#bugpocalypse

This is the link to the report, which is entitled, “International scientists formulate a roadmap for insect conservation and recovery.”

Excerpt from this story from Common Dreams:

Highlighting the "strong scientific consensus that the decline of insects, other arthropods, and biodiversity as a whole, is a very real and serious threat that society must urgently address," 73 international scientists on Monday published a roadmap to battle the world's "bugpocalypse."

The roadmap, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, explains that a mounting body of research shows "a suite of anthropogenic stressors—habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, invasive species, climate change, and overharvesting—are seriously reducing insect and other invertebrate abundance, diversity, and biomass."

The scientists note that in September 2019 the German government announced a €100 million ($111.9 million USD) "action plan for insect protection" that includes safeguarding key habitats, restricting pesticides, reducing light pollution, and investing in research.

"This funding should act as a clarion call to other nations across the world—especially wealthier ones—to follow suit," the letter says of the German initiative, calling for "the immediate implementation of several 'no-regret' measures" on a global scale.

Among the immediate steps that the scientists propose to protect bugs worldwide are:

Aggressively curbing planet-heating emissions;

Cutting back on the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers;

Limiting light, water, and noise pollution;

Preventing the introduction of invasive and alien species;

Pursuing conservation efforts for vulnerable, threatened, and endangered species; and

Funding programs targeted at the public, farmers, land managers, policymakers, and conservation workers.

Infographic from the report describing the proposed actions:

Bug tamer - you tame wild bugs, mounting them, like rhino bugs.

Aphid farmer - you breed and trade aphids with ants.

Shaman/Hives, colonies negotiator - you know how to communicate with bug colonies so they don't eat us.

Tribe warrior ‐ you scare away predatory bugs by high pitched vibrations + got a salt gun. (Gun that shoots salt)

Silk farmer - you farm silk from giant moths.