Every study performed on insect counts has concluded that overall insect populations are declining, though there is not complete global coverage of data. One study in Germany found that the flying insect population had decreased by 75% from 1990 to 2015.
A 2019 survey of 24 entomologists working on six continents found that on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst, all the scientists rated the severity of the insect decline crisis as being between 8–10.
Nothing scares me quite as much as the thought that I might live to see global ecological collapse.
If you think about it, when was the last time you saw a lighting bug. I’ve never seen a firefly in my entire life despite living in a country that had native species.
When I was growing up in the 1970s there were thousands of lightning bugs at night. Any time going outdoors after sunset I could see hundreds of lights winking on and off every few seconds, in fascinating patterns that I loved to look at. Later at night the bugs would fly higher or stop flashing
It was such an ordinary part of life, but movies and tv at the time don’t capture that very well .
Saw a documentary about a Chinese billionaire on TV a couple of years ago. He was born poor in some village and worked his way up, owning dozens of factories now. He was super busy, grumpy to the people around him and very torn. He asked the camera if he is part of the solution or part of the problem, he couldn’t tell. Told us he misses the sounds of frogs in the evening, when he was playing with his friend in the forests and fields that are now industrial parks. Made me cry, what are we doing?
Thankfully they are alive and doing quite well in our little forest home in Quebec, Canada. Of all the places I used to see them as a kid almost none are still vibrant and busy, but our little corner of forest here has a good population. For now…
I have seen them twice in the last year, but it was only a single bug each time. A sad lightning bug trying to find others to mate… I didn’t see another one around it.
I didn’t see any until I made my front yard a designated butterfly spot ( making i don’t have to follow by laws about lawn maintenance) now I see tons.
THAT is my fear. I’m watching the ecosystem collapse on my front porch. I could go on for a long, long time with my observations, both historic and recent, but the food chain is collapsing where I’m at. Wildlife populations are noticeably crashing from what I observed 4-years ago.
SOURCE: I’m old and outside a lot. Always looking around, seeing what’s changing.
My younger friend asked why some old cars had a piece of plexiglass on the front of the hood.
I had to explain that thirty years ago, in this area, you would drive through enough bugs in a day to cover your windscreen. The bug shield would help deflect them. It was a pretty grim lunch after that.
I remember a road trip to Poland to my grandparents place. The trip took around 10h by car over the german and polish highway.
On the first trip the car windshield was plastered in little dead flying insects.
The las time we went there (about 10 years ago) there was not even close to the amount on the windshield.
Hell no I Wana see that … People finally taking serious actions against it when its way too late … There’s nothing better then seeing rich people trying to buy stuff that can’t be bought… And finally dying full of regrets knowing it was their and theyr families fault.
Yeah go ahead and convince them , I have never even met in real life someone that slightly agrees not even to a big armed revolution but at the fact that there is something terribly wrong in this country 😏
Societal collapse will happen before human extinction. One way or another everything is going to sort itself out.
However I would prefer that we sort it out and use our might to reverse the damage already done. Otherwise a lot of people (rich and poor) are going to die (and are already dying)
Every study performed on insect counts has concluded that overall insect populations are declining, though there is not complete global coverage of data. One study in Germany found that the flying insect population had decreased by 75% from 1990 to 2015.
Nothing scares me quite as much as the thought that I might live to see global ecological collapse.
If you think about it, when was the last time you saw a lighting bug. I’ve never seen a firefly in my entire life despite living in a country that had native species.
As a kid, I would see hundreds of them around bushes and trees. Now I see one or two per summer.
But that’s all gods plan, right?
When I was growing up in the 1970s there were thousands of lightning bugs at night. Any time going outdoors after sunset I could see hundreds of lights winking on and off every few seconds, in fascinating patterns that I loved to look at. Later at night the bugs would fly higher or stop flashing
It was such an ordinary part of life, but movies and tv at the time don’t capture that very well .
Now its gone, for most areas
Saw a documentary about a Chinese billionaire on TV a couple of years ago. He was born poor in some village and worked his way up, owning dozens of factories now. He was super busy, grumpy to the people around him and very torn. He asked the camera if he is part of the solution or part of the problem, he couldn’t tell. Told us he misses the sounds of frogs in the evening, when he was playing with his friend in the forests and fields that are now industrial parks. Made me cry, what are we doing?
It is sad!
pave paradise, and put up a parking lot
Thankfully they are alive and doing quite well in our little forest home in Quebec, Canada. Of all the places I used to see them as a kid almost none are still vibrant and busy, but our little corner of forest here has a good population. For now…
I have seen them twice in the last year, but it was only a single bug each time. A sad lightning bug trying to find others to mate… I didn’t see another one around it.
You have to get out away from cities. We get them in our yard every summer and our kids run about catching them.
I get a bunch of them every year in NYC, weirdly enough
In new hampshire, relatively often when it’s the right season.
I didn’t see any until I made my front yard a designated butterfly spot ( making i don’t have to follow by laws about lawn maintenance) now I see tons.
THAT is my fear. I’m watching the ecosystem collapse on my front porch. I could go on for a long, long time with my observations, both historic and recent, but the food chain is collapsing where I’m at. Wildlife populations are noticeably crashing from what I observed 4-years ago.
SOURCE: I’m old and outside a lot. Always looking around, seeing what’s changing.
My younger friend asked why some old cars had a piece of plexiglass on the front of the hood.
I had to explain that thirty years ago, in this area, you would drive through enough bugs in a day to cover your windscreen. The bug shield would help deflect them. It was a pretty grim lunch after that.
I remember a road trip to Poland to my grandparents place. The trip took around 10h by car over the german and polish highway.
On the first trip the car windshield was plastered in little dead flying insects.
The las time we went there (about 10 years ago) there was not even close to the amount on the windshield.
Hell no I Wana see that … People finally taking serious actions against it when its way too late … There’s nothing better then seeing rich people trying to buy stuff that can’t be bought… And finally dying full of regrets knowing it was their and theyr families fault.
You wont see it, you’ll die first because they’re rich enough to prolong their demise.
I hope people would wake up in time
The time is now.
The time was ten years ago. We’re boned.
Yeah go ahead and convince them , I have never even met in real life someone that slightly agrees not even to a big armed revolution but at the fact that there is something terribly wrong in this country 😏
Welcome to the party.
Everyone else would die too. Not worth it, there are better ways to eliminate the parasite class that are more effective and less self-harmful.
Doesn’t seem anything is even starting… This is… let’s call it the back up plan and it going so great it might end up being the plan A
Societal collapse will happen before human extinction. One way or another everything is going to sort itself out.
However I would prefer that we sort it out and use our might to reverse the damage already done. Otherwise a lot of people (rich and poor) are going to die (and are already dying)