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Climate Brief:Dimming Lights: Are Fireflies Endangered? What’s Causing Their Decline? [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-07-09
Fireflies are vanishing—but you can help protect them.Experts offer tips on how to make a home for the beloved bioluminescent insects in your own backyard—from creating a microhabitat to keeping your lights off. www.nationalgeographic.com/…
Researcher Sara Lewis and co-author Sonny Wong published an article in BioScience magazine called A Global Perspective on Firefly Extinction Threats in early 2020, leading other scientists and conservation enthusiasts to take up the cause.
They wrote, “Despite evidence of declines, a comprehensive review of the conservation status and threats facing the approximately 2000 firefly species worldwide is lacking.”
In January 2019, they conducted a survey to discover which factors have the greatest impacts on firefly numbers so that conservation efforts would finally have the data they need.
Unfortunately, one of their findings was that they were still data deficient to properly assess whether some species of fireflies are endangered, but people have to start somewhere.
They did find that habitat loss, pesticide use, light pollution, poor water quality, invasive species like the red imported fire ant, and climate change were the most serious perceived threats to fireflies
worldanimalfoundation.org/…
They evaluated 128 species and found that 11% of species were threatened with extinction, 2% are near threatened, and 33% were categorized as being “of least concern” for the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.
The most threatened species are the ones that face the worst degradation of their limited natural habitats
News Light Pollution is Out of Control Concern over global light pollution is growing. Astronomers are noticing its growing effect on astronomical observations, just as predicted in prior decades. Our artificial light, much of which is not strictly necessary, is interfering with our science. But there’s more than just scientific progress at stake. Can humanity afford to block out the opportunities for wonder, awe, and contemplation that the night sky provides? We’ve all seen satellite images of Earth at night, with glittering interconnected cities lit up like strings of holiday lights. These images show us how our global civilization has grown, how we’ve made progress, and how advanced we’ve become. But in reality, what we’re seeing is also light pollution. And we’re beginning to pay a price for that pollution. www.universetoday.com/… . A Grid Collapse Would Make a Heat Wave Far Deadlierwww.wired.com/… . HOME TECH Business Insider An AI robot gave a side-eye and dodged the question when asked whether it would rebel against its human creator . Death and dying Boil in the bag’ environmentally friendly funerals With a lower carbon footprint than gas-fired cremation, the process is described as ‘gentler on the body and kinder on the environment . TV meteorologist quits after receiving threats and harassment over climate change coverage By Rachel Ramirez, CNN
His departure comes months after receiving a series of harassing emails from a viewer who disagreed with one thing he did on-air: he explained how weather was linked to the climate crisis. He also received other negative feedback via private messages and social media, which has become a common experience for weather and climate communicators.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/06/23/weather/iowa-meteorologist-resigns-threats-weather-climate/index.html Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira Tributes paid to Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira a year on from their deaths Hundreds gather in Rio and Belém to remember two men who worked to defend the Amazon and its Indigenous inhabitants Butterflies Country diary UK Country diary: An orange tip rescue mission Crook, County Durham: Keeping our garden breeding colony going for almost 40 years is painstaking, and not entirely altruistic Phil Gates . Life Endangered butterflies are being sold for high prices on eBay More than 50,000 dead butterflies were traded on eBay in a one-year period, including endangered species protected by international treaties on wildlife trade . BUSINESS JUN 25, 2023 2:00 AM Meet the AI Protest Group Campaigning Against Human Extinction Fears that artificial intelligence might wipe us out have fueled the rise of groups like Pause AI. Their warnings aren’t that far-fetched, experts say. . Maine Legislature vote expands sovereignty for Native American tribes apnews.com/...
Dk images library
World can still avoid worst of climate collapse with genuine change, IPCC says
Positive framing of otherwise grim report a counterblast to those who dismiss hopes of limiting global heating to 1.5C
Exclusive: Huge chunk of plants, animals in U.S. at risk of extinctionwww.reuters.com
The Bruno and Dom project More than 800m Amazon trees felled in six years to meet beef demand Investigation involving Guardian shows systematic and vast forest loss linked to cattle farming in Brazil
Ecology The future is uncertain for our last old-growth boreal forests . Opinion UK We love our urban trees and thought we’d won the battle to save them. How wrong we were I’ve seen trees around the UK threatened by development, bulldozers and chainsaws. Now it is happening on my doorstep
🌎 from Nature.org: "The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons." About 20% of greenhouse gases in the US come from homes amp.cnn.com/… HELP SAVE THE PLANET AND OURSELVES: *Turn out the lights when- not in use/use less* Turn down the heat or AC
vent out at night if cooler
Avoid creating nighttime light pollution
Don’t waste water
use non tree tp!
environmentally friendly funerals
Avoid burning wood (or other things), as wood fires are both pollutant and carcinogenic
Don't use pesticides
Limit your use of cars and planes (if possible)
Don't use gas powered vehicles
Take out grass and put in a garden or pond (or xeriscape )
xeriscape ) Mow, blow, and whack with electric or by hand
Plant for the animals (bees, birds etc)
Plant trees
Don't micro manage yards, go wilder
Try to use solar
Take a bus, trolley or train
Encourage your city/town to use electric buses
Use energy efficient products or products that work on clean fuels
Reduce dependence on non-biodegradable items
Walk, bike or carpool
Reuse items- give to Goodwill or Craig's list rather than dumping
Cut down or cease eating meat
Use reusable carry bags for grocerie; second choice, paper bags; not plastic
Compost
Save the bees
Be informed
Write your representative, sign petitions
E lect pro-environment candidates and demand action
Support the Green New Deal
Get involved
March
Blog about the environment
Control population 🌎 Earth Matters with Meteor Blades Earth Matters with Meteor Blades
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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/9/2176994/-Climate-Brief-Dimming-Lights-Are-Fireflies-Endangered-What-s-Causing-Their-Decline
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