Another Silent Spring? | George Monbiot (http://www.monbiot.com/2014/07/15/another-silent-spring/)

I posted this on facebook, but am going to do so everywhere I can get people to read.

This might be a long post, but bear with me if you would. Tonight I took my dog for a walk. It's our usual route and one of the evening's enjoyments is watching a family of toads that live in a nearby group of houses. They hang out near the streetlight, presumably to catch insects. But tonight, as I walked down the sidewalk, I saw one of them lying dead. Another was sitting there, I thought, but when we got close it barely moved. It was clearly sick. The third we didn't see at all.

This follows a day in which I sat on the bench outside my house. We have lots of flowers along our street and last year I saw many butterflies visiting them" red admirals, painted ladies, sulphurs, skippers and the occasional Monarch. This afternoon I watched for a long time and all I saw were a couple of the common white cabbage butterflies.

This week, Time Magazine's cover story is about our bee problem. I don't know if the article will talk about the mysterious deaths of so many of our bees, because I'm not sure it's a mystery. Yes, there are bee viruses and fungi, but I think people are finally figuring it out.

Our obsession with perfect lawns, loading them down with insecticides and fertilizer, killing any grass that invades the sidewalk with Round-up, as well as treating weeds the same, is a good place to start. Things that kill are poisons. What might poison a bee, a butterfly or a toad can kill us as well. Maybe not quickly, but the bees didn't die quickly either. We've been spraying our crops and lawns with poisons for several decades. Or, perhaps it's the new genetically engineered plants that have insecticides built into them that are causing the problem. Regardless, I think we have to act, if we love our children and our grandchildren, or our hope of future grandchildren.

Companies that manufacture insecticides and herbicides don't care about our children and grandchildren. They don't even appear to care about their own. But they do care about money. The only way to change large companies' behavior is to cut off their supply of money. So, the next time you see a bare spot in your lawn, don't rush to the garden center to buy grub killer. The next time you see aphids on your roses or other flowers, don't grad the insecticide. The next time you see weeds in your flowerbed or in the cracks in your sidewalk, don't grab the Round-up. Get the weed wet and you can easily pull it out by the roots. Research natural ways to get rid of pests or wait for another beneficial insect like a lady bug or praying mantis to do it for you. Pay a little extra for organic vegetables and avoid genetically modified foods. I'm fine with genetic modification, but not at the expense of our beneficial insects. It might take a little more work, it might cost a little extra money, but aren't our children and their health worth it?

Large agricultural corporations like Monsanto would completely kill the planet if it would make them a few more bucks. Not buying Round-up won't do any good because Monsanto doesn't make most of their money through the consumer grade product. The big bucks are in the industrial product, which is used by most farmers and most of the food you eat has been genetically engineered by Monsanto to be Round-up resistant (they call it Round-up Ready). Unfortunately I don't see a solution unless everybody starts buying organic, which isn't going to happen. Americans are too addicted to getting things as cheap and as processed as possible. I am afraid the piper is going to have to be paid sooner or later. Every time humanity pushes too hard against nature, nature pushes back with a vengeance.

Betts...I swear, when I first moved to where I am living now (open fields on the N, S & W), there used to be hundreds of toads in the breezeways at night. We have a creek that runs along the East side of the apartment complex. So far this year (9 years later) I have seen 2 toads. I saw one Monarch butterfly in the past week. And I have seen only one Dragonfly this year. I am happy to report though, we (myself and 5 youngins) did capture about 200 or so Fireflies a few weeks back, before we set them free. I have also noticed that a lot more trees (in the square mile) are gone this year. Sad.

On the Roundup front, I checked about a year ago to see if Roundup could have a negative affect on bees (or any other critters for that matter) as I use it around the house. From everything I could find Roundup becomes inert the second it hits the ground. I would have to spray it directly on the bees to harm them - which might be happening if Roundup is being sprayed by the thousand gallons from a high pressure aerial sprayer.

On the Roundup front, I checked about a year ago to see if Roundup could have a negative affect on bees (or any other critters for that matter) as I use it around the house. From everything I could find Roundup becomes inert the second it hits the ground. I would have to spray it directly on the bees to harm them - which might be happening if Roundup is being sprayed by the thousand gallons from a high pressure aerial sprayer.

Lots of farmers and other ag. folk spray from planes and even though they fly low that stuff drifts and gets into the water supply.

I have stopped buying any fresh food that is not organic, and I'm trying to avoid processed food as much as possible. For people who think pesticides are safe for people, I would ask: Are you sure? Is it worth the risk?

Pesticide exposure during pregnancy may increase autism risk ? The Chart - CNN.com Blogs (http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/06/24/pesticide-exposure-during-pregnancy-may-increase-autism-risk/)

This is some interesting new research that's out.

Betts, thank you for posting this. I was actually going post something similar to this when I add a chance. This a serious problem that is going to have serious effects here pretty soon.

I would have no problem if our food production was cut in half.

I would have no problem if our food production was cut in half.

http://images.sodahead.com/polls/003281361/1026595590_side_eye_what_you_talking_about_willis1 _answer_2_xlarge.jpeg

Over 60% of the food grown in this country either spoils before it reaches the market or is thrown away by the end consumer. If we cut our production in half we would still be throwing away 10%.

I do know this for a fact...If the Walmart Neighborhood Market I grocery shop at from time-to-time didn't charge so much for avocadoes, I'd buy more and they wouldn't have to trash so many each week. And, yes, I do use ad match if the local ads have what's on my shopping list.

This is all just so sad. And the saddest part of all is that absolutely nothing will be done about it. Nothing.
(Speaking of disappearing "wildlife" . . . What ever happened to the hundreds of horned toads (a.k.a. "horny toads") that used to populate the local landscape?)

This is all just so sad. And the saddest part of all is that absolutely nothing will be done about it. Nothing.
(Speaking of disappearing "wildlife" . . . What ever happened to the hundreds of horned toads (a.k.a. "horny toads") that used to populate the local landscape?)

The solution begins in all of us. All you can do is look at your own life and the way you live, adjust accordingly, and then spread the word. If you are waiting for the 'rollin coal' types to go first then your right, nothing will be done.

Dennis brings up an interesting topic with the avocadoes. Since he lives in Oklahoma, and avocadoes aren't grown there should he be eating them at all? Does it make good use of the earth resources to move food around the planet vs. eating locally sourced foods? BTW - there are ways to grow any food in Oklahoma, it's just much cheaper (thanks to federal subsidies) to move food 3,000 miles than it is to grow it where the consumer is.

L3UhZYCJoAo

This is all just so sad. And the saddest part of all is that absolutely nothing will be done about it. Nothing.
(Speaking of disappearing "wildlife" . . . What ever happened to the hundreds of horned toads (a.k.a. "horny toads") that used to populate the local landscape?)

I believe they are hanging out along Robinson Avenue now.

8666

JTF...And I would love to buy my avocadoes from a California grower instead of Peru or Chili...or where ever they come from now (some do come from Mexico). Nothing beats a California grown avocado!

The solution begins in all of us. All you can do is look at your own life and the way you live, adjust accordingly, and then spread the word. If you are waiting for the 'rollin coal' types to go first then your right, nothing will be done.

That is exactly the problem. Most people don't seem to care about these types of issues at all. My wife and I don't use pesticides or herbicides. We don't waste water on a pet lawn. We've done some xeriscaping to make the lack of a lush lawn visually appealing in its own way. We even use the recycling bin provided for pickup by the city. If everyone played the game the same way our collective efforts might make a difference. The fact is, everyone doesn't and it is unlikely that fact will change in the near future. I hate to be so cynical and pessimistic here, yet all of our "personal" efforts in this connection are like the fable of that kid sticking his finger in the dike to prevent the ocean from flooding in while just down the road someone else is attacking the dike with a steam shovel.

p.s. I miss seeing the honeybees even though I'm highly allergic to their stings. Wasps, on the other hand, could all go extinct tomorrow and it wouldn't bother me a bit. =)

I believe they are hanging out along Robinson Avenue now.

8666

I wonder if Bro. Brian has any videos documenting that . . . =)

By using farmer's markets for produce and local bakers for bread you can eat a lot of locally grown food. Urban Agrarian and Native Roots carry meat which I suspect is produced in this state (I will check). Spend a little extra for healthy food and cut costs elsewhere (by driving less perhaps?). Economic pressure is one of the few drivers of behavior we have as individuals.

Don't buy plants at Home Depot, Lowes or Walmart: they're impregnated with pesticides. Home Depot is already responding by saying next year their pesticide impregnated plants will be so labeled. I'm not buying any until there aren't any that need to be labeled. Any plant with the logo "Proven Winner" is impregnated with pesticides as well. I'm also going to buy all plants from local markets. The caterpillars eating your plants are likely to grow up to be butterflies. They won't kill your plants. Tolerate a bit of messy vegetation. Those are all things we can do.

I think yard chemicals are a huge problem and pretty unnecessary beyond aesthetic value. We spot treat our yard to try and cut down on chemicals being introduced into the surrounding creeks etc. that surround our property. That said, we also water often (from a well), and there are plenty of tree huggers that will find fault with that too - trying to introduce more ground cover so we don't have to water so much or worry about weeds.

As for organic food - seems like everyone I know is organic this, organic that....... When the price is similar (within a few percent) I buy organic, otherwise I'm not convinced the hyped benefits match the price.

We can all point to this study and that study..... The fact is, IMO 'organic' has not been defined well enough legally so as to know you're getting what you think you're paying for.

Organic food still uses pesticides and many of the most popular ones have been scrutinized as being fairly dangerous because they have to be used in such great amounts to do the same job the synthetic pesticides do in a single application.

More than anything we keep our grocery bill as low as possible. We don't buy hardly any processed foods, make our own bread from scratch, and get our eggs fresh from some local hens. We buy as we need, when we need and that means far less is thrown away as spoiled. We also compost - though leaf composting is far more productive than food composting.

We also visit the local Farmer's Market every chance we get. As a hobby cook I've noticed that there is a SUBSTANCIAL difference in the quality of everything from the chicken to the potatoes that one can get there as compared to what is generally found at the grocery store. It might cost a little more, but the taste and texture makes up for that. And the fresh green beans . . . AMAZING. Plus they have various cheeses that are beyond description in terms of goodness.

I also like the mushrooms that are grown at J&M up there in Miami, OK.
Visiting the plant will convince you that the myth about "not washing mushrooms" is about bad advice. =)

We also visit the local Farmer's Market every chance we get. As a hobby cook I've noticed that there is a SUBSTANCIAL difference in the quality of everything from the chicken to the potatoes that one can get there as compared to what is generally found at the grocery store. It might cost a little more, but the taste and texture makes up for that. And the fresh green beans . . . AMAZING. Plus they have various cheeses that are beyond description in terms of goodness.

Had a neighbor bring us a bag of fresh green beans they had grown and a huge sack of plums. Unbelievable! Ate much of the plums and turned the rest to cobbler.

You just have to know and trust your local farmer who sells at the markets. Most look legit, but there have been several stories (nationally) of farmer's market farmers either using synthetic chemicals on their food or outright simply buying from a wholesaler and reselling as their own.

I can't wait to get our raised gardens in and the green house we've ordered.

Urban Neighbors has an organic garden behind Fassler Hall thanks to Midtown Renaissance and Shelley Pruitt. I'm hoping they don't need that land for awhile and it can grow even bigger.

Are there any Farmer's Markets out here in far NW OKC (NW Exp and Council)? I know the Children's Center in Bethany used to have a Farmer's Market to help raise funds for the Center.

I have been wanting to ask the apartment complex for years to let us start a vegetable garden out in the lower 40. No water. Folks are now growing tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, etc., in their breezeways in pots, and a few have started a vegetable garden along the outside walls of their apartment building, and simply filling the ole tater boiling pot with water and watering the veggies that way.

Would be terrific if we had a couple Rain Barrels here.

I've probably mentioned this before . . . Yet, a couple of years ago, my wife and I made a visit to an Organic Farm, in Wisconsin, run by a couple who were her friends and church associates many years ago.

The place was a tiny piece of paradise. It was the first time that I had seen chickens wandering around the yard, unfettered, since the ones that used to wander around my grandparents' place out in Shady Nook (on Old Highway 62). And the dogs and cats that shared the space knew better than to mess with them, partially on account of the roosters guarding their flock.

The "gentleman farmer" and homeowner--who oversaw the operation, mostly by himself--gave us a brief tour.

He raised a few cattle, some sheep and, of course, chickens. In addition to the permanent hen houses, he had these movable enclosures for chickens at certain stages of development. He pointed out the boundaries between the land he tended and the neighboring properties, the owners of which may or may not have shared his personal concern for the environment in terms of being "organic." He had about three John Deere tractors in the shed in various states of repair and restoration.

He explained how all of the butchering of the livestock was done "to order."

The roasted chicken we had for dinner that night was beyond superb--except for a slight glitch in the cooking timing by his sweet wife.
I rarely eat eggs, yet I couldn't resist the perfection of what hit the plate for breakfast the next morning.

I think her husband was able to afford all this by paying his dues working for Honeywell designing more efficient weapons systems.
I'm thankful that he decided to redirect his primary efforts and talents, in his semi-retirement.

I'm doing my part. Not only do I not water my lawn, I haven't mowed it in like a week and a half either.

Based on the last 10 posts I think it safe to say "nothing is being done" is not an accurate statement. More can be done sure, but even a 1,000 mile journey begins with a single step.

Over 60% of the food grown in this country either spoils before it reaches the market or is thrown away by the end consumer. If we cut our production in half we would still be throwing away 10%.

This reminds me of the giant garbage cans adjacent to the exit door of the lunchroom/cafeteria of the University Hill Elementary school I once attended. The problem was that the vegetables were overcooked. I guess. Thankfully, I once noticed a guy with a big truck picking up the leftovers. Probably to feed his hogs or whatever. And this would have been back in about '60. So, even then there were Environmentalists. =) Even before the first "Earth Day".

For those who haven't read it, the first 6 chapters of Howard Kunstler's book The Geography of Nowhere does a pretty decent job of explaining the destruction of the American family farm and local food supplies.

Based on the last 10 posts I think it safe to say "nothing is being done" is not an accurate statement. More can be done sure, but even a 1,000 mile journey begins with a single step.

One of only two trophies I ever actually won in my life was for "Second Place in the Optimist's Club Oratorical Contest".
The Speech Topic was: "Optimism: Spirit of Youth"
The other one was for "Being on The Sorriest Bowling Team at Olympic Lanes with the Most Improved Score".

The Optimist Club should have give you a second award for winning the "Being on The Sorriest Bowling Team at Olympic Lanes with the Most Improved Score" award.

The Optimist Club should have give you a second award for winning the "Being on The Sorriest Bowling Team at Olympic Lanes with the Most Improved Score" award.

That would be redundant. Wouldn't it? =)
(Kathy lee and Hoda are commenting on "Esquire Magazine Beauty at 42" and "Weird Al's Latest Vid" . . . hush up. =)

And this is exactly why our ecosystem is likely "Bee"-ing destroyed.
Distraction from what really matters, right now.
(or left now, if you are of the "Democrat" genome) =)

Sorry to interrupt the flow of idealism here . . . yet . . . (simply as a reminder) . . .
8woJQwu8Ai0

For those who haven't read it, the first 6 chapters of Howard Kunstler's book The Geography of Nowhere does a pretty decent job of explaining the destruction of the American family farm and local food supplies.

My Great-Great-Grandparents (Pierce/Hanlon) had 160 acres in Iowa. Sure wish that was still in the family. Now, it's probably a Walmart Supercenter.

Well if it helps, the 2,000 people who end up living in the 70 acres of Wheeler Park won't be living on 500 acres of plowed over nature at the suburban fringe. Turns out, living in a City is the most 'green' thing you can do.

My Great-Great-Grandparents (Pierce/Hanlon) had 160 acres in Iowa. Sure wish that was still in the family. Now, it's probably a Walmart Supercenter.

Funny you say that because I have friend whose family farm in 1996 is now a Pep Boys, Chase Bank, Aldi, and BJ's Wholesale Club. You can see it yourself with the magic of Google Earth at the corner of Henderson Lane and Monroe Road in Sanford, FL. Where their house was is now a shopping cart return stall for the BJs. No word from BJs and Aldi on how far the food they are selling travels to get there. Of course, they probably killed their fair share of bees so maybe on the bee front things are a wash.

Perhaps all further future "development"--on the Fringes of Urbanity--within The Vast Realm of OKC, for example--should include mandates for proper sidewalks and public beehives with keepers? Not to mention drainage concerns? Especially if heavily laden (money-wise) lawsuits begin to be filed at the grassroots level?

(okay . . . okay . . . that is subliminal optimism combined with bad bowling . . . and so it goes . . . =)

RM,
I read somewhere that the "horned frog" population in Oklahoma was pretty much eradicated by a disease (I believe they said it was similar to leukemia). You still find them in Texas, but not many, if any in Oklahoma.
C. T.
This is all just so sad. And the saddest part of all is that absolutely nothing will be done about it. Nothing.
(Speaking of disappearing "wildlife" . . . What ever happened to the hundreds of horned toads (a.k.a. "horny toads") that used to populate the local landscape?)

RM,
I read somewhere that the "horned frog" population in Oklahoma was pretty much eradicated by a disease (I believe they said it was similar to leukemia). You still find them in Texas, but not many, if any in Oklahoma.
C. T.

Glad to read that it wasn't Human Interference with The Environment that caused their demise.
They were about the only winsome lizards I can recall from my childhood.
Sort of like . . . The Guinea Pigs of Reptiles. =)

No kidding: There used to be hundreds of them around here (back in the late 50's to early 60's) and then there were none.
Is leukemia contagious? I don't think I've every encountered that theory . . .

Maybe you guys can start a horned frog repopulation effort. Go down to Texas, round up as many as you can, and bring them back to Oklahoma. Just let them go in your yard and see if the population increases.

The last one I have seen anywhere was in my yard in NW OKC, but that was about twenty years ago.

The solution begins in all of us. All you can do is look at your own life and the way you live, adjust accordingly, and then spread the word. If you are waiting for the 'rollin coal' types to go first then your right, nothing will be done.

Dennis brings up an interesting topic with the avocadoes. Since he lives in Oklahoma, and avocadoes aren't grown there should he be eating them at all? Does it make good use of the earth resources to move food around the planet vs. eating locally sourced foods? BTW - there are ways to grow any food in Oklahoma, it's just much cheaper (thanks to federal subsidies) to move food 3,000 miles than it is to grow it where the consumer is.

L3UhZYCJoAo

You can have my avocados when you can pry them from my cold dead hands... Aside from avocados I agree with you and appears we are nudging ever so slightly in that direction.

You can have my avocados when you can pry them from my cold dead hands... Aside from avocados I agree with you and appears we are nudging ever so slightly in that direction.

Can I have your discarded Weird Al Yankovic 8-Tracks too? =)
(the one's with the unsimulated accordion soloriffs . . .)

Here's a Scientific American article about RoundUp. Make your own conclusions. I will never touch the stuff again.

Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells - Scientific American (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/)

...Urban Agrarian and Native Roots carry meat which I suspect is produced in this state (I will check)...

Native Roots carries Wichita Buffalo Company (http://www.sandyspringsfarms.com/) meats (I think UA does too). Yes, as the name suggests they carry tasty, lean bison meat, but they also have great beef (I'm particularly fond of their ribeyes and filets). All of their meat is raised on a great ranch down near Hinton, which is itself worth a visit if you ever get a chance. It's not cheap of course, but rarely is anything that's actually worth consuming.

RM,
I read somewhere that the "horned frog" population in Oklahoma was pretty much eradicated by a disease (I believe they said it was similar to leukemia). You still find them in Texas, but not many, if any in Oklahoma.
C. T.
Was told sometime ago, by a friend who works in the wildlife dept., that the demise of the red ant population in the state is the main reason for the declining population of horned toads. The red ant was the main food source and when they started being killed out, so went the horny toad. I've assumed this to be true since I know there are nowhere near the amount of red ants around as I remember growing up. Red ant hills were pretty common, even in our neighborhood environment, when I was growing up. Now if my kids see one it's cause to stop and stare. I wonder if the fear of "fire ants" moving into Oklahoma was responsible for killing them out? If this was coupled with some sort of leukemia like disease, it would explain the absolute decimation of the horned toad population in these parts.

I suspect insecticides played a part. I don't know how common fire ants are around here. I haven't had the "pleasure" of disturbing a fire ant nest in OKC, but have in Atlanta. That's a memorable experience.

I haven't heard of any this far north but, yeah, I think the fear of them led people to wipe out most of the red ant hills around here.

Over 60% of the food grown in this country either spoils before it reaches the market or is thrown away by the end consumer. If we cut our production in half we would still be throwing away 10%.

I normally agree with a lot of what you say, but wouldn't you prefer we not cut production but make better use of what we grow and then cut production by 10%?

From the National Institutes of Health: "It is commonly believed that Roundup is among the safest pesticides. This idea is spread by manufacturers, mostly in the reviews they promote [39, 40], which are often cited in toxicological evaluations of glyphosate-based herbicides. However, Roundup was found in this experiment to be 125 times more toxic than glyphosate. Moreover, despite its reputation, Roundup was by far the most toxic among the herbicides and insecticides tested. This inconsistency between scientific fact and industrial claim may be attributed to huge economic interests, which have been found to falsify health risk assessments and delay health policy decisions [41].

Http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC395666/

I don't really consider myself much a tree-hugger (although I'm def trending in that direction), but relying on well water has made me really hesitant to employ any chemicals around my property. I'm finding myself more and more opposed to using pesticides and herbicides as time goes on.

I don't really consider myself much a tree-hugger (although I'm def trending in that direction), but relying on well water has made me really hesitant to employ any chemicals around my property. I'm finding myself more and more opposed to using pesticides and herbicides as time goes on.

How deep is your well? Top dressing shouldn't affect a well. Ponds, lakes rivers, etc...yes.

Rover,
I agree, in fact won't most anything be filtered by the time it reaches my water (or should I say "if it reaches my water"?)? My pump is 142 feet deep but they hit water at 65 feet. The nearest pond(s) are about half a mile from my house and Deep Fork is about the same.
C. T.
How deep is your well? Top dressing shouldn't affect a well. Ponds, lakes rivers, etc...yes.

I have 2 big Silver Leaf Maples. One in front, the other in my backyard. Can't get much grass to grow underneath the canopies of both trees but it doesn't bother me. Mulch my grass and my leaves and let them decompose in this big open top box thingy I made from old pallets. The earthworms and pill bugs love that little place.

How deep is your well? Top dressing shouldn't affect a well. Ponds, lakes rivers, etc...yes.

Intellectually, I understand that you're telling the truth, but still find myself reluctant.

Tulsa beekeeper's plea: Don't spray the bees - Tulsa World: Home & Garden (http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/homeandgarden/tulsa-beekeeper-s-plea-don-t-spray-the-bees/article_dd5aee2c-92c7-53e0-8b20-8d0bb749e7d6.html)