Charlie Rose Science Series
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03/25/2008
Dr. Elizabeth Buckles, Tina Kelley
A discussion about Bat populations in the United States
A discussion about Bat populations in the United States with journalist Tina Kelley and Dr. Elizabeth Buckles of Cornell University. On average 90 percent of the hibernating bats in four caves and mines in New York have died since last winter. Researchers have yet to determine whether the bats are being killed by a virus, bacteria, toxin, environmental hazard, metabolic disorder or fungus.
Read Tina Kelley's Bats Perish, and No One Knows Why article.
Read Tina Kelley's Bats Perish, and No One Knows Why article.
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Charlie Rose DVDs on Amazon.
Audio
Audio available through Audible.com.
Audio available through Audible.com.
Transcripts
Transcripts available through Voxant.
Transcripts available through Voxant.
Dr. Elizabeth Buckles described bats as having increased metabolic processes, weight loss over winter and increased activity during hibernation period. My wife has noted these symptoms in me and wonders whether my synthroid dosage is too high. Are they also ravenous? With recent reports of pharmaceauticals found in drinking water, could the bats and/or bees be ingesting a synthroid-like substance?
Thank you, Charlie. Great show. I am an avid fan of yours. I watched your show about the decrease in bat population and an idea came to me. Perhaps you can transmit it to the concerned scientists. Here it is: The mathematical models that 'predict' global warming, due to the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere, don't take into account the presence of fine particulates in the atmosphere. These particles reflect an important proportion of sunlight back into space, thus giving us the 'Global Dimming' phenomenon that has been the subject of recent documentaries. More to the point, these particles may also randomize the polarization of the light that reaches the surface of the earth,thus hampering the navigational abilities of insects, like bees, of birds and, possibly, of bats also. It would also affect the food supply of all animals, like frogs, who rely on insects for food. The bats would thereby be hit by a double whammy. Their navigational abilities would be hampered AND their food supply, mostly insects, would also be diminished. The presence of white fungus on their noses would therefore be the effect of their diminished ability to fight various diseases, not a cause in and of itself. Please transmit these ideas to the concerned scientists. Thank you. Raymond Paquin, B.A., M.Sc., M.B.A.
Thank you, Charlie. Great show. I am an avid fan of yours. I watched your show about the decrease in bat population and an idea came to me. Perhaps you can transmit it to the concerned scientists. Here it is: The mathematical models that 'predict' global warming, due to the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere, don't take into account the presence of fine particulates in the atmosphere. These particles reflect an important proportion of sunlight back into space, thus giving us the 'Global Dimming' phenomenon that has been the subject of recent documentaries. More to the point, these particles may also randomize the polarization of the light that reaches the surface of the earth,thus hampering the navigational abilities of insects, like bees, of birds and, possibly, of bats also. It would also affect the food supply of all animals, like frogs, who rely on insects for food. The bats would thereby be hit by a double whammy. Their navigational abilities would be hampered AND their food supply, mostly insects, would also be diminished. The presence of white fungus on their noses would therefore be the effect of their diminished ability to fight various diseases, not a cause in and of itself. Please transmit these ideas to the concerned scientists. Thank you. Raymond Paquin, B.A., M.Sc., M.B.A.
check out this study http://www.c-a-r-e.org/pdfs/May%202007%20Washington%20DC/Manville%20DC.pdf
I wish Charlie had asked about the possibility of EMF radiation (cell phones, HDTV and other wireless microwaves) affecting the bats as well as the bees. I have read several articles which seem to indicate a relationship in this country as well as Europe.
Hi. I saw the Charlie Rose segment last night and just read the NY Times article. It's interesting how the symptoms play out for these white nose bats, and the scientists think the fungus is a secondary cause. I'm just thinking with the record temperatures and crazy weather patterns of warm days and cold days over this past winter, could global warming contribute to the bats' depreciating fat storage? It seems from the interview and article that somehow something is causing the bats to behave erratically during the winter time when they should be hibernating and that leads to them dying off -- main culprit that comes to mind is "global climate change" caused by CO2. If they saw polar bears drowning because of melting ice shelves, it wouldn't be surprising what other species are all affected by this scientific fact of global warming.
Yes, indeed these are insect ingesting bats, yet one cannot deny the food chain. Pollutants and pesticides work their way up the food chain. Thus, these bats may not be ingesting fruits and pollen directly. But they are indirectly ingesting whatever the insects may have eaten.
The bats in question - all of the bats in the Northeastern US, for that matter - eat insects, not pollen. This illness has not been seen in any pollen-feeding (or even fruit-eating) bats. It's a good idea to think broadly about what the causes for this might be, but genetically modified foods are an unlikely issue here.
First...thank you for all you do. Secondly...I cannot be the only person who sees that pollenators, the bats and bees, are dying off. No one seems to be looking at the very possible link to genetically manufactured seed. They have pesticides built right in. I can taste it most often in carrots. We are the the only country where we are not allowed to know whether our food is or is not from GM seed. Europe with their sensible attitudes rejected it...I grin when I remember those French farmers on their tractors at the Arch de Triumph making sure it did not ruin France!