Monarchs and Monoculture in southern Michigan

[Neil Jones]

On Saturday 27 August 2005 02:33, you wrote:
> Neil wrote:
>
> <snippage>
>
> >You know Ken up there in Alaska you don't seem to understand what modern
>
> agriculture is doing to butterfly populations. Over here in the UK recent
> research, including the world's largest ever butterfly survey, shows that
> over 70% of our butterfly species have delined over the last 20 years and
> they were declining long before that. We have also lost around 98% of the
> flower rich meadows.
>
> >Again Ecology 101 less habitat = fewer animals.
>
> ----------------------
>
> Less habitat = fewer animals.  Considering the difference in size between
> Alaska and the U.K., maybe Neil should do more listening and far less
> preaching.
>
> Mark Walker

Mark,
I knew you would respond to that.:-)
I do wish I could persuade you not to abuse me every time I make a technical 
argument. I have tried to explain the point, but here it is again.

To put it simplistically, and I accept that things can complicate this, if you 
decrease the haibtat for a species in any given area there is less food and 
resources availiable for the species and therefore there will be less of that 
particular species. This isn't preaching it is science. Whether Alaska is 
bigger than the UK does not figure in the argument.

I think you are a very genuinely nice guy, but it frustrates me everytime you 
call me names like "spock" etc. Just because I see the world in a very 
technical and logical way and you don't, please don't accuse me of not 
listening. 

I know you don't see technical things well because a while back I sort of 
persuaded you to take one of the most powerful personality and aptitude tests 
available. You published the result and you are in a category that is not 
associated with good ability in technical science issues. (You will remember 
I predicted your result.)This doesn't mean you are a bad guy. For from it. I 
really enjoy reading your trip reports, and I did even offer to meet you 
once. But just because I don't see things as spiritually as you, I am not a 
bad guy either.

There are quite a few people on this list who do fit the technical person's 
mindset and they DO see the serious problems with Paul Cherubini's argument. 
On lists with a lot of professional scientists on, where people with 
technical mindsets are naturally drawn, he is very often treated with 
contempt or ridicule because of his bad behaviour in trying to manipulate 
people with phony figures and dodgy data.

--
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.butterflyguy.com/


 
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