Where did all the Frogs go?

Where did they go?

The frogs.

It seems that of the more than 5,700 variety of amphibians ranging from frogs, toads, and the like, more than one-third are threatened world-wide according to the Global Amphibian Assessment authorized by Conservation International and partners. Furthermore, more than 168 species have become extinct in the past twenty years….

…Many of the species that are still around have been beset with problems that threaten individual species. The primary cause: habitat loss. However, the second leading cause is a newly observed type of fungus. And this not only affects the various species of amphibian in the U.S. but around the world. For example, in Panama, noted Southern Illinois’ Karen Lips, within four months, most of the 64 species of frog common in Central Panama were gone.

Whatever is ultimately responsible for setting up the conditions that have led to massive frog
extinctions the fact remains that we are seeing frogs born with mutations, three legs instead of four, frogs are being born blind, without fully developed organs...

Does this tell us something?

For those who understand the physiology of amphibians there is reason to worry.
Frogs are for man what the proverbial canaries are for miners. They are extremely sensitive to disruptions in the natural order of things and tend to pick up, and in some cases amplify, the kind of conditions that later impact man. Therefore, when frogs begin dying all over the planet, it should tell us that what we are doing will not end with the frogs but are a messenger of things to come for mankind.

At one time, government took these concerns seriously ordering that OSHA add new restrictions and limitations on the use and abuse of toxic materials. The Clean Air and Water Acts were a by-product of those concerns.

But under the new administration, those Acts were put on hold and played second fiddle to the need for resources and higher productivity.. OSHA was given ten years and then a new extension on enforcement. Now, another element is about to be added back
into the equation: Coal.

Coal has a history of disease that tracks back to black lung disease prominent among coal miners in the early part of the last century and despite improvements, the burning of coal with all of its impurities has been responsible for a minimum of 20,000 deaths annually.

We can expect that those numbers won't change no matter how often we hear about coal cleaning up its act!

The simple fact of the matter is that our government has shelved our good health in return for cheaper, more convenient fuel. We recognize it as a Faustian deal will certain pay-back. Clearly, some day we will having entered into a pact with the devil.

In the meantime, all we can do is watch the frogs die!

Les Aaron

http://www.lesaaron.blogspot.com/