The Insect Crisis : Our Fragile Dependence on the Planet's Smallest Creatures

\*\*\*A Waterstones Best Books of 2022 pick\*\*\* A New Scientist Book of the YearShortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing 'Fascinating... There is something wondrous in Milman's revelation of our fragile dependency on insect life as well as its beauty and strangeness.' Guardian'Gripping and especially unnerving.' David Wallace-WellsWhen is the last time you were stung by a wasp? Or were followed by a cloud of midges? Or saw a butterfly? All these normal occurrences are becoming much rarer. A groundswell of research suggests insect numbers are in serious decline all over the world - in some places by over 90%. The Insect Crisis explores this hidden emergency, arguing that its consequences could even rival climate change. We rely on insect pollination for the bulk of our agriculture, they are a prime food source for birds and fish, and they are a key strut holding up life on Earth, especially our own.In a compelling and entertaining investigation spanning the globe, Milman speaks to the scientists and entomologists studying this catastrophe and asks why these extraordinary creatures are disappearing. Part warning, part celebration of the incredible variety of insects, this book highlights why we need to wake up to this impending environmental disaster. ***A Waterstones Best Books of 2022 pick*** A New Scientist Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing 'Fascinating... There is something wondrous in Milman's revelation of our fragile dependency on insect life as well as its beauty and strangeness.' Guardian 'Gripping and especially unnerving.' David Wallace-Wells When is the last time you were stung by a wasp? Or were followed by a cloud of midges? Or saw a butterfly? All these normal occurrences are becoming much rarer. A groundswell of research suggests insect numbers are in serious decline all over the world - in some places by over 90%. The Insect Crisis explores this hidden emergency, arguing that its consequences could even rival climate change. We rely on insect pollination for the bulk of our agriculture, they are a prime food source for birds and fish, and they are a key strut holding up life on Earth, especially our own. In a compelling and entertaining investigation spanning the globe, Milman speaks to the scientists and entomologists studying this catastrophe and asks why these extraordinary creatures are disappearing. Part warning, part celebration of the incredible variety of insects, this book highlights why we need to wake up to this impending environmental disaster. From ants scurrying under leaf litter to bees able to fly higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, insects are everywhere. Three out of every four of our planet's known animal species are insects. In The Insect Crisis, acclaimed journalist Oliver Milman dives into the torrent of recent evidence that suggests this kaleidoscopic group of creatures is suffering the greatest existential crisis in its remarkable 400-million-year history. What is causing the collapse of the insect world? Why does this alarming decline pose such a threat to us? And what can be done to stem the loss of the miniature empires that hold aloft life as we know it? Prologue 1 An Intricate Dance 2 Winners and Losers 3 “Zero Insect Days” 4 The Peak of the Pesticide 5 In the Teeth of the Climate Emergency 6 The Labor of Honeybees 7 A Monarch’s Journey 8 The Inaction Plan 9 A Human Emergency Acknowledgments Notes Index