<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr">On Jan 8, 2023, at 6:26 PM, spike jones via extropy-chat <extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org> wrote:</div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div class="WordSection1"><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Max More via extropy-chat<br><b>Subject:</b> [ExI] Most Monarch butterflies in 20 years<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;background:white">This was a topic that I recall from several years ago. Apparently the decline has reversed: </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;background:white"><a href="https://phys.org/news/2022-12-california-county-highest-monarch-butterflies.html">California county sees highest number of monarch butterflies in more than 20 years (phys.org)</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Max, it just doesn’t seem fair to me. The monarch butterfly population is the highest in 20 years, hooray, they all cheered.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But would the conservationists be half as enthusiastic if the cockroach population was bouncing back, and was higher than ever? NO! So why the big deal for one over another? We should have bug equality.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">spike</p></div></div></div></blockquote><br><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
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div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }</style><div><div dir="ltr">Well, there are species of roaches that have gone extinct or are endangered, but the species most people here are likely familiar with — the German cockroach — is not one of those. And it’s an invasive species across the planet. (The endangered ones tend to be restricted to a tiny geographic range and don’t thrive well outside it.) My guess would be it’s very unlikely to be threatened unless things like gene drives against it start being used globally.</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">There are literally thousands of species of roach too. Almost all of them are not widespread pests for humans. So the comparison is a wee off. Add to this, being concerned about other species surviving, conservation, and the environment doesn’t mean one needs be some caricature of an egalitarian. </div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Regards,</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Dan</div></div></body></html>