“The Disappearing Act: Global Insect Decline and Our Looming Ecological Catastrophe”
News from our rainforest mountain biome in southeast Puerto Rico
As an inhabitant of Puerto Rico’s lush rainforest for the last twenty-two years, I am witnessing a devastating phenomenon firsthand: the severe decline of insect populations in our forest. I have not done a scientific study on this, and I am not an entomologist, but I live here, and am seeing it with my own eyes. I feel impelled to alert the world, as many others already have, to the harsh reality that the decreasing numbers of these tiny creatures pose an existential threat to our planet. Studies conducted over the past few decades demonstrate that insect populations are plummeting globally. This trend endangers not only the health of our ecosystems but also the stability of our food supply and, ultimately, our very existence as human beings. I feel it is urgent to delve into the causes of this decline in insect populations and the consequences that it will bring and offer some solutions to prevent this ecological crisis from escalating further, if that is possible.
Despite the crucial role that insects play in sustaining our environment, they face a daunting enemy: humans, who squeal in ignorance and fear. Phobias, hatred, and general disdain for bugs are so widespread in our society that any conservation…
