Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Technical Solutions to Pollinator ProblemsDebugging Bees and Butterfliesby Randall G Arnoldoriginally presented at ThoughtWorks Dallas Holiday Meetup Mashup, Addison Treehouse, 2015
Who am I?
Randall (Randy) Arnold aka “texrat” Systems engineer for BNSF Railway Developer evangelist (Nokia, Intel) Community and event organizer (Startup Weekend, Great Seed Bomb, etc) Speculative fiction author (unsettled.space)
so What’s going on with
pollinators, and why should we
care?
Defining the
problem(s)
Decline of natural pollinators (bees, butterflies)
Negative impact on ecology and economy
Education/awareness gaps
“Did you know that more than 700 plants are pollinated by
bats?”
http://pollinator.org/brochures.htm#bats
“The number of Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico plunged [in 2014] to its lowest level since
studies began in 1993.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/01/29/monarch-butterflies-decline/5028977/
“Pollinators contribute more than 24 billion dollars to the United
States economy, of which honey bees account for
more than 15 billion dollars through their vital
role in keeping fruits, nuts, and vegetables in
our diets.”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/20/fact-sheet-economic-challenge-posed-declining-pollinator-populations
What’s required
for solution
s
Measurable, actionable pollinator data
High cooperation between stakeholders: citizens, government, agribusiness
Public engagement/support
“Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico
could nearly quadruple in number
[in 2015] thanks to actions taken by the
United States, Mexico and Canada…”
http://news.discovery.com/animals/insects/monarch-butterfly-population-may-quadruple-in-mexico-151113.htm
Hey, maybe we just need some
cool projects
…
Some promisin
g projects
Eyes On Hives
Pollinator Partnership
The Great Seed Bomb
Eyes On Hives
Monitoring solution that non-intrusively helps beekeepers keep an eye on hive health, with software that measures hive activity and video highlights of the hive entrance.
image courtesy Keltronix http://keltronixinc.com
Tech level: high
Pollinator Partnership
The Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research [largely via S.H.A.R.E. site registration map].
Tech level: medium to high
image courtesy Christi Nielsen Photography http://christinielsen.com
The Great Seed Bomb
image courtesy Christi Nielsen Photography http://christinielsen.com
A 15-mile fun ride benefiting bees, monarchs and other pollinators that first took place November 14, 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas. More rides planned!
Tech level: low to medium
SummaryPollinators are in
trouble!
Technology can help!
Thanks for your interest!
Randall G [email protected]
All unattributed pollinator photos courtesy Carol Leonardi Clark
