#humanimpact

Insectageddon

Insects are the most abundant animals in the world, making up around 70% of all animal species, playing a vital role in the ecosystem of our planet.

The first ever global scientific review on insect’s has revealed that over 40% of species are declining and a third now classed as endangered.  This 40% could become extinct within the next few decades, with scientists warning that insects could be totally wiped out within the next century.

We are now witnessing the sixth mass extinction in the Earths history, with demises in biodiversity and ecosystems being reported on numerous fronts. Insect numbers are currently falling 8 times faster than that mammals, birds and reptiles.

If this trend carries on, it could result in a total collapse of nature on earth and even the downfall of the human race.

So why are insects important?

What is happening to them?

And how can we stop this happening?

So why are insects important?

Yes, if insects vanished it would mean no more fleas or mosquito bites. Even insect spread diseases like zika, dengue and malaria would be gone.

But Insects are the most plentiful animals in the world, with their total weight 17 times that of humans and a key functioning part to the majority of food webs. 60% of birds rely solely on insects for food. Deprived of insects these birds would die out, and any animals that feed on these birds would be starved of a vital food source too, in turn endangering them.

80% of the worlds wild plants use insects for pollination. This is not just bees, but also ants, butterflies, moths, beetles and mosquitos. Without them these plants and the vast amount of food produced from them that we eat, would be gone.

Some Insects are used to control other insects classed as pests. They also keep soil healthy, recycling nutrients back into the earth at a rate unparalleled by nature alone. Decay and rot would be rife without them.

  What is happening to the insects?

The report shows up to 80% of insect biomass has disappeared in the last 30 years, with butterflies, bees and beetles most affected. There as been a 58% drop of butterfly species in English farmlands between 2000-2009. A 98% drop of ground insects in Puerto Rico over the last 35 years, and nearly half of the 6million honeybee colonies in the US disappearing since 1947.

The main cause is being put down to habitat loss, with agricultural land usage intensifying year on year. Trees and shrubs that filled fields are now bare, having just the designated crop present when in season. This makes it impossible for some insects to live and feed in these fields.

Agricultural Land is more and more treated with synthetic fertilisers and pesticides which kill off insects. Pesticides carry through the air as pollution as well and kill further afield than intended.

Climate change is also playing a part, with insects in tropical regions suffering from having a low tolerance to heat changes. Insects are also missing important feeding cycles with certain pollinating plants. When insects would normally spawn, feed and reproduce at a certain time of year to coincide with a plants blooming, now they are out of sync with these flowers blooming earlier due to global heating. The plants do not get pollinated and the insects are starved of their intended food source.

The total mass of insects is falling by 2.5% a year, meaning they could truly be extinct within the next century.

 How can we stop this happening?

Suggested methods are a major reduction in pesticide usage, with organic farms shown to be home to much more insect life.

Over consumption and the need for industrial scale agriculture is a huge problem. Habitat restoration areas could be enforced as well as ideas like flower rich strips in farming fields.

What more can be done? please comment below with your thoughts on this.

This American Woodcock, Scolopax minor, struck a window of a NYC skyscraper this morning. It met their demise like many birds in NYC do. Human impact on the environment is often so sad and this beautiful bird most likely saw the reflection of the sky on the glass of the window not recognizing the building as an obstacle in its spring migration.

We've seen US military aircraft – C-17 Globemasters and AC-130Js – touching down at UK bases like Fairford and Mildenhall in the wake of recent operations tied to Venezuela. It's a factual development underscoring close US-UK defence ties during a period of change in the Americas.

When we hear the words “global sourcing”, most of us picture spreadsheets, contracts, or factories halfway across the world. It feels distant, cold, maybe even a little mechanical. But here’s the truth: global sourcing isn’t just about cost savings or efficiency—it’s about people. It’s about lives being stitched together, thread by thread, across borders.

Think of it like a vast, invisible web connecting humanity. Every product you touch—your favorite sneakers, the phone in your pocket, the coffee steaming on your desk—comes with a story. That story isn’t written in profit margins; it’s written in human effort, resilience, and dreams.

The Coffee Farmer and the Engineer

Imagine a coffee farmer in Colombia. Her mornings begin before the sun, hands stained with earth as she nurtures the beans that will end up in your cup. Half a world away, an engineer in Germany designs the machinery that will roast and package those beans. Neither knows the other, but through sourcing, their lives are intertwined.

Global sourcing bridges their worlds. It allows the farmer’s harvest to travel oceans, to be roasted by precision machines, to be poured into your mug as you scroll through your feed. One sip, and you’re connected to her livelihood—and to the engineer’s innovation.

Beyond Business Metrics

Companies love to talk about savings: how sourcing lowers costs, improves margins, speeds up delivery. But the real impact lives in the margins of those reports—the spaces where people’s lives transform.

When done responsibly, global sourcing can:

Lift families out of poverty by providing stable jobs.

Fund education for children who would otherwise never see a classroom.

Drive innovation in communities that once seemed forgotten.

Empower small businesses in developing countries to join the global economy.

It’s not just numbers; it’s nourishment. It’s mothers being able to put food on the table. It’s fathers returning home after a safe day’s work. It’s children growing up with hope instead of hunger.

The Ripple Effect

Think of global sourcing like dropping a stone into water. The first splash is the factory worker getting a paycheck. The ripples are his children going to school, the local shopkeeper selling more groceries, the community hospital having more funds.

And those ripples? They don’t stop in that village. They reach you too. Every time you buy something sourced responsibly, you’re part of that ripple—an unseen chain reaction of good.

Why You Should Care

Because sourcing isn’t just business—it’s humanity. It’s a reminder that the things we buy carry fingerprints of people we may never meet, but who shape our lives in ways we rarely acknowledge.

When you care about global sourcing, you’re choosing to see the hidden heartbeat of trade. You’re acknowledging that behind every product is a worker, a family, a dream. And in a world that often feels divided, sourcing is proof that we are, in fact, deeply connected.

So the next time you sip your coffee, lace up your shoes, or power up your phone, pause for a moment. Think of the farmer, the engineer, the machinist, the packer, the ship captain. Think of how their lives brushed against yours without either of you knowing it.

Global sourcing is changing lives—not just theirs, but yours too. And when we care about how sourcing is done, we make sure those changes are for the better.