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[Brock Reiher]

Spiders are arachnids.

Plus with less insects they'll have to move to eating humans

 

[Chuck Norris]

When I went to school in Australia, in the city, flies in summer were everywhere, kids got pretty good at catching them, for torture of course.
But now, at least in Sydney, a day featuring the great Australian wave is pretty rare.

May help that we are generally cleaner now

But you still get a big wave of flies in mid summer

Australia would probably be less effected than most countries due to the small population compared to land mass

 

[jchap]

Good riddance

 

[Darkstorne]

Sorry guys, I'll try to kill less this week.

Seriously though, I find this hard to believe as many insects are becoming resistant to pesticides.

To the point where I now choose to implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to help keep the pests at bay.

Added bonus, IPM only targets the pests and lets the beneficial insects thrive.

Sustainable food production will become a huge problem over the coming decades. A National Geographic article I read recently made note that in the next 30 years as we grow to 10 billion, we'll need to grow as much food as we have grown in the last 10000 years (since the dawn of agriculture).

Sobering stuff. I hope we get it right.

Comments like this make me rage inside. ALL insects are beneficial. They are the bedrock of the food chain. Just because they aren't of direct use to humans as pollinators, doesn't mean they don't play an integral part in the food chain for the majority of other species in the ecosystem, which indirectly benefits humans if kept in a healthy state. You shouldn't be killing anything if you're a farmer. You should be aiming for organic practices to improve crop yields through richer soils, and trying to dedicate as much of your field margins as possible to wildflowers because, like it or not, farmers are stewards of an insane amount of land, and that responsibility falls on you more than most.

I do what I can as an ecologist, and am lucky enough to be moving to a home by a nature reserve with both a front and back garden (pretty rare to have both in the UK these days). Can't wait to fill that up with wildflowers, ponds, and bug hotels!

 

[chromatic9]

This attitude if you see some land lets build has to change. Wildlife needs lots of land, it might look barren to you but it isn't. We have to stop with this chasing GDP and this mind set of perpetual growth. We're on the cusp of breaking the ecology from the plankton in the ocean to the insects who eat the dead animals.

Near me they've just obliterated acres of wild land to fit 60 homes in an already populated area with road bottlenecks. Tons of insects and rabbits have no home so we can boost the local GDP, all kinds of wild flowers, nettles with berries gone. Also these homes will be squeezed on with little to no gardens, everything squeaky clean.

 

[elshoelace]

This attitude if you see some land lets build has to change. Wildlife needs lots of land, it might look barren to you but it isn't. We have to stop with this chasing GDP and this mind set of perpetual growth. We're on the cusp of breaking the ecology from the plankton in the ocean to the insects who eat the dead animals.

Near me they've just obliterated acres of wild land to fit 60 homes in an already populated area with road bottlenecks. Tons of insects and rabbits have no home so we can boost the local GDP, all kinds of wild flowers, nettles with berries gone. Also these homes will be squeezed on with little to no gardens, everything squeaky clean.

Indeed a local plot near me is being ransacked with a sign advertising more retail space. We already have plenty of similar strip malls half full atm and a mall next door with plenty of open area.

 

[kiunchbb]

We have been manufacturing and pollinating for years, if not decades already. Even "organic" farmers don't even rely on insects. Are you saying every fruit and plant that's sprouted in the last 10 years have been the work of bees, mosquitoes, and Flys? No, they became irrelevant.

I am pretty sure we can pollinate all our farms using machines... but what about the rest of the natures that's not a freaking farm.

 

[Lucky Seven]

Chemical companies and many ignorant farmers abusing pesticides. We can hardly save honeybees, I'm not surprised this statistic is out.

People do good work, but it's an uphill battle when companies' best interests are to sell MORE pesticides. Engineering new pollinators or using machines sounds like patching the problem with tape.

 

[Bam Chowder]

This is the most depressing news I've read this year and that's saying something. Once the bottom of the food chain drops out, we are all fucked. Please be kind to bugs people, we need them

Glad we have a competent government willing to stand up to the chemical industry to take action on this /s

 

[Sulik2]

I'm pretty sure none of us are making it to 2200

Global human civilization isn't making it out of the next 50 years, let alone 2200. There will still be small groups of humans slowly dying in an unstable collapsing ecosystem by 2200 though.

 

[Sai-kun]

Honestly? Good. I accept it. Fuck insects.

 

[emalord]

I'm only 36 years away from my death, so I'll probably see the world at its best until the end

If not, I've lived a good life for 50 years in a very good place and sure I can't complain

 

[Drifters]

 

[the-pi-guy]

So your telling me there use to be even MORE insects around????!???

It probably depends on where you are.

Over the past 5 years I'd say the bug population where I am:
Wasps/hornets - way way way up.
Bees - way down
Mosquitos - down
Etc.

 

[Aurongel]

Nice try pro-spider propagandists.

 

[ultraspank]

Spiders are arachnids.

But they feed on insects, so they gonna die too!

 

[Plumbob]

Honestly? Good. I accept it. Fuck insects.

They're kind of the start of the foodchain though. Also pollinators.

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

We used to step outside at night here in Georgia and see lightning bugs everywhere. We would catch them with our hands and put them in jars. You go outside now and you barely see any at all.

 

[Stone Vagabond]

We used to step outside at night here in Georgia and see lightning bugs everywhere. We would catch them with our hands and put them in jars. You go outside now and you barely see any at all.

Same here. Used to see them every night during the summer, but I could count the number of lightning bugs I saw this year on one hand.

 

[Nightbird]

Now that I'm reading this...
I do feel like there are way less annoying insects than in my childhood, but never would I have thought that it would be that bad.

 

[J-Rod]

Fortunately, corn, rice, and wheat do not need pollinators

 

[Classicblunder]

I don't find this story humorous in any way guys. If this is true it indicates that we could be looking at an end to all life on this planet in the very near future.

BTW major outlets reporting this. From BBC front page:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41670472

 

[DrunkShogun]

Fist of the North Star world here we come. Guess it's time to work out and learn martial arts.

It's really messed up and the lack of concern shown by some countries will probably mean it will only get worse.

 

[kiriin]

I don't find this story humorous in any way guys. If this is true it indicates that we could be looking at an end to all life on this planet in the very near future.

BTW major outlets reporting this. From BBC front page:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41670472

Look at some of the responses to this thread. Most people just don't care until they're directly affected by it.

 

[Classicblunder]

Look at some of the responses to this thread. Most people just don't care until they're directly affected by it.

Yep. I'm no scientist but I honestly wonder if climate change, the drop in insects, the crazy natural disasters this year, are all connected. Because if they are, well then we're all being affected.

 

[McBryBry]

I'm only 22 and notice this now that its been said. I fucking hate wasps and notice when they're around. I saw maybe 2 this whole summer. Less bees too. Also less birds than when I was a kid. They use to hop all over the front yard and now there's maybe 1 once a day.

 

[Plum]

Really disappointed in this thread. The potential destruction of the Earth's most essential creatures and half or more of the posts are cheap jokes.

 

[TheOfficeMut]

I’m about to have a panic attack reading this.
I am terrified of what the future holds.

 

[epmode]

I’m about to have a panic attack reading this.
I am terrified of what the future holds.

Between this, climate change, and Trump threatening nuclear war, I've been on edge for a long time now.

 

[TurnipFritters]

Really disappointed in this thread. The potential destruction of the Earth's most essential creatures and half or more of the posts are cheap jokes.

Would you prefer it was nothing but a string of people going "Wow, that's bad"?

 

[Sai-kun]

Really disappointed in this thread. The potential destruction of the Earth's most essential creatures and half or more of the posts are cheap jokes.

;( so tragic

They're kind of the start of the foodchain though. Also pollinators.

i don't give a FUCK i'm dead in like 60 years anyways

 

[Classicblunder]

Would you prefer it was nothing but a string of people going "Wow, that's bad"?

I would prefer it. It's serious. It's like sipping tea and cracking jokes after your ship just hit an iceberg. "I got burned by fire once, so it's funny that the engine furnace room is now flooded with arctic waters lol. Waiter, more tea!"

 

[Bam Chowder]

i don't give a FUCK i'm dead in like 60 years anyways

If we (humanity) do nothing about this, shit is going to get real within 10 to 20 years. This 75% drop was within 25 years.

But sure, 'fuck you, got mine', etc. I have almost no hope for the future of humanity but I'm willing to fight for it.

 

[TurnipFritters]

If we (humanity) do nothing about this, shit is going to get real within 10 to 20 years. This 75% drop was within 25 years.

But sure, 'fuck you, got mine', etc. I have almost no hope for the future of humanity but I'm willing to fight for it.

And what are you doing to fight?

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Malthus was delayed by the green revolution, not defeated.

This. The naivete of human beings never ceases to amaze me. The "land" absolutely has a carrying capacity when you factor in all of the natural resource use for our technologies. Global warming is Malthus 2.0.

 

[Bam Chowder]

And what are you doing to fight?

Currently - volunteering for political candidates that support the environment, donating to the Sierra Club, planting flowers, putting bugs outside that get trapped inside, etc. It's little stuff but at least it's something. Something large scale needs to change to truly make a difference though.

 

[Poor GRIMES]

Fortunately, corn, rice, and wheat do not need pollinators

We Interstellar now

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

This is SO terrifying I'm having a very hard time digesting it.

75% in 25 years?
How are we only noticing this now?
And the fact that it's not global warming related sends my head spinning! How many different ways have we managed to fuck the ecosystem??

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Currently - volunteering for political candidates that support the environment, donating to the Sierra Club, planting flowers, putting bugs outside that get trapped inside, etc. It's little stuff but at least it's something. Something large scale needs to change to truly make a difference though.

How we source/produce energy needed for powering our technology and for growing our food will be the linchpin in securing a viable human future or not. It literally is and should be the number one focus of society and industry.

But for "reasons", it still is not.

 

[Kremzeek]

Instead of just sampling Germany, they should sample southern US.

Ain't no less critters there.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Just read the BBC article and it says a similar sampling in the UK (albeit only as far as 2002) shows a much smaller reduction.

Where are we getting this global estimate of a 75% reduction from?

Edit: It seems like this is a case of exaggerated reporting, is it not?

 

[TheOfficeMut]

Anyone have a list of good causes to donate to or volunteer with?

 

[Bam Chowder]

Anyone have a list of good causes to donate to or volunteer with?

I'd appreciate this too, I tried searching last night when this thread came up and had a hard time finding any insect/pollinator-specific organizations (I'm sure they are out there though).

Sierra Club is a good one as they deal with all sorts of environmental justice issues and they might have a local chapter in your area.

 

[Classicblunder]

Just read the BBC article and it says a similar sampling in the UK (albeit only as far as 2002) shows a much smaller reduction.

Where are we getting this global estimate of a 75% reduction from?

Edit: It seems like this is a case of exaggerated reporting, is it not?

2002 is 15 years ago, so it doesn't really answer the question. If the loss in mass has been exponential, then UK could be in the same place today. This should and probably will be tested all over the world due to these findings. Although Germany is not the world, I don't see why they would be especially worse so their sample is very valid and indicates further research should be done. Not only the what but the why.

 

[Zaphod]

I'm 40, and remember there being many many more birds and insects 25 years ago.

I'm about the same age and I remember seeing fields of monarch butterflies. This year I was excited because I saw more than 5.

 

[BlackGoku03]

Insects are doing just fine down here in Florida

Yeah, was gonna say come by South Carolina and take some with you.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

2002 is 15 years ago, so it doesn't really answer the question. If the loss in mass has been exponential, then UK could be in the same place today. This should and probably will be tested all over the world due to these findings. Although Germany is not the world, I don't see why they would be especially worse so their sample is very valid and indicates further research should be done. Not only the what but the why.

I agree with you on the importance of further research in this. This is a big deal and needs more research to get a better picture of what is happening out there.

 

[nintendoman58]

Global human civilization isn't making it out of the next 50 years, let alone 2200. There will still be small groups of humans slowly dying in an unstable collapsing ecosystem by 2200 though.

Yeesh, you say this in every single "things are pretty bad right now" thread.

How come I never see you post in threads that show actual solutions to potential problems being developed?

 

[phoisgood495]

Seriously? Taste seems fairly easy to fix, just separate it from the main source itself, and let people flavor them as desired.

If people already replaced two meals by something efficiently produced and nutritious, it would already be a significant boon.

If taste, texture, and cost are so easy to fix then do it and you'd get plenty of buyers. As it is all 3 Soylent variants taste like cheerio milk with chalky syrup, and it's barely cheaper than preparing a much better meal yourself.

I think the problem with Soylent is the guy who made it actively doesn't care about food, so he completely disregards taste/texture for efficiency.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

2002 is 15 years ago, so it doesn't really answer the question. If the loss in mass has been exponential, then UK could be in the same place today. This should and probably will be tested all over the world due to these findings. Although Germany is not the world, I don't see why they would be especially worse so their sample is very valid and indicates further research should be done. Not only the what but the why.

True but there's a big difference between the original article extrapolating the German results to the entire world, and the newspaper making that extrapolation. The former I would tend to find more reliable but it seems like it's the latter.