wetthrough
Well-known member
Is it not possible that the lack of bugs on windscreens is in part due to improved aerodynamics of cars? It's not as if all the bugs have disappeared is it.
The greatest worry for mankind
- Thread starter Jeff Woodhouse
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POLEMINATOR
Well-known member
I actually considered asking that myself, it crossed my mind but I know nothing about aerodynamics which is strange because I'm an f1 fan lol
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It’s not that at all, there are still vertical parts of the design in most cars, (bumper parts etc.) and if there were bugs they’d find them like a magnet.
It’s simple, there is less vegetation as every year passes by and what vegetation there is becomes increasingly subject to stuff that’s poisonous to critters.
It’s simple, there is less vegetation as every year passes by and what vegetation there is becomes increasingly subject to stuff that’s poisonous to critters.
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POLEMINATOR
Well-known member
Are GM crops still a thing ? I remember reading some of them were genetically made resistant to pests, poisonous to them I think
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rich66
Well-known member
I actually thought it was just my car I bought a new car (to me) a couple of years back that’s when I really started to see the difference, but as a Mini is not that aerodynamic I was wondering if it shoved them out of the way lol
POLEMINATOR
Well-known member
If it's a mini probably not going fast enough to squash them lol
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rich66
Well-known member
Lol It’s a new mini a bit quicker than my dads old 850cc one we had in the 70’s
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
Fly life in rivers is a worry. There does appear to be less than we used to see whether it's damselflies, or mayfly. I attended a Citizen's Science Forum at London Zoo last November, as I always try to (it was known as the Eel Forum before), and one lady spoke about fly life and what could be killing them.
She pointed to one fact being that we now use anti-bacterial soaps in the bathroom and that the chemicals are escaping through the sewage treatment works and killing fly life in the rivers. It made me think, but then we have a small river that is 95% treated sewage and it has quite a good bit of fly life in it. True, we would like to see someone start to monitor the fly life by performing kick samples throughout the year.
Just as an example though, we (the association who controls fishing on it) installed some spawning boards with nets hanging off and this summer, well after the spawning season, I lifted a couple of boards and they were crawling with gammarus (water shrimps). However, I am now told that gammarus do well in water slightly contaminated by sewage and that I can understand except that I am told this water is almost of drinking water quality!
It's all so confusing. And then there's endocrine disruptors and microplastics and nanoplastics. We really are killing ourselves in time.
She pointed to one fact being that we now use anti-bacterial soaps in the bathroom and that the chemicals are escaping through the sewage treatment works and killing fly life in the rivers. It made me think, but then we have a small river that is 95% treated sewage and it has quite a good bit of fly life in it. True, we would like to see someone start to monitor the fly life by performing kick samples throughout the year.
Just as an example though, we (the association who controls fishing on it) installed some spawning boards with nets hanging off and this summer, well after the spawning season, I lifted a couple of boards and they were crawling with gammarus (water shrimps). However, I am now told that gammarus do well in water slightly contaminated by sewage and that I can understand except that I am told this water is almost of drinking water quality!
It's all so confusing. And then there's endocrine disruptors and microplastics and nanoplastics. We really are killing ourselves in time.
steve2
Well-known member
Problem is that most people do not care about insects and would be happy to see less of them. Just look at the amount of insect sprays available for most types of insect.
Also I don't think many really care if lions, tigers etc become extinct and does it really matter? Whatever we do animals will become extinct with population growth and the need for more and more land for growing crops. The remaining large animals will be seen in zoos for controlled breeding but will never be seen in the wild. You can't return animals to land that no longer exists.
Also I don't think many really care if lions, tigers etc become extinct and does it really matter? Whatever we do animals will become extinct with population growth and the need for more and more land for growing crops. The remaining large animals will be seen in zoos for controlled breeding but will never be seen in the wild. You can't return animals to land that no longer exists.
Generally our society and lifestyle have changed dramatically. So many of us live in our overheated homes, walk to our air-conditioned cars, step into air-conditioned malls or offices etc.
I am always amazed at how ignorant and disinterested so many people are regarding nature and our countryside issues.
Yes, we use too many chemicals which must leach into our waterways. Despite some campaigns insecticides are being used which are harmful in ways still not recognised. For instance the bee numbers are down by 60% (so important for plant pollination!) but neoncicides (spelling?) affect the bee's brains and they are then unable to find their nest when trying to return and die.
There are medicines, chemicals, products, farming methods which are known to adversely effect our ecology but still continue to be used and carried out.
All this rain that we have had, how much has been saved and stored? Sorry, stupid question!!!
Are the water companies (apparently mostly foreign owned) doing all they can to produce truly clean water or are they working to minimum acceptable standards?
In a few days time we are leaving the EU. I really hope that we will be able to bring in legislation to combat pollution, stop dangerous chemicals, promote cleaner water, etc, etc.
I am always amazed at how ignorant and disinterested so many people are regarding nature and our countryside issues.
Yes, we use too many chemicals which must leach into our waterways. Despite some campaigns insecticides are being used which are harmful in ways still not recognised. For instance the bee numbers are down by 60% (so important for plant pollination!) but neoncicides (spelling?) affect the bee's brains and they are then unable to find their nest when trying to return and die.
There are medicines, chemicals, products, farming methods which are known to adversely effect our ecology but still continue to be used and carried out.
All this rain that we have had, how much has been saved and stored? Sorry, stupid question!!!
Are the water companies (apparently mostly foreign owned) doing all they can to produce truly clean water or are they working to minimum acceptable standards?
In a few days time we are leaving the EU. I really hope that we will be able to bring in legislation to combat pollution, stop dangerous chemicals, promote cleaner water, etc, etc.
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
Back in the summer of 2018 I did a couple of kick samples on the shallows on the Dorset Stour. I'd done similar about 15 years ago . I was amazed how little insect life there was in the weed beds compared to the previous time; no caddis, no jokers. As a kid one of my mainstay baits was caddis grubs in the Piddle but hard to find any today; that river was one of the purest in England back then (circa 1970).
mikench
Well-known member
I do hope our standards don't decline after we leave the EU but suspect they will. Mind you the overuse of insecticides, antibiotics and chemicals generally are a world wide problem. Space and other planets may offer hope long term if if only to have a vast universe to pollute.
POLEMINATOR
Well-known member
Some of me thinks nature will survive, its built to survive,
I'm on a council estate, I've got a tiny garden pond with not much plants in it at all,
Yet every year we get female emperor dragon fly laying eggs in our pond,
Now there supposed to like big heavily planted waters ?
When habitats change creates can adapt to the habitat
Nature has a habit of finding it's way
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I'm on a council estate, I've got a tiny garden pond with not much plants in it at all,
Yet every year we get female emperor dragon fly laying eggs in our pond,
Now there supposed to like big heavily planted waters ?
When habitats change creates can adapt to the habitat
Nature has a habit of finding it's way
Sent from my SM-J330FN using Tapatalk
spoonminnow
Well-known member
Environmental issues are not simple to address nor universally agreed upon - especially not in the U.S. Too many times money talks, environment walks and what is necessary for the protection of animal life and habitat is more about who makes the most money or gets re-elected (the clown occupying the White House included).
Los Angeles, California air pollution to this day almost requires a gas mask or closed vent and car windows in order to avoid breathing the smoke cloud that is present daily driving on it's most trafficked highway. You can't tell me no one knows who or what causes it and what laws are being violated. Again, $$$ talks, violatores walk.
I see a layer of white smoke from wood burning stoves covering the area when there is no wind in winter. There is a law that states how much opacity the smoke coming out of a chimney should not reach in order to be legal. No enforcement means no air quality protection. Where are the officers that are supposed to pass out the fines as they would on large construction sites that are news items?
West Point Military Academy toxic chemical dumps years ago have been found to make drinking water unsafe to drink in two large city reservoirs miles downstream. The ponds near those dumps are dead. Who was held accountable in management who worked for the federal government at a time when the laws were in effect? I'm talking about our FEDERAL GOVERNMENT for chrise sake !
18 of the top most polluted cities in the world are in India.
In my rural area thousands of acres of corn and soybean are being replaced by solar panel companies. Granted, solar energy is helpful in reducing air pollution vs fossil fuel burning, but plants produce oxygen and promote insect populations. Guess no one is even thinking about the lasting effect of solar farm agricultural / environmental destruction much less the real lack of consumer energy benefit in the form of lowered monthly bills.
As far as population, China has addressed it with their birth number restrictions law. Hopefully it is enforced more than environmental protection laws in the US.
Los Angeles, California air pollution to this day almost requires a gas mask or closed vent and car windows in order to avoid breathing the smoke cloud that is present daily driving on it's most trafficked highway. You can't tell me no one knows who or what causes it and what laws are being violated. Again, $$$ talks, violatores walk.
I see a layer of white smoke from wood burning stoves covering the area when there is no wind in winter. There is a law that states how much opacity the smoke coming out of a chimney should not reach in order to be legal. No enforcement means no air quality protection. Where are the officers that are supposed to pass out the fines as they would on large construction sites that are news items?
West Point Military Academy toxic chemical dumps years ago have been found to make drinking water unsafe to drink in two large city reservoirs miles downstream. The ponds near those dumps are dead. Who was held accountable in management who worked for the federal government at a time when the laws were in effect? I'm talking about our FEDERAL GOVERNMENT for chrise sake !
18 of the top most polluted cities in the world are in India.
In my rural area thousands of acres of corn and soybean are being replaced by solar panel companies. Granted, solar energy is helpful in reducing air pollution vs fossil fuel burning, but plants produce oxygen and promote insect populations. Guess no one is even thinking about the lasting effect of solar farm agricultural / environmental destruction much less the real lack of consumer energy benefit in the form of lowered monthly bills.
As far as population, China has addressed it with their birth number restrictions law. Hopefully it is enforced more than environmental protection laws in the US.
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no-one in particular
Well-known member
Another new virus in China, natures natural way of controlling population. The more we multiply the more they multiply. If they don't kill us they weaken us and reduce fertility and birth rates. Aids , Ebola, whats next, some deadly flu virus maybe, I read that Polio is making a comeback and measles; we only temporarily beat nature but it will win in the end. Population control is in natures hands not ours.
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steve2
Well-known member
Virus will become the biggest killer with population growth the closer people live together the quicker virus spreads. Due to fake news jab uptake for some virus is lower already.
theartist
Well-known member
We've already dumped stuff on the moon and one reason alien life hasn't contacted us much could be the amount of junk satellites we got floating round the planet. Should we discover something of value up there we will exploit and litter further, yet the most valuable things we have here, hell we can't even keep the verges of our roads free of filth so it's a good thing we are far too primitive to get any distance into space
I wonder also if the world going vegan will lead to even less insects as many of them seem to like living on animal poo and they don't seem to do too well on arable land.
steve2
Well-known member
Going vegan will mean less insects due to the amount of veg insects and grubs eat unless we switch to GM crops which in turn leads to less insects.
At least insects don't normally eat global warming meat unless it's dead.
At least insects don't normally eat global warming meat unless it's dead.