Silent Spring
"The 'control of nature' is a phrase conceived in arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology and philosophy, when it was supposed that nature exists for the convenience of man." -- Rachel Carson
I read Rachel Carson’s book about ten years ago. A group of parents were trying to get it banned from use in an environmental science course. I thought at the time, it was one of the most ominous books I’d ever read. The arguments against using the book in the class were resurrections of the protests generated immediately after its publication in 1962, along with the added argument that Ms. Carson’s predictions never came to pass.
Birds, bats, bees, butterflies: all are in decline. Pesticide use, climate change, habitat destruction -- whatever the reason, I wonder how long before we see a Silent Spring.
Common Birds in Drastic Decline
217 U.S. Birds on New "Watch List"
25% of All U.S. Birds "Imperiled"
Butterflies disappear as habitat shrinks, temperatures rise
"The Gravest Threat to Bats Ever Seen"
White Nose Syndrome Could Quickly Lead to Extinction
Hard winter for honeybees: Local beekeepers attribute unusual loss of hives to strange disorder, many other factors
Another Pollinator Falls Victim to Climate Change - Australian Bats Dying from Heat
Czech bee population decimated by parasite
4 comments:
we have not begun to see the limits that will be placed on our agriculture and basic survival by any kind of climate change. there are no longer places to migrate to.
Nowhere to run, no place to hide?
Well, that yanked me right out of my funk.
I'm reading a book on Orchard Mason Bees. They are native to North America and very good pollinators. It doesn't look too hard to make little nesting blocks and propogate them.
They'll love those fruit trees I'm going to plant.
No more migrating for me.
now you need to teach those mason bees to produce honey for you...
Look, not to be entirely too skeptical, but how can we really know that the climate changes will not affect any longer term plans such as...trees?
take a look at this great link with many sublinks
Don't think I haven't thought of honey bees. That particular project is just a little beyond me at the moment. -- I'd rather help someone else out with theirs.
The prospect that climate change might affect my long term plans hasn't been lost on me. I think it's more likely than not. But to succumb to the paralysis of inaction due to fear of what might happen is defeatist.
Good website by the way. Thanks.
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