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If you haven't been seeing or hearing frogs in recent years it can only be because you're not in the right place.
Amphibians are dying out at an alarming pace in this country.
The decline in amphibian populations is an ongoing mass extinction of amphibian species worldwide. Since the 1980s, decreases in amphibian populations, including population crashes and mass localized extinctions, have been observed in locations all over the world. These declines are known as one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity, and several causes are believed to be involved, including disease, habitat destruction and modification, exploitation, pollution, pesticide use, introduced species, and ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B). However, many of the causes of amphibian declines are still poorly understood, and the topic is currently a subject of much ongoing research. Calculations based on extinction rates suggest that the current extinction rate of amphibians could be 211 times greater than the background extinction rate and the estimate goes up to 25,000–45,000 times if endangered species are also included in the computation.[1]
Amphibians are dying out at an alarming pace in this country.
The decline in amphibian populations is an ongoing mass extinction of amphibian species worldwide. Since the 1980s, decreases in amphibian populations, including population crashes and mass localized extinctions, have been observed in locations all over the world. These declines are known as one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity, and several causes are believed to be involved, including disease, habitat destruction and modification, exploitation, pollution, pesticide use, introduced species, and ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B). However, many of the causes of amphibian declines are still poorly understood, and the topic is currently a subject of much ongoing research. Calculations based on extinction rates suggest that the current extinction rate of amphibians could be 211 times greater than the background extinction rate and the estimate goes up to 25,000–45,000 times if endangered species are also included in the computation.[1]
I guess if some alarmist magazine writes something it must be true.
But out here in the real world something different is going on.
If you haven't been seeing or hearing frogs in recent years it can only be because you're not in the right place.
What do you think is the right place?
I live in the right place. Been here many, many decades. We have pure, soft sweetwater wetlands galore in every direction - even in the cities here there are wetlands and slow flowing ditches and creeks and lakes and ponds - mild temperate warm 9B climate zone, plenty of rain and sun in good balance, perfect temperatures and conditions year round for amphibians, even in winter. Not too much development or deforestation happening, no toxins being sprayed. In not too long ago years - maybe 20 years ago - here the hills and valleys and flat farm lands and forests and towns in all directions rang out with their calls in the spring, there were so many frogs. Not so anymore. I haven't heard a frog in so many years now I've practically forgotten what they sound like. And I do not live in a big city, I live in lakes and farm lands district .
Quote:
Originally Posted by K1500
I guess if some alarmist magazine writes something it must be true.
But out here in the real world something different is going on.
What is the real world to you? I bet the absence of frogs is the same or close to the same wherever you live too, only you haven't noticed. Maybe you don't want to notice it because it might shatter your preferred view of the environment that you want to believe. They are on the decline and have been disappearing at alarming rates from everywhere around the world during the past 30 years, increasingly more in the past 15 years. And it's not only one science article that confirms it. That's easily confirmed for yourself with a click of the mouse. In the real world a practical, observant person notices and pays attention to what is really going on and looks into it to confirm it for themself.
There's nothing you personally can do about it, but you shouldn't deny something that is already factually, unequivocally proven to be true just because you don't want to believe it.
I live in the right place. Been here many, many decades. We have pure, soft sweetwater wetlands galore in every direction - even in the cities here there are wetlands and slow flowing ditches and creeks and lakes and ponds - mild temperate warm 9B climate zone, plenty of rain and sun in good balance, perfect temperatures and conditions year round for amphibians, even in winter. Not too much development or deforestation happening, no toxins being sprayed. In not too long ago years - maybe 20 years ago - here the hills and valleys and flat farm lands and forests and towns in all directions rang out with their calls in the spring, there were so many frogs. Not so anymore. I haven't heard a frog in so many years now I've practically forgotten what they sound like. And I do not live in a big city, I live in lakes and farm lands district .
What is the real world to you? I bet the absence of frogs is the same or close to the same wherever you live too, only you haven't noticed. Maybe you don't want to notice it because it might shatter your preferred view of the environment that you want to believe. They are on the decline and have been disappearing at alarming rates from everywhere around the world during the past 30 years, increasingly more in the past 15 years. And it's not only one science article that confirms it. That's easily confirmed for yourself with a click of the mouse. In the real world a practical, observant person notices and pays attention to what is really going on and looks into it to confirm it for themself.
There's nothing you personally can do about it, but you shouldn't deny something that is already factually, unequivocally proven to be true just because you don't want to believe it.
Ya know, it's the weirdest thing. Just this past Tuesday my wife & I were out driving around - in my truck no less - with the windows open. As we drove along the river the sound of frogs was absolutely deafening. Thousands of them. Maybe hundreds of thousands. And it was strange because we have never EVER had frogs out in force like that in that area.
But if you say they're almost extinct we must have been hearing something that only sounded like frogs.
... you shouldn't deny something that is already factually, unequivocally proven to be true just because you don't want to believe it.
.
True, BUT intelligent, honest observers don't deny that amphibian numbers are down, they simply see no evidence that "GW" is causing it: Over on the Nature sub-forum, as you know, there's a thread addressing this. One of the members there, who apparently is an active worker this field, states that even in his lab, where, presumably, the ambient temps are controlled, the phenomenon is still observable. Apparently, the fungus responsible for the demise of amphibian sp sp has evolved to become more virulent. It remains to be seen if the amphibs can co-evolve quickly enough to save their own numbers. That's how Evolution works....Personally, I have enough trouble keeping the deer out of my corn. I'm just glad Hadrosaurs couldn't keep up in the race.
In the Jungle of Research Funding, mention "GW" or "cancer cure" and you improve your chances of survival (ie- continued funding)-- even when your research has nothing to do with either.
In regards the sorry state of ethics in science, here's an article outlining how a "respected" scientist was caught cheating and forced to "retire." Unfortunately, this behavior is rampant in the cut-throat world of research. https://www.offthegridnews.com/what-...studies-trend/
Moderator cut: Discuss and debate ideas, not members. The bickering and sniping stops now.
Last edited by harry chickpea; 05-16-2019 at 11:24 PM..
Scientists have ethical lapses like every profession. We shouldn't shun scientific conclusions because there are occasional ethical lapses. What's true about science is that the community does self police. The ethical lapses are almost always caught by other scientists because results cannot be duplicated. It's how we found out Roy Spenser from U of Alabama was cooking the books on his global temperature estimates. We also found out that the data from East Anglia were sound. Unfortunately scientific results are frequently high jacked by media with agendas. If you want reliable information read peer reviewed journals. It will not be correct 100% of the time, but it is the most reliable information out there.
I don't know, but the longer enacting a solution is postponed, the stronger the chances that push will come to shove in a crisis situation, and there will be no choice. Circumstances will force desperate measures on everyone.
What’s bugged me about radical environmentalists is they’re just as pigheaded as the corporate executives they fought against. Some went to the level of eco-terrorist burning large vehicles at dealerships, burning down homes built in mountain or wooded areas, attacking or sabotaging commercial fishing vessels, and other activities.
The other issue I have is the “knee jerk” solutions are sometimes worse than the initial problem. At one time “save the trees” was the problem. Plastics and styrofoam were the solution. Plastic shopping bags, plastic/styrofoam cups, plastic/styrofoam food containers. Some environmentally friendly replacement products aren’t nearly as good as the products they replace. Some types of industrial insulation material, while being environmentally friendly, aren’t as efficient nor long lasting as the material they replace. This leads to a degrading of insulation materials as well as a loss of energy efficiency as well as more frequent replacing of insulation.
Environmentalism shouldn’t be an all or nothing approach. It also shouldn’t be a social or political witch-hunt.
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