one particular danger which no other insect faces: Firefly Tourism. When you read the linked article you will agree that this is purely obnoxious.
One can easily feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of all the disasters we encounter constantly. But there is a lot we can do, or rather, shouldn’t do: if you have a yard, plant wildflowers instead of a lawn. Let the dandelions blossom, don’t dig them out (bees will be grateful). If you have trees, leave the leaves in the fall instead of raking them up, they’ll provide shelter for many insects. Don’t use pesticides. Biodiverse, chemical-free landscapes are so much better for the bees and butterflies in the neighborhood. And always remember, what you eat (or don’t eat) has an enormous influence on the wellbeing of all the creatures you share this planet with, including future generations!
Shining your light on each and every subject gets my attention. Sweet letters to us!! Love & Light to you.
yes i'm amazed and alarmed by alot of things the climate crises being one / by the way my front (and back) lawns are proper wild places - lot's of wildflowers and plants of all kinds so far this spring / maybe i should write about it / people are oblivious to what doesn't directly affect them in their pocketbook or lifestyle / it's sad / we could do so much better / thanks for shining your light / that's something we can do and it's important