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Insect apocalypse: German bug watchers sound the alarm

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(@lovendures)
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Joined: 6 years ago
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German entomology enthusiasts have collected evidence of what is described as one of Earth's worst extinction phases since the dinosaurs vanished.

Insects, which comprise two thirds of all terrestrial species, have been dying off at alarming rates, with disastrous impacts on food chains and habitats, researchers say.

The main drivers appeared to be habitat loss and land conversion to intensive agriculture and urbanisation, followed by pollution, mainly from pesticides and fertilisers, invasive species and climate change.

"The conclusion is clear," they wrote. "Unless we change our ways of producing food, insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades."

https://phys.org/news/2019-07-insect-apocalypse-german-bug-watchers.html

 


   
Jeanne Mayell, Tiger-n-Owl, Unk p and 3 people reacted
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(@carmen)
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I wonder if this will contribute to the global famine that has been predicted (on other sites) to happen by the 2030s?


   
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(@jeanne-mayell)
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Carman, even before these insect findings, scientists have predicted global famine based simply upon population growth statistics and the World Food Bank's projections.  

Even without climate change, which has caused food production to drop around the globe due to drought, flood, and degradation of the seas -- even without climate change, the population is increasing faster than we produce enough food to feed.  The acute areas of famine, even without climate change, are in the world's most populated areas-- China, India subcontinent, southeast Asia.  And Africa is expected to be hit hard with climate change.  If the insect extinction unfolds, then the global famine will be much worse.  The worst dates originally were projected by the World Food Bank to begin around 2050, but I've felt for years that it will happen sooner.  Now 2030 seems more likely.  More countries are banning Monsanto products like Round Up that are killing bees and other insects necessary for crops and survival of higher food chain animals. 


   
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