Scientists have warned that global warming can wipeout insects that are required to maintain the ecological balance. There is enough publicity about results of climate change that are readily visible like droughts, flash floods, wildfires, and disorders like hurricanes but little is known about the effects on insects. They are the silent workers who work to maintain the ecological balance of nature and cannot be ignored because they play a vital role in our lives.
The Guardian reports that the University of East Anglia has studied various implications of climate change on the insets and have concluded that the situation is grim.
Unless there is a reversal of the trend, the insects will be wiped out from the face of the Earth.
Insects must be saved
According to Prof Rachel Warren who led the study, insects are an integral part of the environment and are sensitive to climate change. They are important because ecosystems cannot function without them since they contribute to the food chain. A world without insects is unthinkable, and their loss will disrupt lives. The study has revealed that global warming will destroy their natural habitats and pollinators like bees will become scarce. That, in turn, will disturb adversely affect the availability of fruits, vegetables and crops and as well as the ecological balance.
The research analyzed the impact of climate change on thousands of species and discovered that plants face the brunt of the attack.
Mammals and birds can migrate to other areas and suffer less from climate changes, not the plants.
Germany has witnessed a drastic drop in the population of flying insects over the past quarter of a century. These could be attributed to the loss of their natural habitats due to vagaries of nature in the form of climatic disorders apart from farming methods and use of pesticides.
The action plan
The world knows that climate change cannot be wished away but must be tackled headlong. There is also the realization that global warming must be arrested and brought down to acceptable limits, but there has to be a realistic timescale. Countries have drawn up plans to discard fossil fuels and embrace alternative energies.
There is tough competition among manufacturers of electric cars but much more needs to be done.
Greenery around us is vanishing due to large-scale urbanization that involves building roads, bridges, and infrastructure to accommodate the increase in population. In addition, climate change brings with it dangers of loss of natural habitats of insects, the environment takes a heavy beating, and the ecological balance is lost. By the time the full impact is felt, it may be too late.
