Justice & Paix

A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides

A new groundbreaking German study proves that pesticides spread much further from the field than previously believed. A team of scientists led by Professor Dr. Carsten Brühl tested topsoil, vegetation, streams and puddles from 78 locations over a 180 km stretch, from remote areas in the UNESCO forests on the mountain ranges to the farmland in the Upper Rhine area. The research team detected a total of 63 pesticides. Almost all measurement sites were contaminated. Residues were found in 97% of the soil and vegetation samples, often in complex mixtures of several active ingredients. This cocktail of pesticides is especially problematic because interactions can occur and effects can be amplified. The worrying results are consistent with previous smaller-scale studies in the South Tirol area in Italy. Large scale and prolonged pesticide use is a major factor in the sharp decline in populations of insects and other organisms essential for farming, as highlighted in our biodiversity campaign. The researchers see pe

Small patches of land given over to wildlife-friendly planting can make a big difference to pollinator conservation, a new study suggests. Bee and other pollinator populations in Europe and North America are in decline due to a range of factors including habitat loss and insufficient flowers for food.

It may take bees multiple generations to recover from being exposed to insecticides even just once, research shows. A new research, published in PNAS, shows that even a single exposure to insecticides in a bee’s first year of life affects offspring production, and since the effects of the pesticides are cumulative, this results in an overall decrease in population

Fried crickets on the school menu, milk made from fly larvae and mealworm bolognese for dinner? These are the environmentally friendly meals we can look forward to. Bon appetit!

Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects’ lives, the researchers said, from luring moths to their deaths around bulbs, to spotlighting insect prey for rats and toads, to obscuring the mating signals of fireflies.