Comments on: How monoculture farming changes biodiversity http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 07:42:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Andrew Singleton http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595997 Andrew Singleton Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595997 How about comapring undeveloped parkland in the same continent to farmland instead of picking a whole other side of the globe? How about comapring undeveloped parkland in the same continent to farmland instead of picking a whole other side of the globe?

]]> By: redfox http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595988 redfox Fri, 30 Nov 2012 22:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595988 I get the point, and don't necessarily disagree with the broader message. BUT I have a very hard time believing the credibility of this.  Especially with the scientific slant of boingboing that tries to pull us away from the hocus pocus baloney we are fed a lot of the time.  I spent a lot of time detasseling in Iowa corn fields, and for starters there are tons of other plants like pigweed, buttonweed, sunflowers, soybeans, switch grass and fox grass out there.  But the kicker is I'm supposed to believe not a single mosquito after 3 days and 2 Iowa evenings in a cornfield?  No way. I get the point, and don’t necessarily disagree with the broader message. BUT I have a very hard time believing the credibility of this.  Especially with the scientific slant of boingboing that tries to pull us away from the hocus pocus baloney we are fed a lot of the time.  I spent a lot of time detasseling in Iowa corn fields, and for starters there are tons of other plants like pigweed, buttonweed, sunflowers, soybeans, switch grass and fox grass out there.  But the kicker is I’m supposed to believe not a single mosquito after 3 days and 2 Iowa evenings in a cornfield?  No way.

]]> By: Flashman http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595927 Flashman Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595927 There's bugs in a cornfield? Eww. There’s bugs in a cornfield? Eww.

]]> By: Max Kingsbury http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595902 Max Kingsbury Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595902 Even as a simple comparison it is flawed. Prove it. Even as a simple comparison it is flawed. Prove it.

]]> By: ChicagoD http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595893 ChicagoD Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595893 I've hit quite a few things with my car that say you are not right about that. I’ve hit quite a few things with my car that say you are not right about that.

]]> By: GlyphGryph http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595890 GlyphGryph Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595890  Yeah, a couple of those park elements look delicious. Not quite as delicious as corn, though.  Yeah, a couple of those park elements look delicious. Not quite as delicious as corn, though.

]]> By: Nagurski http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595866 Nagurski Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595866  I grew up in farm country. There used to be windbreaks (trees) and hedgerows. Been in industrial farmland recently? Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. Commercial orchards and vegetables are a bit better, but seed crops? Scorched earth.  I grew up in farm country. There used to be windbreaks (trees) and hedgerows. Been in industrial farmland recently? Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. Commercial orchards and vegetables are a bit better, but seed crops? Scorched earth.

]]> By: ChicagoD http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595805 ChicagoD Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595805 Well, in fairness there were definitely all kinds of furred and feathered critters rolling through the fields. They may not have been caught, but if you spend ANY time in farm country you know the fields have lots of fur and feathers. Well, in fairness there were definitely all kinds of furred and feathered critters rolling through the fields. They may not have been caught, but if you spend ANY time in farm country you know the fields have lots of fur and feathers.

]]> By: Nagurski http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595793 Nagurski Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595793 Pointing out the purging of all life but the crop from farm fields, including the bigger, furred and feathered critters that don't show up above is one of my favorite futile counter-arguments when I am berated for causing the death of animals to satisfy my meat-loving appetite. Pointing out the purging of all life but the crop from farm fields, including the bigger, furred and feathered critters that don’t show up above is one of my favorite futile counter-arguments when I am berated for causing the death of animals to satisfy my meat-loving appetite.

]]> By: Nagurski http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595785 Nagurski Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595785  Picky, are we?  Picky, are we?

]]> By: wysinwyg http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595775 wysinwyg Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595775  No, it's a comparison of undeveloped prairie land to industrial monoculture.  Comparing farm to farm is fine but it's a different comparison. I would think comparing Iowa prairie to Iowa farmland would make a little more sense than this comparison, though.  No, it’s a comparison of undeveloped prairie land to industrial monoculture.  Comparing farm to farm is fine but it’s a different comparison.

I would think comparing Iowa prairie to Iowa farmland would make a little more sense than this comparison, though.

]]> By: wysinwyg http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595768 wysinwyg Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595768 Insects are a great source of protein with very low environmental impact.  Plenty of extant cultures consider various creepy crawlies delicacies.  "Would you like to eat" is largely cultural and US culture (to a lesser extent European as well) is frightfully biophobic. Some of the plants found in the park are likely edible as well but since you can't find them in your local grocery store you dismiss them as "not food". Insects are a great source of protein with very low environmental impact.  Plenty of extant cultures consider various creepy crawlies delicacies.  “Would you like to eat” is largely cultural and US culture (to a lesser extent European as well) is frightfully biophobic.

Some of the plants found in the park are likely edible as well but since you can’t find them in your local grocery store you dismiss them as “not food”.

]]> By: Wreckrob8 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595762 Wreckrob8 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595762 Maybe there is nothing you would like to eat there, but I suspect that it might feed something you would like to eat or provide land in which you could plant something you would like to eat. How many more ways can they find to fill us full of corn and corn by-products to justify one particular type of agribusiness? Maybe there is nothing you would like to eat there, but I suspect that it might feed something you would like to eat or provide land in which you could plant something you would like to eat.
How many more ways can they find to fill us full of corn and corn by-products to justify one particular type of agribusiness?

]]> By: ChicagoD http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595745 ChicagoD Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595745 And this is merely showing you the extent of the difference. When you drive from Chicago to Denver and see a 1,000 miles of this difference it is really quite stunning. That's all. And this is merely showing you the extent of the difference. When you drive from Chicago to Denver and see a 1,000 miles of this difference it is really quite stunning.

That’s all.

]]> By: ChicagoD http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595748 ChicagoD Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595748 Yeah. There isn't a damned thing to eat in that park. Yeah. There isn’t a damned thing to eat in that park.

]]> By: big ryan http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595714 big ryan Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595714 what in the first picture would you like to eat? what in the first picture would you like to eat?

]]> By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595705 oasisob1 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595705 It's a good comparison; wild land, unfiddled-with vs. land which has been 'beaten into submission' for the purpose of producing one crop. (Thanks for the verbiage, Wreckrob8). It shows us what's missing. It’s a good comparison; wild land, unfiddled-with vs. land which has been ‘beaten into submission’ for the purpose of producing one crop. (Thanks for the verbiage, Wreckrob8). It shows us what’s missing.

]]> By: Mister44 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595697 Mister44 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595697 Wouldn't a better example be comparing a South African farm to a US farm. Or maybe an organic US farm to one that isn't? Wouldn’t a better example be comparing a South African farm to a US farm. Or maybe an organic US farm to one that isn’t?

]]> By: Wreckrob8 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595691 Wreckrob8 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595691 Tamed? Looks more like beaten into submission to me. Tamed? Looks more like beaten into submission to me.

]]> By: MarkG http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595679 MarkG Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595679 this is like comparing your bedroom to your backyard. comparing bugs found on a wolf vs those found on your pet. on an ape vs on you. a lake vs. a swimming pool vs your drinking water. guess which piece of land is going to feed more people. one is raw nature one is tamed. there is a difference. on purpose. this is like comparing your bedroom to your backyard. comparing bugs found on a wolf vs those found on your pet. on an ape vs on you. a lake vs. a swimming pool vs your drinking water. guess which piece of land is going to feed more people. one is raw nature one is tamed. there is a difference. on purpose.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595677 GawainLavers Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595677 Flawed?  It's not a scientific experiment.  But you'd find something comparable in healthy American prairie. Flawed?  It’s not a scientific experiment.  But you’d find something comparable in healthy American prairie.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595673 GawainLavers Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595673 How did they not find a tick in the cornfield? How did they not find a tick in the cornfield?

]]> By: k0an http://boingboing.net/2012/11/30/how-monoculture-farming-change.html#comment-1595666 k0an Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197521#comment-1595666 I'm never one to support Big Agrobusiness but comparing Iowa to South Africa... really?  Incredibly flawed. I’m never one to support Big Agrobusiness but comparing Iowa to South Africa… really?  Incredibly flawed.

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