Dear Obama, Trudeau and Peña Nieto: Act Now to Save the Monarch Butterfly

[bananas]

Source: Huffington Post

More than 200 scientists, writers and artists have signed a letter addressed to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in advance of the North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa later this month.

The signers urge that swift and energetic actions be taken to save the monarch butterfly from the threats that endanger its survival. All three countries must work together to mitigate the loss of the butterflies’ breeding habitat and to terminate all logging and mining in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacan, Mexico.

Among the many signers are Margaret Atwood, Robert F. Kennedy, J.M.G. Le Clézio (Nobel Prize), Bill McKibben, Michael Ondaatje, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Ashbery, Yann Martel and Simon Schama. The letter is reproduced in full below.

President Barack Obama
President Enrique Peña Nieto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Honorable Gentlemen:

<snip>

A principal cause of the 90 percent plunge in monarch numbers over the last 20 years is the massive use of glyphosate herbicides on land in the U.S. corn belt planted with genetically modified herbicide-resistant soybean and corn crops. Extensive spraying of these crops in the major summer breeding area of these butterflies has decimated milkweed, which is the only foodplant that monarch caterpillars can eat. New generation crops are being developed to resist additional herbicides, so the threat to milkweeds is increasing.

<snip>

The three North American heads of state will meet on June 29, 2016, in Ottawa, their first joint meeting since 2014. We, the undersigned scientists, writers, artists and concerned citizens, call upon President Enrique Peña Nieto, President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take swift and energetic actions to preserve the monarch’s migratory phenomenon. Success will require activity within all three countries: mitigation of the loss of breeding habitat due to milkweed-killing herbicide usage by protecting parcels of land with milkweeds and native nectar sources; termination of all logging in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve; and a prohibition of mining in the Reserve. Leadership responding to these challenges is crucial; monarch butterflies are among the most extraordinary and iconic creatures on the planet, beloved by many, and they represent a fundamental connection of our three countries.

Sincerely yours,

<snip>

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/homero-aridjis/save-monarch-butterfly_b_10511748.html

[riversedge]

1. I used to have many in my garden. Have not seen any for 2 years now.

[RobertEarl]

2. It is a sign of advanced society

To actually do what is necessary to save a butterfly is a sign that society actually has advanced beyond being cavemen and cave women.

We shall see what transpires.

[Judi Lynn]

3. If only they'll listen. There won't be a second chance. n/t

[Botany]

4. Obama has already been working on this for 2 years now

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/21/the-white-house-plan-to-save-the-monarch-butterfly-build-a-butterfly-highway/

[Judi Lynn]

5. That's good to hear. Didn't know. Thanks. n/t

[Botany]

6. I have projects that are made to help the monarch butterfly and our native pollinators

[Bayard]

7. One of those creatures

One of those creatures that used to be so plentiful, you didn't even think about it. Like many on this planet that are now rare. I'm trying to make a good environment for them on my farm, but nothing yet. Lots of other butterfly species and hummers though.