POV: ‘Silent Earth’ is just an anti-pesticide NGO administrator’s fearmongering (reposted)

Point of view : ” Silent Earth (silent earth) is just the alarmism of an anti-pesticide NGO administrator (republished)

Amanda Zaluckyj, AGDAILY*

That’s it ! ” Silent Earth – Prevent insect extinction by Dave Goulson is published. Obviously, the author wants to follow in the footsteps of Rachel Carson…

Doomsday preachers are on the way, raising the specter of a world without insects.

This is particularly the case of the Monde by Mr. Stéphane Foucart with a conditional of caution – “ In Europe, the abundance of insects could have fallen by almost 80% in thirty to forty years – and, of course, a questioning of pesticides, “ major cause of the decline of entomofauna in our latitudes ».

Warning the eyes ! ” The book that must therefore be read, and made read these days, is that of Dave Goulson, professor at the University of Sussex… » [Nouveau paragraphe] « This is not only a moral duty, but also a vital matter… »

So let’s republish a more measured and critical review.

Farmers know the pests well. They come in many forms – insects, weeds, fungi, bacteria, viruses… If left unchecked, these pests can decimate plants, fields and entire farms. Fortunately, we live in a time when science and technology have developed many effective and safe ways to combat them.

But not everyone appreciates our innovations in pest control, especially pesticides. And those voices had something to celebrate last week: Dave Goulson’s book, Silent Earthis out.

In it, Goulson lays out his theory that the world’s insect population is declining so dramatically that we are facing an armageddon. For Goulson, modern life is to blame, and eliminating pesticides is the only logical answer.

The insect apocalypse is not a new idea. It’s been around for about 20 years, but it’s gained increased interest in the last three or four years. And Goulson is often quoted to talk about the impending apocalypse and the harms of conventional farming practices.

For his part, Goulson presents himself as a legitimate and trustworthy scientist. He is a professor of biology at the University of Sussex in England and has written several books on bees.

But you won’t be surprised to learn that Goulson is not an impartial researcher. He is a member of the board of directors of Pesticide Action Network UKan activist organization working to reduce the use of plant protection products” dangerous » et « chemicals “. Even worse, some circles consider Goulson like a ” scientist for hire “. In other words, his studies lead to the results that his clients want.

The good news is that Goulson is wrong. The surveys and studies he has conducted and on which he relies are, to say the least, imperfect and incomplete. Fortunately, scientist Matthew Moran and his hand-picked team have published in 2020 a comprehensive study which challenges Goulson’s conclusions. Moran’s approach took raw data spanning decades for various insects in North America. Guess what ? They found no significant changes in the populations.

Unfortunately, ” everything’s going good here “does not get as many clicks as” It’s the end of the world ».

Maybe I’m being too hard on Goulson. After all, he’s from the UK, so maybe he doesn’t know that U.S. Farmers’ Use of Pesticides Has Changed Significantly since the 1960s. In fact, we have reduced the amount applied per hectare by almost 60%. We have reduced pesticide toxicity by 98%. And we have halved the persistence of pesticides in the environment. Pesticide use peaked in 1972 and declined for most of the following years until 2008.

And here’s the most important thing: we have very, very good reasons to use these pesticides. For example, the Weed Science Society of America worked with Kansas State University to determine what would happen if the weeds were not controlled in North American corn and soybean fields. They determined that this would reduce yields by 50% and result in annual economic losses of $43 billion. National food security would be devastated.

Pesticides also help promote soil-friendly production practices. The development of herbicide-resistant crops has allowed more farms across the country to have access to no-till (direct seeding) farming techniques and cover crops. These methods promote healthy soils and reduce erosion. Yet Goulson opposes genetically modified crops only because he doesn’t like the companies that created them.

Goulson and his friends don’t care about nuanced conversation. Instead, they promote an indiscriminate agenda to eliminate the use of all pesticides and reorient agriculture towards organic production. The irony is that Goulson admits that organic farming has significantly lower yields and also uses pesticides at levels toxic to insects.

Goulson suggests we can overcome these issues by simply reducing or eliminating food waste. It’s optimistic. But the fact remains that it would lead to a reduction in our food supply and an increase in prices. I’m not sure those already struggling with hunger and malnutrition will find his insights comforting.

And all this to prevent a problem that does not exist, at least not in North America. Silent Earth is nothing but a work of alarmist propaganda filled with half-truths and misinformation. The insect apocalypse is not imminent.

Our insects are doing well. Our farms are doing well. Everything’s good.

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* Amanda Zaluckyj blogs under the name The Farmer’s Daughter USA. Its goal is to promote farmers and combat the misinformation that swirls around the US agrifood industry.

Source : Silent Earth is simply alarmism from an anti-pesticide trustee | AGDAILY