What I’m Doing to Stop the Insect Apocalypse
After getting home from work the other day, I sat in the car for a moment, waiting for the feelings of deep sadness and rage to subside. The first reports of the widespread extinction of insects had come out that day and it was all a bit too much for me. Out of all the tsunami of shit washing over me every day, this is the news that made me feel like we’re doomed.
Current estimates say 40% of all insect life is on track to become extinct.
Forty Percent.
The eco-quake the loss of this amount of insects would have far-reaching implications to continued life on Earth. With ongoing climate change, it’s likely that the estimate of 40% will end up being conservative.
After letting the mood pass, I started reading up on what could be done. Even if I couldn’t change systemic issues (like how prevalent agribusiness is, and how often their use of pesticides and fertilizers affect insect populations), I could do something on the personal level to mitigate the situation. Sigrid Ellis was the first person I saw (I’m sure there were others which I’m missing) talking about what could be done
This is what I’m doing: adding several flowering plants to my garden and backyard this spring. I used the site pollinator.org guide for my area (see the PDF attachment below).
If you’re also interested, let me know. I’d love to organize a group to do this together and do what we can to help.
No Comments