What happened to insect splatter - “windshield bugs” - and why should you care?!
WHAT HAPPENED TO WINDSHIELD BUGS?
🚖 Remember having to stop driving to squeegee bugs off your windshield? We do!
🦟 Since the early 2000s, drivers and scientists noticed fewer dead insects collecting on windshields.
🧪 This “windshield phenomenon” is confirmed by car splatometer tests and other research.
😱 The culprit? Human-caused global decline in insect populations, called “insect apocalypse” or “insectageddon”.
WHAT IS “INSECTAGEDDON”?
🪲 There are about 1 million known insect species, which is 2/3 of Earth’s 1.5+ million known animal species.
❗️5-10% of insect species – 250,000 to 500,000 – went extinct in last 150 years! These losses continue today, with global insect population decreasing at unprecedented rate of up to 2% per year.
🥵 Human threats to insects include climate change, habitat destruction, industrial farming, insecticides, artificial light pollution, and introduction of invasive plants.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
🐞 Insects aren’t cute, cuddly, or charismatic. So, they don’t get conservation attention and research funding like popular endangered animals such as tigers, elephants, gorillas, polar bears, and blue whales.
🐛 Insects ensure healthy ecosystems, which stabilize our soils, clean our air, supply oxygen, and support other wildlife. Drastically fewer insects mean catastrophic ecosystem collapse.
🐝 Insect pollinators – like bees, wasps, beetles, flies, ants, and butterflies – and other animals – like birds and bats – pollinate 75% of global food crops. *Fewer* pollinators mean less food and emptier grocery stores. *No* pollinators mean no chocolate, kiwis, or melons!
WHAT CAN WE DO, COLLECTIVELY?
🌾 Focus on sustainable agriculture that maximizes crop yields + preserves insect pollinator biodiversity.
HOW CAN YOU HELP, AS AN INDIVIDUAL?
🌻 Provide insect habitat by adding native plants to your garden or balcony.
🛍️ Be a conscious consumer and eat a sustainable diet.
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📸 By H Dragon - CC BY 2.0
WHAT HAPPENED TO WINDSHIELD BUGS?
🚖 Remember having to stop driving to squeegee bugs off your windshield? We do!
🦟 Since the early 2000s, drivers and scientists noticed fewer dead insects collecting on windshields.
🧪 This “windshield phenomenon” is confirmed by car splatometer tests and other research.
😱 The culprit? Human-caused global decline in insect populations, called “insect apocalypse” or “insectageddon”.
WHAT IS “INSECTAGEDDON”?
🪲 There are about 1 million known insect species, which is 2/3 of Earth’s 1.5+ million known animal species.
❗️5-10% of insect species – 250,000 to 500,000 – went extinct in last 150 years! These losses continue today, with global insect population decreasing at unprecedented rate of up to 2% per year.
🥵 Human threats to insects include climate change, habitat destruction, industrial farming, insecticides, artificial light pollution, and introduction of invasive plants.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
🐞 Insects aren’t cute, cuddly, or charismatic. So, they don’t get conservation attention and research funding like popular endangered animals such as tigers, elephants, gorillas, polar bears, and blue whales.
🐛 Insects ensure healthy ecosystems, which stabilize our soils, clean our air, supply oxygen, and support other wildlife. Drastically fewer insects mean catastrophic ecosystem collapse.
🐝 Insect pollinators – like bees, wasps, beetles, flies, ants, and butterflies – and other animals – like birds and bats – pollinate 75% of global food crops. *Fewer* pollinators mean less food and emptier grocery stores. *No* pollinators mean no chocolate, kiwis, or melons!
WHAT CAN WE DO, COLLECTIVELY?
🌾 Focus on sustainable agriculture that maximizes crop yields + preserves insect pollinator biodiversity.
HOW CAN YOU HELP, AS AN INDIVIDUAL?
🌻 Provide insect habitat by adding native plants to your garden or balcony.
🛍️ Be a conscious consumer and eat a sustainable diet.
- -
📸 By H Dragon - CC BY 2.0