The Plight of the Monarch Butterflies
The Monarch Butterflies are threatened, no doubt about that. Well-meaning groups, like LMF (http://www.livemonarch.com) are grassroots efforts to encourage gardeners to grow milkweed plants, the monarchs’ predominant food source. 
The crucial question though has not been asked: why is the milkweed plant rapidly disappearing?
Some Ideas
Some people think the use of genetically modified (GM) corn that is the source of the problem. They think that herbicides applied to GM corn prevent the growth of errant milkweed plants in corn fields. I don’t think so. The milkweed rate of growth is much less than that of corn and the monarchs would rarely have found the few errant milkweed plants in a multi-acre corn field prior to the introduction of GM corn.
Another idea is the habitat destruction of the monarchs’ wintering grounds in Mexico through encroaching settlements. Mexico has been taking steps to prevent that but, perhaps, needs to do more in that respect.
Another idea (mine) is the large-scale erection of wind-power turbines across the continent. For example, in Ontario, large swaths of turbines have sprung up along the main migration corridor for migrating birds and butterflies, like in the Windsor and Sarnia areas and surrounds. Even without suffering a direct hit from spinning blades, the air turbulences and shock waves so created cause severe problems for birds and bats, not to mention delicate butterflies
However, I still think that the main cause of the monarchs’ plight is found right here at home in the bioethanol mandate.
Milkweed
The milkweed plant likes dry and sunny places the like of which you used to find along hedge rows, farm fields, countryside road ways, meadows and hills with poor soil. The “corn for fuel,” i.e. the “bio-ethanol” mandate of the U.S. has changed all that. It’s not just bad for the monarchs, it’s bad all around, even for your car engine.
In order to grow the large additional quantities of corn required to add (after conversion to ethanol) to common gasoline, farmers started to plow under the very last scrap of land not previously used for agricultural production. With that, the milkweed and the monarchs are doomed.
The Bioethanol Mandate
The bioethanol mandate was one of Al Gore’s “great inventions.” His idea of “growing fuel,” i.e. growing corn for bioethanol production and admixture to gasoline was heavily pushed during his tenure as VP of the U.S., in his books and speeches across the world. “Green” followers of this religion were taking up the idea and running amok with it, all around the globe. From farms in Iowa to land owners in Asia, many converted marginal and other previously natural areas to plantations growing one fuel source or another.
In recent years, even the great oracle (AG) has recognized his errors. Now, he says, NO to those biofuel ideas. Unfortunately though, there are still many who subscribe to them. They include many of the same provocateurs who are now asking for contributions (to their organizations, of course) to “save the monarchs;” idiots like Suzuki and followers. What hypocrites!
SIMPLY STOP THE ETHANOL-IN-FUEL MANDATE!
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