Flights cancelled? Face plant.

Come goats, sheep, horses, or cows, they take a kickin’ and keep on existin’.

Flyin’ high. (Attitude like Honey Badgers who don’t give…)

Well, some people poked around – probing for answers. (Probably took more than water boarding to pull the secret out.)

What deep dark secret lurks? ©

So smug. Even simplest vegetation most expert.

• Takes the cruelest cuts, without broadcasting blame
• Adapt as needed. Without self promotion and ego.
• Flexible, but grounded
• Uses the benefits of their roots, yet avoids getting strangling by them
• Able to find that place in the sun and flourish without apologies and demands.

And they though no one would notice! 

Doves, not stool pigeons. ©

Scientists, despite species developmental delay, have squeeze out a bit of truth.

What’s inside can redirect danger from the outside.

Monarch butterflies (always knew they were weak and flighty) gave it up that Milkweed’s devised a plan.

Asclepias turbersa (If ever a nickname was needed. Milkweed:  a tough nickname with serious street cred)

Milkweed, is a village philanthropist. A green Bruce Wayne.

Provides food for migrating Monarchs as well as a nursery for their young. Nurturing and protecting many others.

But the milkweed, delighting no doubt in the flashy arm candy, distributes a dark defense to some: a toxin, cardiac glycocides, in the foliage which makes adult butterflies taste yucky to predators like birds and lizard.

Of course, as in any society, there’s a few rebels who misuse substances, but generally it all works pretty well. Read more about the entire drama of a milkweed village here.)

Why do all the social butterflies get all the acclaim while the ones providing support get chopped? (Bernese Carnival 2010. Sandstein/Commons.wikimedia.org)

Some observant humans stumbled upon the milkweed’s plan. Decided to mimic it.

Scientists managed to find a way to make food crop plants poisonous to insects.

HA! Take that crop killing corn rootworm!

Nicotine was used as an insecticide since the late 17th century.

In 1994 neonicotinoids was introduced as a new class of insecticides. (“Relatively harmless” to mammals? Like cars and guns are “relatively harmless” to toddlers? On the surface, “relatively” contradictory )

Neonicotinoids now coat seeds as preventative medicine. These substances become an intrinsic part of the plant as it grows.

Sounds like a good idea.

Of course the copy is never as good as the original. (Milkweed silent on that.)

One of the big oopsies is hungry bees. No longer does clover, wild flowers, and weeds that bees, butterflies, and pollinators   require grow between crop rows. Cupboard is bare.

Even bigger possible oopsie is the dozens of new scientific studies that low doses of neonicotinoids may not kill bees immediately, but can damage their navigational and communication skills. Bees can get lost. (and the Queen mistakenly brands them as AWOL? Defamation of character or slander? Either way, it’s an angry buzz.)

What if the only memories of butterflies and bees were from costumes and art? (NOLA.Krewe of Muses/Muses07Butterlies/ inforgmation/B.Kimmel/ Commons.wikimedia.org)

People are going to need more than people if bees and pollinators disappear. (But we have drones, right?)

Some $15 billion a year in food crops depend on bees for pollination.

Currently, the seed coating practice is so widespread, farmers buying seeds have few options.

So there’s the buzz. Now what? Individuals can do something easy.

• Have an inch of outdoor space on balcony, window, or yard? How about planting some milkweed, crimson clover, or a hardy flowering plant?
• The bee you feed today may be help make your dinner tomorrow.
• Support local organic farmers when possible. They pay more for seeds that’s aren’t coated.

Stay informed

• “Fields of green becoming desert for bees”
• Forbes (Feb.2014) Does evidence show no problem? “Pressure builds to rethink ban.”
• Guardian (July, 2014) “Neonicotinoids linked to recent fall in farmland bird numbers”
• “Bee activist: EU ban on neonicotinoids undermined by national derogation” (Sept.9, 2014)
• “Congressional briefing on neonicotinoid pesticides and human health this week” (Sept.18, 2014.American Honey Association)
• Of course there are governments, agencies, and elected official that may be contacted about your concerns.

As milkweed says, “It takes a smart village.”

Worst comes to worst, we can use technology to show what species once looked like in the air. Maybe drones could be used to spread pollen for agriculture? Oh. sorry. Spreading pollen might be considered a Weapon of Mass Annoyance (Nano Hummingbird surveillance and reconnaissance/DARPA/US PD:gov.employee/Commons.wikimedia.org)

Could just stick your head in the clouds and hope NASA is able to create some out of this world food farms. Just too much to think about. Too much pressure. Really doesn’t effect…

Life’s all about recognizing something important when it will make a difference.

“Just like that, my eyes became Big John’s, needing to know, wanting to make the best decision and from that day forward, accountable.”

Sounds like someone you ought to know. So read more here.

A whole different way of looking at things.

Flying outta here after planting all that,

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.

For many, flying is life. (The Flapper.Frank X.Leyendecker/Life Magazine cover, 1922/US PD.pub.date/Commons.wikimedia.org)

 

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