Mothra_LarvaSome day, perhaps, even the folks still carelessly tossing their beer cans in the trash will wake up and realize we all have a stake in caring for the environment. But I suspect Mothra will have to descend on their tailgate party before some will decide it really is time to help save the planet.

In Sunday’s Boston Globe Magazine, an excellent article, “What’s killing the bats?” talks about how the elimination of one species can have catastrophic consequences for our environment.

The malady bats are suffering from (as bees are suffering from Colonly Collapse Disorder) is called “White-Nose Syndrome” (which is quite different from what we see at the State House — ahem — called “Brown-Nose Syndrome.” )

Sorry, I just  couldn’t help myself.

The syndrome is killing bats in such large numbers in New England and some “states near us” including Ohio and Kentucky, that scientists are predicting the mortality rate will cause a ZERO bat population in a few years.

Which brings us to Mothra, and baby Mothra (above). Bats eat bugs. Turns out, according to the article, they eat up to half their body weight in icky things like mothras, beetles, leafhoppers (which defoliate trees) and mosquitos (which are infamous disease carriers).

Already, according to the article, the million or so bats that have been wiped out of the food chain have left us with 694 tons of extra bugs. That’s a little much even for the experts at AAA Exterminating.

Which brings me to my finale. We all have to do our part to try to have less impact on the planet. What will we be leaving to our kids if we don’t? I want my boys to enjoy the outdoors just like I did. It’s time to dispense with partisan bickering and get serious about the environment.

See the Boston Globe article here:  http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2009/11/15/whats_killing_the_bats/?page=1