The fundamental question is this: Why are humans behaving in a way that destroys Earth’s biosphere? Surely, this is neither sensible nor even sane.
by Robert J. Burrowes
About 12,000 years ago, late stone age humans
precipitated the neolithic (agricultural) revolution that marked the start of
the steady rise to civilization. Coincidentally, this occurred at the same time
as the beginning of what is now known as the Holocene Epoch, the geological
epoch in which humans still live.
However, since the industrial revolution commencing in
about 1750, just 270 years ago, humans have been destroying Earth’s biosphere
with such tremendous ferocity that the Earth we inherited at the beginning of
the Holocene Epoch is vanishing before our eyes. And life is vanishing with it.
While this catastrophe first gained significant public
attention with the publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Springin 1962, efforts in response to her effort to raise
the alarm, credited with inspiring the modern environmental movement, have paled
in comparison to the ongoing human effort to silence Spring.
In fact, we are destroying the biosphere with such
ruthless efficiency that the global extinction rate is now 200 species per day,
with another million species ‘under threat’. Moreover, according to the recent Global Assessment Report
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services researched and published by the Intergovernmental
Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) – the
scientific body which assesses the state of biodiversity and the ecosystem
services this provides to society – ‘Nature is declining globally at rates
unprecedented in human history.’
So severe is the crisis through which we are now
living that the normally sober tone of scientific papers is vanishing too, with
words such as ‘biological annihilation’, a ‘frightening assault on the
foundations of human civilisation’ and the ‘sixth mass extinction’ event in
Earth’s history are being used with increasing frequency. See, for example, ‘Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass
extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines’.
So how extreme is the threat?
Well, despite the number of elite-controlled
intergovernmental processes and corporate scientists paid to promulgate
delusion about our timeframe, an increasing number of scientists are now
warning that existing and accumulating evidence indicates that human extinction
is likely to occur by 2026 (assuming that we can prevent nuclear war and
prevent the deployment of 5G in the meantime). Unfortunately, too, the full
extent of this unfolding catastrophe is readily masked if the many interrelated
factors – emotional, political, economic, social, climatic, environmental,
military, nuclear, geoengineering and electromagnetic – synergistically shaping
this outcome are not each and all considered. See ‘Human Extinction by 2026? A
Last Ditch Strategy to Fight for Human Survival’.
For example, it is poor science to measure climate
impacts in isolation from the cascading impacts they generate ‘downstream’
(such as the adverse impact of temperature increases on insect populations in
rainforests and what this means for the rainforest habitats they occupy) and to
predict outcomes for humanity based on the climate impacts alone. If enough
insects are gone – whether through destruction of habitat, extensive pesticide
use, 5G electromagnetic radiation, climate impacts… or a combination of these
and other factors – before we reach the critical climate ‘tipping point’, then
human food chains will collapse rapidly followed by the human population
whatever the state of the climate at the time.
However, rather than reiterate the comprehensive
evidence in relation to the synergistic threats to human survival here, let me
instead present the evidence only in relation to the decimation of the global
insect population – variously given such labels as ‘insectageddon’ and ‘insect
apocalypse’ in an attempt to convey the gravity of the crisis – including what
is driving it and what it means.
The Importance of Insects
So how important are insects? According to one recent
study conducted by Caspar A. Hallmann and eleven associates, insects are vital
to ecosystem functioning:
‘Insects play a central role in a variety of
processes, including pollination, herbivory and detrivory [an organism, such as
a bacterium, fungus or insect, that feeds on dead plant or animal matter],
nutrient cycling and providing a food source for higher trophic levels such as
birds, mammals and amphibians. For example, 80% of wild plants are estimated to
depend on insects for pollination, while 60% of birds rely on insects as a food
source. The ecosystem services provided by wild insects have been estimated at
$57 billion annually in the USA. Clearly, preserving insect abundance and
diversity should constitute a prime conservation priority.’ See ‘More than 75 percent decline
over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas’.
To underscore the importance of insects, in their
study Bradford C. Lister & Andres Garcia simply note that ‘arthropods
comprise over two-thirds of terrestrial species’. See ‘Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance
restructure a rainforest food web’.And, as Robert Hunziker observes: without insects ‘burrowing, forming
new soil, aerating soil, pollinating food crops…’ and providing food for many
bird species, the biosphere simply collapses. See ‘Insect Decimation Upstages
Global Warming’.
However, despite their crucial role in maintaining the
habitable biosphere, insects have been in decline for several decades. And the
decline is accelerating.
The Decline of Insects
Any study of insect populations readily confirms their
rapid decline. For example, in the recent study by Lister and Garcia, they note
that ‘Arthropods, invertebrates including insects that have external skeletons,
are declining at an alarming rate. While the tropics harbor the majority of
arthropod species, little is known about trends in their abundance.’ Hence they
compared arthropod biomass in Puerto Rico’s Luquillo rainforest with data taken
by Lister back in 1976. They found that ‘biomass had fallen 10 to 60 times’ and
their analyses revealed ‘synchronous declines in the lizards, frogs, and birds
that eat arthropods’. Moreover, they noted, over the past 30 years forest
temperatures have risen 2.0 °C and their study indicated that ‘climate warming
is the driving force behind the collapse of the forest’s food web’. Ominously,
they observe: ‘A number of studies indicate that tropical arthropods should be
particularly vulnerable to climate warming. If these predictions are realized,
climate warming may have a more profound impact on the functioning and
diversity of tropical forests than currently anticipated.’See ‘Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance
restructure a rainforest food web’and ‘Insect collapse: “We are
destroying our life support systems”’.
Why? Well although climate warming is disrupting the
entire biosphere at an accelerating pace, the rate is generally slower in
tropical habitats. Nevertheless, the evidence still clearly suggests that
tropical ectotherms (organisms reliant on environmental heat sources) may be
particularly vulnerable to the warming climate. Citing an earlier report based
on research by Daniel H. Janzen – see ‘Why Mountain Passes are
Higher in the Tropics’– Lister
and Garcia note that tropical species that evolved in comparatively aseasonal
environments have ‘narrower thermal niches, reduced acclimation to temperature
fluctuations, and exist at or near their thermal optima. Consequently, even
small increments in temperature can precipitate sharp decreases in fitness and
abundance. These predictions have been verified in a variety of tropical
reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.’ See ‘Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance
restructure a rainforest food web’.
In another recent report ‘Worldwide decline of the
entomofauna: A review of its drivers’, Francisco SĂ¡nchez-Bayo and Kris A.G. Wyckhuys present ‘a
comprehensive review of 73 historical reports of insect declines from across
the globe, and systematically assess the underlying drivers’. In essence, their
research reveals ‘dramatic rates of decline’ with the main drivers being i) habitat
loss and conversion to intensive agriculture and urbanization; ii) pollution,
mainly by synthetic pesticides (glyphosate, neonicotinoids and others)and
fertilisers; iii) biological factors, including pathogens and introduced
species; and iv) the climate catastrophe. ‘The latter factor is particularly
important in tropical regions, but only affects a minority of species in colder
climes and mountain settings of temperate zones.’
Moreover, they note, the general studies of insect
declines are ‘in line with previous reports on population declines among
numerous insect taxa (i.e. butterflies, ground beetles, ladybirds, dragonflies,
stoneflies and wild bees) in Europe and North America over the past decades. It
appears that insect declines are substantially greater than those observed in
birds or plants over the same time periods and this could trigger wide-ranging
cascading effects within several of the world’s ecosystems.’
But perhaps the most alarming report is the one
written following research conducted by Caspar A. Hallmann and his associates.
Noting widespread concern about insect loss, they observe that ‘Loss of insect
diversity and abundance is expected to provoke cascading effects on food webs
and to jeopardize ecosystem services.’ Employing a standardized protocol to
measure total insect biomass using Malaise traps, deployed over 27 years in 63
nature protection areas in Germany (with 96 unique location-year combinations)
their analysis estimated ‘a seasonal decline of 76%, and mid-summer decline of
82% in flying insect biomass over the 27 years of study’. Moreover, the decline
was apparent regardless of habitat type. ‘This yet unrecognized loss of insect
biomass must be taken into account in evaluating declines in abundance of
species depending on insects as a food source, and ecosystem functioning in the
European landscape.’ See ‘More than 75 percent decline
over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas’.
Just one cascading impact of the rapid decline of
insects in Germany is the ‘decimation’ of the bird population. See ‘“Decimated”: Germany’s birds
disappear as insect abundance plummets 76%’.
In summary, from the study by SĂ¡nchez-Bayo and
Wyckhuys: More than 40 percent of the world’s insect species are on the fast
track to extinction. See ‘Worldwide decline of the
entomofauna: A review of its drivers’.
Why are insects declining?
In essence, apart from the causes of insect decline
noted above, such as destruction of habitat, poisoning (using glyphosate,
neonicotinoids and other pesticides) – see, for example, ‘Trump EPA OKs “Emergency” to
Dump Bee-killing Pesticide on 16 Million Acres’ – and the climate catastrophe, insects are also
adversely impacted by light – see ‘Light pollution a reason for
insect decline’ – ingestion of
plastic – see ‘Microplastic ingestion by
riverine macroinvertebrates’ –
wars, nuclear contamination – see, for example, ‘Fukushima butterflies
highlight heavy cost of nuclear disaster’ – and will be further and horrifically impacted,
along with all life on Earth, if 5G is deployed. For an earlier study
identifying the existing problem of electromagnetic radiation on life, see ‘Bees, Birds and Mankind:
Destroying Nature by “Electrosmog”’, but for recent updates on the extraordinary hazards of 5G to all
life, see ‘5G and the Wireless
Revolution: When Progress Becomes a Death Sentence’and ‘Western Insanity and 5G
Electromagnetic Radiation’.
In essence, without sufficient diversity and density
of insects the existing biosphere will collapse and homo sapiens will join the
fossil record. And we are rapidly approaching that particular tipping point.
Part of the problem is that far too much attention is
being directed at the climate catastrophe while ignoring the vast evidence from
other disciplines offering highly instructive research not only in relation to
climate impacts but to other human behaviours that are negatively impacting
ecosystem functioning.
This has a range of negative impacts, including that
it deludes people into seeking outcomes that are hopelessly inadequate if we
are to address the full extent of the crisis in our biosphere.
Is anything being done?
Not much. The elite’s corporations have enormous
political power so have little trouble resisting efforts to contain their
destruction of the biosphere, including of insect populations.
Hence, while scientists routinely offer fine
suggestions, such as the following one, they are also routinely ignored.
‘A rethinking of current agricultural practices, in
particular a serious reduction in pesticide usage and its substitution with
more sustainable, ecologically-based practices, is urgently needed to slow or
reverse current trends, allow the recovery of declining insect populations and
safeguard the vital ecosystem services they provide. In addition, effective
remediation technologies should be applied to clean polluted waters in both
agricultural and urban environments.’ See ‘Worldwide decline of the
entomofauna: A review of its drivers’.
But, to reiterate, it is corporations that have
political power and that also control the media narrative; not scientists.
So what can we do?
Given that the insect apocalypse is deeply connected
to other issues of critical importance to human survival, as always it is vital
that this issue is addressed strategically from a holistic perspective. For
that reason, we must approach the issue by addressing fundamental drivers but
also several vital symptoms that arise from those drivers. Let me explain what
I mean.
The fundamental question is this: Why are humans
behaving in a way that destroys Earth’s biosphere? Surely, this is neither
sensible nor even sane. And anyone capable of emotional engagement and rational
thinking who seriously considers this behaviour must realize this. So why is it
happening?
Fundamentally it is because our parenting and
education models fail utterly to produce people of conscience, people who are emotionally
functional and capable of critical analysis, people who care and who can plan
and respond strategically.
Given the preoccupation of modern society with
producing submissively obedient students, workers, soldiers, citizens (that is,
taxpayers and voters) and consumers, the last thing society wants is powerful
individuals who are each capable of searching their conscience, feeling their
emotional response to events, thinking critically and behaving strategically in
response. Hence our parenting and education models use a ruthless combination
of visible, ‘invisible’ and ‘utterly invisible’ violence to ensure that our
children become terrified, self-hating and powerless individuals like virtually
all of the adults around them.
This multifaceted violence ensures that the adult who
emerges from childhood and adolescence is suppressing awareness of an enormous
amount of fear, pain and anger (among many other feelings) and must live in
delusion to remain unaware of these suppressed feelings. This ensures that, as
part of their delusion, people develop a strong sense that what they are doing
already is functional and working (no matter how dysfunctional and ineffective
it may actually be)while unconsciously suppressing awareness of any evidence
that contradicts their delusion. See ‘Why Violence?’, ‘Fearless
Psychology and Fearful Psychology: Principles and Practice’,‘Do We Want School or
Education?’and ‘Love Denied: The Psychology
of Materialism, Violence and War’.
So if we are going to address the fundamental driver
of both the insect apocalypse and destruction of the biosphere generally, we
must address this cause. For those adults powerful enough to do this, there is
an explanation in ‘Putting Feelings First’. And for those adults committed to facilitating
children’s efforts to realize their potential and become self-aware (rather
than delusional), see ‘My Promise to Children’.
Beyond this cause, however, we must also resist,
strategically, the insane elite corporations that are a key symptom of this
crisis by manufacturing and marketing a vast range of insect (and
life)-destroying products ranging from weapons (conventional and nuclear) and
fossil fuels to products made by the destruction of habitat (including
rainforests) and the poisoning of agricultural land (to grow the food that most
people eat) while now planning the imminent worldwide deployment of 5G. See Nonviolent Campaign Strategy.
But we can also undermine this destruction, for
example,by refusing to buy the products provided by the elite’s corporations
(with the complicity of governments) that fight wars (to enrich weapons
corporations) to steal fossil fuels (to enrich energy, aircraft and
vehicle-manufacturing corporations) or those corporations that make profits by
destroying rainforests orproducing poisoned food, for example. We can do this
by systematically reducing and altering our consumption pattern and becoming
more locally self-reliant as outlined in‘The Flame Tree Project to Save Life on Earth’or,
even more simply, by committing to The Earth Pledge (below). In a nutshell, for
example, if we do not buy and eat poisoned food, corporations will stop
poisoning our food and this will save vast numbers of insects (and many other
life forms besides).
You can also consider joining
those working to end violence in all contexts by signing the online pledge of ‘The People’s Charter to Create a
Nonviolent World’.
The Earth Pledge
Out of love for the Earth and all of its creatures,
and my respect for their needs, from this day onwards I pledge that:
1. I will listen deeply to children(see explanation above)
2. I will not travel by plane
3. I will not travel by car
4. I will not eat meat and fish
5. I will only eat organically/biodynamically grown
food
6. I will minimize the amount of fresh water I use,
includingby minimizing my ownership and use of electronic devices
7. I will not buy rainforest timber
8. I will not buy or use single-use plastic, such as
bags, bottles, containers, cups and straws
9. I will not use banks, superannuation (pension)
funds or insurance companies that provide any service to corporations involved
in fossil fuels, nuclear power and/or weapons
10. I will not accept employment from, or invest in,
any organization that supports or participates in the exploitation of fellow
human beings or profits from killing and/or destruction of the biosphere
11. I will not get news from the corporate media
(mainstream newspapers, television, radio, Google, Facebook, Twitter…)
12. I will make the effort to learn a skill, such as
food gardening or sewing, that makes me more self-reliant
13. I will gently encourage my family and friends to
consider signing this pledge.
Conclusion
In response to a range of synergistically impacting
behaviours, homo sapiens is on the fast track to extinction. Just one critical
and largely ignored variable in this rush to extinction is our decimation of
the world insect population denying us an ever-expanding range of ecological
services.
On this count alone, we have already crossed a
dangerous tipping point that will cause increasing problems over time. Whether we
can stop short of the ultimate tipping point depends on what you decide.
Biodata: Robert J. Burrowes
has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He has
done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings
are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of ‘Why Violence?’ His
email address is flametree@riseup.net and his website is here.
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