Spiraling out of control, exponentially
The consequences of tossing something like an introduced plant species over the back fence or allowing an animal to roam and turn feral are very poorly understood. Intentional or not, the scene is set for exponential growth to result – for the situation to get seriously out of hand, with long term devastating outcomes that can take generations to remedy, or worse species extinction.
FOR AN EXERCISE IN UNDERSTANDING just how quickly a situation can spiral out of control, or in the case of invasive species multiplying at a mind-boggling rate, ask this question.
How many days would it take for 1 cent to become one million dollars? That’s $1 million.
After day 5 we have 16 cents.
At day 10 that has multiplied to be $5.12.
Day 15 and we are still in the small numbers, having multiplied to $163.84
From now on things change much more quickly.
Day 20, $5,242.88
Day 25, $167,772.16
Day 28, $1,342,177.28
Another way of expressing this is …
It takes 8 times to reach $1.00 – 8 days, another 4 times to reach $10 – 12 days, another 4 times to reach $100 – 16 days, four more times $1000 – 20 days, another nine times to reach $1,000,000 – a total of 29 days.
In less than a month that initial one cent has skyrocketed to over a million.
Now apply these figures to seeds in a Formosan Lilly flower – and other introduced species -and we get some idea of what is taking place at Munibung Hill every summer season. No wonder the plant has spread so rapidly – like wildfire – across the Hill. No wonder those of us who love Munibung Hill despair at those who think this is a plant that they should post happy snaps of on their social media pages.
It’s time for learning about the real consequences of tossing garden prunings over the back fence into the bush, whether it be Munibung Hill or any other natural public park land.
We need to address this from the perspective of the wildfire, as noted above. The reality is, if it was a wildfire, there would be an immediate response, with massive resources directed to quelling the flames and extinguishing the fire. And if it was thought that the fire was deliberately lit, investigations into the culprit and if located brought before the courts. These measures are routine and it is viewed as part of keeping us safe, with a dedicated department – the Rural Fire Service – costing millions of dollars, to do the job.
We accept this as normal and are thankful for all the work that is done in this space. While there are weeds officers and feral animal rangers doing their best, they are no match for the problems they are faced with. At a community level there is not the urgency that we need to be fully aware to the point of stemming the invasive species problems at source and when found, dealing with them in a methodical way leading to eradication – putting out the wildfire.
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Who’s in favour of doing us all a favour?
Yet another research finding is in, and the results read very much like those of previous studies.
AUSTRALIANS HAVE MORE PET CATS than ever before — more than 5 million in total. With the growing number, expectations on pet owners are shifting.
Revealing the results of the latest research in The Conversation, and reposted by ABC News, Jaana Dielenberg states that: Two-thirds of us support banning pet cats from roaming. A ban would save millions of native animals — and billions of dollars (ABC News,19 May 2024).
That society is and cats are, much better off – no matter from which angle we look at it – when cats are contained indoors 24/7 has become a bit of a no-brainer, but the myths persist and the naysayers loudly protest being called to account.
Jaana, a University Fellow, Charles Darwin University, writes:
Many cat owners are now voluntarily keeping their cats indoors or in secure runs, and local governments mandate it in some areas. But most pet cats in Australia still roam local streets and gardens.
Broader adoption of keeping cats safe at home would have large benefits for cat welfare, human health, local wildlife and even the economy. So, should pet owners be required to keep their pets contained to their property, as dogs are?
We put that question to thousands of people in a national survey in late 2023, and recently published the results.
… From MMM Issue #45, June-July 2024