The framing on this story is wild. Summary: as a deadly fungal epidemic in bats spread across the US, increased insect activity resulted in an average 31% increase in pesticide use by local farmers, resulting in an average 8% increase in human infant m...
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The framing on this story is wild. Summary: as a deadly fungal epidemic in bats spread across the US, increased insect activity resulted in an average 31% increase in pesticide use by local farmers, resulting in an average 8% increase in human infant mortality in affected areas.
And the message is: bats provide important economic benefits.
And yes, very true.
But also: The correlation between pesticide use & infant mortality is that well known & it's still allowed???
When bats were wiped out, more human babies died, a study found. Here's why | CBC News
Researchers found that infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to battle pests when bats weren't around. The findings are part of growing evidence that humans rely on the animal and plant species around them, and are harmed when those species decline or go extinct.
CBC (www.cbc.ca)