The Grown-Ups Are Wiping Out The Insects, I’m Telling The Kids

It’s gone far enough, and this is what you can do about it

by Clive Margolis

In this blog post: 

• admit it, we’re lost! the bitter truth
• what’s causing this insect catastrophe?
• is it inevitable? how you can be part of the solution

Admit it – we’re lost! According to a scientific report just published Insects Are Dying En Masse, Risking ‘Catastrophic’ Collapse Of Earth’s Ecosystems

It’s hard to know where to start with a story like this. 

In times gone by, if kids in the neighbourhood were misbehaving we’d threaten to tell their parents. 

But the kids now are becoming more adult than the “grown-ups”. They’ve begun to realise the “grown-ups” aren’t going to fix things at this rate. So have I. So we are all grown-ups now.

So now I’m going to tell the kids.

Kids: the grown-ups are not looking after your planet, and are putting humanity’s future at risk.

The bitter truth

Sometimes there’s no way around the truth. It’s not an accident that insects everywhere are in extreme danger. Insects are not just “dying”, we are killing them.

Insects are not “just dying” at a crazy and unsustainable rate.

We are wiping them out by poisoning them. We are taking away their habitat so they can’t survive.

We are seriously endangering the planet and destroying without a care what should be for our children, grandchildren and all future generations.

Our leaders are letting this happen even though they certainly could be doing much more to slow and even reverse the damage.

What is causing this wipe-out?

According to the report in scientific journal Biological Conservation over 40% of insect species are threatened with extinction, primarily due to:

• excessive use of pesticides and fertiliser
• loss of habitat to farming and urbanisation
• the effects of climate change

Put simply, they are losing their habitat mostly due to intensive farming and cities. Because of the way we get our food and how we build over their homes so many insects have nowhere to live, and now we have this crisis on our hands.

How you can be part of the solution

Fortunately, there are many actions we can all take that can slow this decline. Given the right help Nature will regenerate itself. Commit to at least one of these actions and report back to me by tomorrow! No time to lose! Here ways you can become part of the solution:

• you can support organic farming, which works on a human scale, does not use pesticides and protects wildlife habitats. Buy organic.
• you can fight climate change (I am part of the UK’s South East Climate Alliance).
• you can join an environmental movement like Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and many others.
• you can write to your local and parliamentary representatives. Ask them what they are doing about this urgent issue that affects all of humanity. There is already an EU directive about the use of pesticides (Directive 2009/128/EC  for the legal-minded), help ensure it being properly applied.

So – there’s lots we can be doing to avert this insect crisis. Who’s going to be the grown-up in the room?

(main photo: www.businessinsider.com)