‘An Earth Without Insects?’

 

Eighty percent of the biomass of insects has disappeared in just thirty years, and intensive agriculture, particularly the heavy use of pesticides, is  the main driver of this collapse.    

The decline in populations worldwide is devastating not only for the insect species but also for many birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish that eat insects.     It should also be of huge concern to us:- 

“Insects are at the heart of every food web, they pollinate the large majority of plant species, keep the soil healthy, recycle nutrients, control pests, and much more.”

Widespread deforestation to grow grains to feed cattle over the last 30 years is a major cause.   Stopping animal agriculture is one of the ways we can begin to reverse this worrying trend.   

Insects are an essential part of the web of life.  We need to learn the lesson that exterminating other species for our own ends is not only morally wrong, it is bringing about devastation in the natural world.  

Read the Guardian article here: