Monarch butterflies are key to pollination and food security
Chinchar and Gray 22 (Allison Chinchar is an elite meteorologist and Jennifer Gray is a member of the National Weather Association and has earned the AMS Seal of Approval from the American Meteorology Society, CNN, Aug 14, 2022, “One-third of the food we eat is at risk because the climate crisis is endangering butterflies, bees,” https://www.kcra.com/article/food-at-risk-because-climate-crisis-is-endangering-butterflies-bees/40891020#)//ghs-nehahah
Bee populations are declining. More than half of the bat species in the United States are in severe decline or listed as endangered. And international scientists recently announced the monarch butterfly is perilously close to extinction. What these three creatures have in common is that they are all pollinators. Without them, fruits, vegetables and other plants wouldn't be pollinated, and that's a major problem for our food supply. "One out of every three bites of food that we eat" is directly connected to a pollinator, Ron Magill, the communications director and a wildlife expert at Zoo Miami, told CNN. Around 30% of the food that ends up on our tables gets there because of things like butterflies, bees and bats. Losing those critical populations could also mean losing some of our favorite foods. Apples, melons, cranberries, pumpkins, squash, broccoli and almonds are among the foods most susceptible to the pollinator decline, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Bees, in particular, are responsible for pollinating around 90 commercially produced crops, the agency reports. Even tequila is at risk. "It's all so intricately connected, whether you're eating the food that is directly pollinated or you're eating something that depends on that pollinator," Magill said. "It's a domino effect." In other words, if you are eating fried chicken or pork chops, those chickens and pigs eat fruit, vegetables and other plants that depend on pollinators. And the climate crisis has taken a toll on pollinators. While more intense and prolonged drought is the most obvious impact, a growing concern is the effect of extreme heat -- particularly on butterflies. Monarch Butterflies EndangeredBeloved monarch butterflies now listed as endangered "Because butterflies are some of the most sensitive insects to changes in temperature, they are considered the 'canary in the coal mine' when it comes to climate change," Magill said. Warmer temperature causes plants to bloom sooner, which is out of sync with when the butterflies lay their eggs and metamorphose. This will mean the flowers they depend on for food will have already bloomed out, leaving little for the butterflies to feed on, which will in turn greatly impact their ability to reproduce and survive. It snowballs into a cyclical problem where the butterflies can't get the food they need to reproduce, nor can the plants get pollinated -- causing both to suffer greatly.