Monarch Butterflies: Latest Victims of Monsanto

I guess if your not upset enough with what Monsanto is doing to the world's population, you can now get steaming mad at the demise of nature's purest beauties.

How much is enough Monsanto execs.? No material object you could buy with your ill gotten gains could hold a shadow to the beauty of the Monarch Butterfly.

Monarch Butterflies: Latest Victims of Monsanto

by Jill Ettinger

The rampant planting of genetically modified seeds is threatening the survival of monarch butterflies, the orange and black speckled species common—and critical—to Midwest farmers, according to a new study published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity.

The exact cause for the monarch population declines is debated among scientists, but the latest research cites the destruction of milkweed—the plant where the butterfly lays her eggs—as the main cause for the rapidly declining populations. Between 1999 and 2009, milkweed on Iowa farms declined by 90 percent.

Monarchs are migratory pollinators, playing an important role in the propagation of a number of plants throughout the country.

Milkweed is a common target for Roundup, the glyphosate based pesticide manufactured by the biotech corporation Monsanto, and used to kill weeds that threaten its GM Roundup Ready corn and soybeans, which are genetically designed to be resistant to the chemical.

The number of genetically modified crops being grown in the U.S. are staggering: Just this year, almost 95 percent of soybeans and more than 70 percent of corn will be adulterated seeds by biotech giants like Monsanto. The more GM crops are planted, the more Roundup and other glyphosate pesticides are used. According to the EPA, since the Roundup Ready crops were introduced in 1993, use of the pesticide has increased at least ten-fold.

But, milkweed may be declining for other reasons, too. Some scientists have pointed to urban sprawl, logging and other environmentally destructive practices besides the increase in genetically modified crops. And, there are other scientists who maintain that butterfly populations are not facing as significant a loss as speculated in the latest study.

Monarch Butterflies: Latest Victims of Monsanto

Very Prophetic ATS Post from 3/31/10

Originally posted by hthjason
Well, I'd bet the farm that Monsanto has something to do with this. Watch this:

topdocumentaryfilms.com...

There are numerous other youtube videos about Monsanto, too.

I live in an area where Monarchs spend the summer and they are clearly down in numbers. Jason

General Information GMO YouTube Video - NOT Specifically about the Monarch Butterfly GMO Monsanto Issue:

Is nothing sacred to these people.
Why must they keep messing with mother nature, she will punish us all if this keep's happening.

It certainly seems like there are no monarchs around my parts and usually they are everywhere. Monsanto's monkeying around with Mother Nature being the reason wouldn't surprise me at all.

Monsanto voted Most Evil Corporation of the Year by NaturalNews readers

After taking nominations for the Most Evil Corporation of the Year survey from our readers, we hosted an online survey that allowed readers to vote on this question. Over 16,000 readers voted in our online survey from January 5 through 9, 2011.

Astonishingly, fifty-one percent of all votes went to Monsanto as the Most Evil Corporation of the year. This means Monsanto wins the top prize by a huge margin.

On a side note, a friend was mentioning the other day how he hasn't been seeing any bees this year and that his two apple trees will not be producing any apples this year because no bees have been around to pollinate the apple blossoms.

Yeah, Mother Nature is not going to be putting up with sh#t much longer it seems. The omnipotent, know-it-all, never say never human race is quite likely about to get a lesson in humility. And that lesson could be quite painful and dreaded.

Hope I'm wrong!

But, milkweed may be declining for other reasons, too. Some scientists have pointed to urban sprawl, logging and other environmentally destructive practices besides the increase in genetically modified crops. And, there are other scientists who maintain that butterfly populations are not facing as significant a loss as speculated in the latest study

One of Monsanto's crop patents is for genetic resistance to their own product, Roundup (a weed killer - just Google "roundup+ready+patent"). They've sold and we (directed at Americans) have dumped/used so much weed killer into the environment that the company that makes the product is now the only source for plant genes that can survive in this toxic environment. Monarch Butterflies? Just another casualty in this globalist company's desire for genetic domination.

I noticed that there were no butterflies several years ago. The only time I see them is when I am hiking far away from cities and farms. I did see some bumblebees this year, and it seems like there are more than in prior years, as I had not seem them for a while.

The other day I actually saw a Monarch, and it reminded me that I used to see them all the time. All of these things that we are doing are going to have long term effects. People can go on pretending that all is well, right up until it is not, then it will be too late.

Thank you for thread. Across a major road from my home, is/was a beautiful patch of milkweed. I grow abundance of wildflowers, so this year, I waited patiently for these beautiful milkweed to bloom and watch the monarch flutter over to my home for the Mexican torches and other wildflowers I plant for them and the Hummingbirds. As I was washing my dishes, I see a state truck with a sprayer, killing all the beautiful flowers.

Every year, I usually see them approaching and able to stop them. I am so heartsick, but I can guarantee next year I will have milkweed growing in my yard.

The area they spray, is only a small plot of ground by a creek with beautiful wildflowers that all of birds and butterflies enjoy. Nothing around it to even warrant their ignorant actions.It was a beautiful plot of ground by a state road that actually looked like it was professionally planted, and now, ugly,yellow and dying plants.

I am sick.

A few years ago I decided to spend my birthday alone sitting on top of a mountain. As I sat on the edge of a cliff with a view that went for miles something very special appeared - first it was one then in two's and singly all throughout the day a parade of Monarchs was struggling against the wind heading south in their fall migration. They flew by just barely out of reach and I was amazed at how easily they flew into a headwind. I must have seen at least 100 of these awesome little fellows - so small and frail yet they can fly thousands of miles to reach their wintering places.
A full moon was rising as the sun was setting and still a few butterflies were flying, showing their silhouettes in front of a giant full moon. I was so fortunate to witness this spectacle in person under such beautiful circumstances.

Monsanto is so wrong in blindly eradicating all weeds that compete with food crops. Monarch catterpillars feed exclusively on the milkweed family of plants, all of which Monsanto considers "weeds".
There is no such thing as a weed, only plants that we fail to recognize the importance and uses for.
When we start playing God and deciding which species will live and which will die we have reached the very height of arrogance and stupidity. We are not wise enough to know how to keep nature in balance and the more we fool around with it the more nature struggles to repair the damages we've caused.
If their products are not stopped, their products will stop us through side effects on nature and humans that they either cover up or lie about.
To think that what I was privileged to watch - the monarch migration - may be something future generations will not see is heartbreaking, it really is.
It's coming down to them or us.
I'll choose the side the Monarchs are on.

And don't forget who dumps a TON of money into Monsanto - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

b/c for some reason, some people that have eyes wide open where Monsanto is concerned, think that Bill is the world's new savior or something.

Much more in-depth article regarding GMO's, Monsanto & Monarch Butterflies:
In Midwest, Butterflies May Be Far Fewer.

WINTER HABITAT Pupils from Angangueo, a mountain town in Michoacan state in Mexico, during a celebration of migration of the monarch butterfly. Not anymore. Fields are now planted with genetically modified corn and soybeans resistant to the herbicide Roundup, allowing farmers to spray the chemical to eradicate weeds, including milkweed.

And while that sounds like good news for the farmers, a growing number of scientists fear it is imperiling the monarch butterfly, whose spectacular migrations make it one of the most beloved of insects — “the Bambi of the insect world,” as an entomologist once put it. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed, and their larvae eat it. While the evidence is still preliminary and disputed, experts like Chip Taylor say the growing use of genetically modified crops is threatening the orange-and-black butterfly by depriving it of habitat.

“This milkweed has disappeared from at least 100 million acres of these row crops,” said Dr. Taylor, an insect ecologist at the University of Kansas and director of the research and conservation program Monarch Watch. “Your milkweed is virtually gone.”

The primary evidence that monarch populations are in decline comes from a new study showing a drop over the last 17 years of the area occupied by monarchs in central Mexico, where many of them spend the winter. The amount of land occupied by the monarchs is thought to be a proxy for their population size.

“This is the first time we have the data that we can analyze statistically that shows there’s a downward trend,” said Ernest H. Williams, a professor of biology at Hamilton College and an author of the study along with Dr. Taylor and others.

The paper, published online by the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity, attributes the decrease partly to the loss of milkweed from use of “Roundup Ready” crops. Other causes, it says, are the loss of milkweed to land development, illegal logging at the wintering sites in Mexico, and severe weather.

In Midwest, Butterflies May Be Far Fewer.

This is the kind of thing that makes me wanna cry. I LOVE Monarchs - they are my favorite along with the yellow Swallowtails. I grew up with them, I raised them, I made sure milkweed was around because of them returning the next year. Where I am now, I allowed Milkweed to take over a small garden of mine in hopes that monarchs would come and lay their eggs. They have come, but they left again and I have been watching for eggs but ain't seen any . I have even considered local monarch hunting and letting them go after they hatch.

I knew I wasn't crazy when I saw less and less of these wonderful butterflies. I was kinda hoping it was my area, but this basically confirms the real reason there's hardly any around.

I am going to keep the seeds from the milkweed this year and in the spring, I will spread them everywhere I can find that might not get mowed down to hopefully tempt them to breed around here. I know I am only one person, but hey, I care a lot about this planet, I'm in tune with her and her nature and so many things bring instant tears to my eyes so I do everything I can to help.

Thank you for this post, OP.
I have not seen 1 monarch this summer. I used to see hundreds of them. I actually don't see many butterflies at all this year. Just a few here and there. Don't see many honey bees or bumble bees either. Just lots of flies, mosquitos and fleas this summer!

What a crying shame this has become. Once nature is truly destroyed, they might as well take me too.
I grew up understanding and appreciating nature and doing my best to protect it. I still rehabilitate baby wild orphanned animals to this day. It is my purpose for being on earth...

Maybe if we all pray Comet Elenin will hit Monsanto's headquarters....God will destroy this world and create a new one for us.


We would have been better off under Adolph Hitler. An Environmentalist Nazi is better than what we currently have hellbent on ending life on Earth.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Hope this can help you relive that amazing day:

Recommended For All To Remember What Is Being Stolen From This Earth --

What's the big problem? All we need is a genetically-modified strain of milkweed that's Roundup-resistant...

</sarcasm>

disgusting. monsanto is like a virus. it infiltraits the very cells of host in order to beifit itself. and now its killing off anything else in the system. something must be done now.

reply to post by EyeHeartBigfoot


Thank you for posting those videos, how very thoughtful of you to do so. Another thing I got to witness was a dragonfly larvae I saw coming out of the water. I sat down and watched as it climbed a plant stem then slowly struggled to break free of it's former shell. It's wings slowly unfolded and straightened as it adjusted to it's new life out of the water. With hardly a wiggle of it's wings, it just took off and disappeared all in the space of maybe 2 hours.

I just wanted to relay to everyone try to spend at least an hour if not more - just sitting, watching, taking in everything around you and forgetting about yourself. This has helped me to connect with nature in such a deep and meaningful way that I wanted to suggest it to others. Not a group activity to be sure, but sit long enough and you will realize you are far, far from being alone.

Another plant for monarchs is butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), it has orange flowers, is very hardy, drought resistant as well as being a perennial that will come back year after year. Although it is a lot of fun to spread the regular milkweed seeds on their way too!

Man, this is truly getting out of hand.

Nope, haven't seen any Monarchs this year. I haven't seen any butterflies, so far this year. Although, perhaps some of those flying critters that I call moths could be butterflies. And what is happening to the lightning bugs? I live where there's a huge field across the road from my house. I mean, really huge. And I used to be able to watch a beautiful light show at night. Now, hardly any lightning bugs at all. Hardly any honey bees. I saw one wasp so far. And only saw two June Bugs. Not that I'm complaining about Japanese Beetles, but I haven't had to launch an attack on them this year like I usually do.

Nothing is eating at my vegetable garden this year. Sounds good, yes?

My blackberries I was able to harvest almost all of them. Not even very many birds to pick at them like they have in the past. That could be because of he cats, maybe.

It's all going away.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


I know a bit off topic, but in response to your post...

It took a bit longer to find a suitable Nymph to Dragonfly vid but this one is incredible.

Hope the Dragonfly never becomes endangered like the Monarch Butterfly.

ENJOY

YouTube Video Link

reply to post by DBCooper71


I hope she just punishes those responsible, i think she knows who they are.

Yes, and what a sick world we have become accustomed to...today on my way through our small town, I noticed a 'gas station worker' employee hand spraying the 'cracks' in the pavement near the tanks, etc...to kill the weeds. Ah, yes...it must look pretty...at all costs. At all costs. What a world we are making for our children...Monsanto and all your cronies...you have raped the American farmer and his families with your sick seeds and your clubs and organizations of spray spray spray or be left behind. So sick. I get so angry. I am a farmwife. I see this firsthand. I am so angry.