Silent Earth audiobook

"We are committing ecocide on a biblical scale." The amount of truth in these words is devastatingly scary. They sound alarmist and dramatic, but they are completely true. We are destroying our home. We are decimating the populations of the creatures we share the planet with. We are pushing the earth into extinction.Insects are the key to so many processes, food chains and the natural working of the planet. We need them. As Rachel Carson so powerfully advocated in Silent Spring, the misuse of pesticides has a hugely hushed up negative effect on the environment. Dave Gouson builds on her argument here, capturing the importance of insects and how the continued use of chemicals and climate change effects wildlife. He describes how our behaviour is annihilating one of the most overlooked types of creatures on the planet: he rightfully suggests that we need to do better. "I want you to see insects as I do, beautiful, surprising, surpassing." Not enough people are listening. And this is something Gouslon directly addresses in the book: how exactly can we get people to take the situation seriously when a large proportion of the human population are apathetic towards ecological issues? How do we get them to engage? Gouslon believes that a book like this (or even television and radio shows) have limited value because they preach to the converted. It is the same group of interested readers and listeners who digest the ecological material churned out by concerned environmentalists and academics. Gouslon believes the solution is education. In effect, to install people with ecological awareness when they are young. He wants to revamp the education system to make nature interesting and engaging and for children to understand the importance of it in our lives. The real tragedy is that often even the teachers fail to understand it too. They offer uninspiring lessons on matters they don’t know enough about and then move on to the next subject. Speaking from experience, my lessons in biology at school were awful: they did nothing to capture the brilliance of the natural world. Something different is needed, something to help young people realise that the earth and her creatures are finite. We need to see her directly to understand her. Interestingly, I found the discussions over insects as a suitable food source for the western population quite thought provoking. Despite his clear love of insects, the author suggests that it is a more environmentally sustainable practice to eat them compared to cattle. And he is completely right. It would be better for us. However, as a vegan I take issue with this because it would be easier (and healthier) just to eat plant matter. His point though is an interesting one and its not something I have ever come across. More reading is required on this subject, but the point raises some interesting ethical dimensions for me. Not to mention how odd it seemed in a book suggesting we avert the insect apocalypse. We shouldn't be creating a new one. Overall, this is a very engaging book that discusses several important ideas. Whist I doubt it will make as many waves as its namesake Silent Spring, it certainly is no less brave in its scope and purpose.___________________________________You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.__________________________________

A thoroughly depressing tale of habitat loss, invasive species, foreign diseases, mixtures of pesticides, climate change, light pollution, and probably other man-made agents we have yet to recognise.Key learning for me is the need for systems thinking. We need to break out of our silos and build interdisciplinary scenarios for our organisations and their ecosystems. ‘The climate change scientists warned of the impact of a disrupted climate, biologists talked about the consequences of loss of biodiversity, fisheries scientists warned of depleted fish stocks, ecotoxicologists studied heavy metal poisoning, or plastics pollution, and so on and so on. None of them could fully anticipate that all of these processes were interlinked, with synergies that no-one could predict.’The book ends with practical advice and actions to avert the insect apocalypse.· Encouraging environmental awareness· Greening our urban areas· Transforming our food system· Improving protection of rare insects and habitatsAn important book in which we can learn to live as part of nature, rather than apart from it.Now we look to COP 15 on Biological Diversity in October 2021 for global leadership and direction.

This is a lovely little book on how insects are disappearing. The studies, counter studies and facts. It’s not just one thing, it’s safe to say, but a combination of some or all of the following factors:* pesticides * habitat loss * climate change * parasites * invasive species * industrial farmingAs pointed out in other books, such as the brilliant “Song of the dodo”, we’re creating islands of wildlife that are not connected. The lack of exchange of genes (new mates), makes the isolated populations vulnerable. They become like literal island creatures. As for pesticides, they are only tested in isolation from each other. Maybe a single pesto in itself won’t be harmful, but in combination with other pesticides and stressors, the result is devastating.Of course, there is no immediate fear that all insects should disappear. We can be sure that houseflies and cockroaches will long outlive humanity. However, many of the species we depend upon for our food supply are collapsing.This book gives a list of things that all of us can do to dampen the negative spiral. Grow our own food - even just a little bit of fresh green - mow our lawns less often, eat meat as a treat and not as an everyday occurrence and so on.Needless to say, I am a convert. I have a little vegetable patch, I grow pollinator-friendly flowers from ecological seed, and I have convinced my partner to let half the lawn grow wild this year. We live in the country side and when we came home after two weeks of holiday last summer, the uncut lawn was already a meadow. There were even bluebells! I also have to say that it brings enormous pleasure to have a garden and terrace buzzing with life: bees, bumblebees, butterflies and grasshoppers. There is still a chance to do something about the impending doom. It may not seem like much, but if everyone took just a few steps in the same direction that would have massive impact. Besides, gardening is intensely rewarding and you’ll have fun! And don’t worry about not having green fingers, I started just ten years ago at the behest from my sister who said that growing stuff outside and keeping it alive for a season is much easier than dealing with finicky and fickle tropical planst indoors. Turned out she was right!

Excellent book! I don't quite agree with all the numbers (I will explain*), but it does bring the insect problem to the forefront. Most non-biologists take their cues about global warming and climate change from "charismatic megafauna" - the advertising animals of the WWF , because that tugs at the heart string and brings in money. Invertebrates not so much. Mostly we think of them as pests. We need to change that idea. Looking at the one disagreeing review, I did some research and it seems that indeed land invertebrates are declining and water invertebrates are increasing. ( Science, Van Klink et al., April 2020) What you cannot deny is that we are in the sixth extinction and it is in our own best interest to do something about it.

Silent Earth is an important book that warns of insect declines, but does the combination of patchy data and biblical phrases run the risk of disengaging people from a problem that deserves our urgent attention? See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2021...

Als mens is het soms moeilijk om je voor te stellen dat er al miljoenen jaren leven bestaat en dat er in die jaren heel veel veranderd is. Meestal gaan die veranderingen heel traag, maar soms gebeurt er iets waardoor het in één klap anders wordt. Toch was er nooit één diersoort verantwoordelijk voor een snelle veranderingen, die heel veel weerslag heeft op alle andere diersoorten. Dave Goulson neemt dit uitgangspunt, klimaatverandering en de problemen die de natuur heden ten dage ondervindt, en focust zich op hoe de insecten hier mee omgaan. Toch is het veel breder dan alleen maar insectenpraat en dat maakt Stille aarde uiterst interessant voor een grote doelgroep.Goulson straalt door middel van zijn woorden een enorme dierenliefde uit. Een kriebelbeestjesliefde eigenlijk, als je het helemaal precies wil benoemen. Hij neemt de lezer mee in zijn passie en zorgt ervoor dat je open gaat staan voor het nut en de schoonheid van deze grote groep dieren. Hij doet dat op een heel toegankelijke en laagdrempelige manier. Natuurlijk kan de Jip en Janneke-taal niet doorheen het hele boek vastgehouden worden en dat zou ook afbreuk doen aan de professionaliteit, maar vooral aan de start van Stille Aarde word je als lezer niet overrompeld met een lading wetenschappelijke termen. De stijl blijft op die manier verfrissend met een goede balans tussen professioneel en aantrekkelijk.Er staan vrij weinig afbeeldingen in de tekst en dat is wel iets wat het nóg plezieriger had kunnen maken. Het is geen strikte noodzaak, maar zeker bij de stukken tekst die wat taaier zijn qua inhoud geeft een foto of een tabel wat afleiding en prikkelt het de lezer op een andere manier die stimulerend werkt om de informatie op te nemen. Nu moet Goulson het toch vooral van zijn beeldend taalgebruik hebben en toegegeven, dat is iets wat hem bijzonder goed afgaat.Stille aarde is een boek dat vooral opgepakt zal worden door lezers die affiniteit hebben met natuur en klimaatveranderingen. Goulson valt voor die groep deels in herhaling, maar hij geeft er wel zodanig een 'nieuwe' draai aan dat je geboeid verder blijft lezen. Ook door het boek op te splitsen in vijf onderdelen die significant van elkaar verschillen, raakt er geen sleur in. Met name deel vier, het toekomstbeeld, en deel vijf, wat kunnen we doen, zijn goede aanvullingen op de basisinformatie over de dreigingen rondom klimaat en de achteruitgang van de insecten.De noodzaak én de wens om tot een groot publiek door te dringen is voelbaar op alle bladzijden van dit boek. Goulson geeft een vrij wetenschappelijk verhaal mee aan de lezer, op een prettige en bijna luchtige manier. In veel zinnen zit een snuifje humor verstopt en toch doet het niets af aan de ernst van de zaak. Het is een mooie mix, en Goulson vindt zo wel de balans om de lezer geboeid te houden, niet af te schrikken en toch bewust te maken en hopelijk tot actie te laten overgaan. Boeken als dit moeten op dit moment eigenlijk massaal gelezen worden, want het is net die bewustwording die er misschien nog voor kan zorgen dat we niet in een onomkeerbare fase komen. Een fase die in het ijzig stille toekomstbeeld van Goulson wordt gepresenteerd. Een fase waarvan velen nog denken dat zij het niet meer gaan meemaken, of dat het zelfs nooit komt. Maar moeten we er niet zachtjesaan vanuit gaan dat we al teveel schade aan onze planeet en de insecten die erop leven hebben toegebracht en dat die insecten veel belangrijker zijn dan we ooit hadden gedacht. Wat als onze kinderen echt in een wereld moeten leven waar ze het gezoem van de dieren niet meer te horen krijgen?

Stille aarde. Hoe we de insecten van de ondergang kunnen redden. Door: Dave Goulson. Goulson heeft een missie: de wereld er van overtuigen dat het alarmerend slecht gaat met de insectenwereld én in één klap aantonen hoe wij daar zelf iets aan kunnen doen. Hij is hoogleraar biologie, geeft lezingen én schrijft boeken. Zijn laatste boek is Stille aarde, wederom een indrukwekkend boeiend boek.Ik las De tuinjungle en werd daar enorm door gegrepen: door de hoeveelheid informatie in verband met wat er fout gaat én door de tips hoe we zelf aan de slag kunnen gaan om de catastrofe iets minder groot te laten worden. Stille aarde is eenzelfde soort boek. Het staat boordenvol weetjes die je met iedereen wil (moet) delen. Het is interessant, urgent, actueel, wetenschappelijk, filosofisch, angstaanjagend én vlot geschreven (belangrijk om al die informatie leesbaar te houden). Goulson heeft de gave om bergen informatie duidelijk, overzichtelijk voor ons samen te vatten, af en toe met humor. En die is broodnodig.Want het gaat niet goed met de insectenwereld. Hoe slecht het écht gaat, daar is soms discussie over. Niemand weet het echt, jammer genoeg. Er zijn niet genoeg cijfers van heel vroeger om mee te vergelijken. En een groot deel van de insectensoorten is nog niet eens ontdekt. Wat wil zeggen dat er soorten uitsterven voor we ze ooit gekend hebben, hoe triest is dat!? Over de oorzaken van het verdwijnen bestaat ook onenigheid, wat wél al vaststaat is dat de mens er een belangrijk aandeel in heeft. De insecten hun leefgebied krimpt, we gebruiken te veel gif en kunstmest, de klimaatopwarming heeft effect, net als lichtvervuiling en gronduitputtende landbouw. Die factoren hebben elk an sich een negatief effect en werken dan nog eens op elkaar in.Tijdens het lezen van Stille aarde voelde ik wanhoop, boosheid, verontwaardiging, angst. Maar naar het einde toe, als Goulson met tips komt, voelde ik ook hoop en goesting en enthousiasme. Mijn emmer vol potgrond met bloemenzaad staat klaar om stiekem een kaal stukje grond te gaan ‘versieren’. En ik wil iedereen oproepen om dit boek te lezen én weetjes te delen. Het is nog niet (helemaal) te laat! Er is zo veel dat jij, dat ik kan doen. Laten we samen aan de slag gaan en de (insecten)wereld redden!

Necessary reading if you don't know much about what's happening to Earth's insect populations and how they will impact our future.

***I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway***Bugs are cool and Dave Goulson seems to be on a one man mission to convince the world of this fact. He's doing a pretty good job! I really appreciated how he broke down the science and how we know what we know when it comes to insect populations. This is a complicated space with a lot of variables at play and he broke then down clearly for laypeople. Ultimately, a lot of this book is depressing. The science points to some very dangerous trends and a lot of the actions we can take are barely a drop in the bucket. It took me awhile to read because I had to take breaks to process how BAD we've let things get. Then you throw the specter of climate change over the whole thing and it can feel hopeless. As an city dweller with a very small yard, a lot of the action items the author lists aren't feasible for me which is unfortunate. His advice to seek out local conservation groups, however, is a goldmine. I had no idea there was so much going on in my area! That was encouraging to learn. Overall, this is a thorough book written in an approachable style and, happily, ends with several pages of action items for individuals, local, and national governments. I recommend it to anyone who cares about planet Earth.

When some of us think of insects, it is common for them to be thought of in a negative light. Some of our earliest childhood memories include being stung, bitten, or just plain scared by the sight of them. I can remember running screaming from an outhouse at a provincial park when I was about five years old. What was so scary? It was the sight of a Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) hanging in its web in the stall. Fortunately, the experience didn’t make me fear or dislike spiders and as a gardener I know how beneficial they are to have around. While some insects may deserve our scorn—such as invasive species such as the LDD moth (Lymantria dispar dispar); Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis); Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica), etc., by and large, the majority of insects are harmless and beneficial. Not long ago, I saw a couple—perhaps grandparents, out for a walk with their grandson. One of them was urging the young boy to stomp on an ant on the pavement, calling out “Get it! Get it!” It was disheartening to see. It is experiences like this that call for a shift in our thinking about insects. And this is also a shared view of the author of this book--British entomologist Dave Goulson. Goulson’s work is primarily focused on Bumblebees and as the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in the UK, he is dedicated to reversing the decline of them. He is also known for his work that was instrumental in influencing the European Union’s decision to ban neonicotinoids in 2013. Goulson wrote this book in an effort to bring more public attention to the recent and rapid decline of global insect populations—which are critical for our planet’s survival. He also explores the chief causes of insect declines such as habitat fragmentation, industrial farming practices, pesticides, climate change, and non-native insect diseases and provides suggestions for readers that can help support insects—especially gardeners.Here are a few highlights from the book:Goulson refers to a phenomenon called “Shifting Baseline Syndrome” where humans tend to only see their current world as “normal” and are unable to detect changes over time. Humans also tend to have something called “personal amnesia” in which they downplay the extent of change. With these points in mind, it is no wonder that most people would not know that insect populations have recently declined by as much as 75% and that there have been parallel declines in populations of insectivorous birds. Goulson is also concerned about the level of human awareness of the existence of the natural world. It is important to learn the names of plants and animals—otherwise they cease to exist. If they don’t exist, their importance can’t be recognized. Astonishingly, in 2007, some of the words eliminated from the Oxford Junior Dictionary included words such as acorn, fern, moss, clover, kingfisher, otter, among others.87% of all plant species require pollination in order to flower, produce fruit/seeds, and ensure perpetuation of the species. This includes 75% of all agricultural crops. Most of this is performed by insects and a large part is performed by those other than bees—flies, ants, beetles, wasps, moths and butterflies. A world without insects means that we would need to subsist mainly on cereal crops as these can be wind-pollinated. I can’t imagine going without fruits such as strawberries, apples, cherries, raspberries, and even my morning coffee.Insects are not only important pollinators, but they assist in the development of healthy soils. Not only do they help to aerate soil, they are valuable decomposers of organic matter—participating in a process along with bacteria that help make nutrients more available to plants. As biological control agents, predatory insects such as Lady Bugs (Coccinellidae spp.), Lacewings (Chrysopidae spp.), Ground Beetles (Carabidae spp.), Wasps (Vespidae spp.), etc., can help us reduce the need for pesticides. Despite the current state of things, Goulson is optimistic that insect declines can be stabilized or reversed because they are generally good at reproducing—we just need to support them better. Here are a few ideas taken from the book:Reduce or avoid the use of pesticides and give beneficial predatory insects a chance to take care of the problem first. Incorporate a wide range of native plants that flower throughout the season in your garden to attract beneficial insects. Purchase plants from an organic nursery, save seeds, or seed-swap among friends to ensure your plants have not been grown with pesticides.Reduce lawn and use the space for more plants. Reduce mowing of the lawn that exists. Allow a corner of your garden to “grow wild” and “get messy.”Choose native plants over cultivars. Some cultivars are supportive of pollinators but many are sterile or lack pollen and therefore are unable to provide food. The ones that are most likely to be the least supportive will have features such as double blooms, different leaf colours, etc. Reduce planting of ornamental annuals like Petunias, Begonias, Pansies, etc. because of their tendency to have no pollen or nectar. Recognize that commercially produced “Bee Hotels” can become populated by non-native bees as well as native bees. If used, periodically clean them so as to reduce mites and fungi that can be harmful to the bees. Reconsider taking up beekeeping as a hobby. The European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) threatens native bees in North America because they take the lion’s share of available plant pollen. It is also not a good strategy to rely on one species for pollination in case something happens to that species.Raise awareness and share your knowledge with family and friends. You can convince others that insects need our help if they realize they themselves will be personally impacted by their decline.In the end, this book may turn out to be read only by those who are already "converted." It has such a valuable message and so hopefully, it will reach a broader audience.

I am not drawn to books with all black covers and the word "apocalypse," so if you feel like that too bear with me momentarily, because you're not alone!The last 3rd of the book are narrative and then bulleted descriptions of what YOU can do. Awesome! Shouldn't every book have that now? Plus - helping save insects IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING YOU CAN DO! It's actually interesting, fun, does not require going to protests (necessarily), and more often than not it's the lazier approach to managing your space so win-win-win-win! I am really only interested in empowering myself and other people to make the future livable; I am only interested in a life alternative to rapacious corporate destruction. The author's tone is great. Serious, intentional, not phony, and yet - digestible. Far more than the book jacket would make you think. That said, we're encountering such a serious collapse of the food chain that I don't think the language is prepared to describe, at all! Critical, vital, lethal, dead-serious, world-shattering, none of those terms has much meaning to me anymore. None of it does justice to the surprisingly slow/surprisingly rapid disintegration of life on earth. Put another way - since 1970, so within your lifetime - insect and animal populations have been in steady, endangering declines. Many have gone extinct, and many are going extinct. Somebody probably went extinct as I wrote this. Crazy to think that! When I think about this in terms of my own lifespan, it takes my breath away, because I see myself more implicated. Like wow, this happened on my watch - you know? Anyways. Dave Goulson is really cool, I am definitely going to check out his other books.

I read this book with the intention of learning to appreciate insects more and it certainly delivered. This book gave me a greater understanding of why our little friends are so amazing and important and why we should care about them. It highlighted the amazing and fascinating aspects of these creatures while highlighting how we are damaging the earth and how we can help stop it. I especially loved the blurb on each new insect at the end of the chapters, that was my favourite part! Insects are rad as heck.Some of the ideas were a bit repetitive and I think it could have been edited down a little bit, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this read. And now insects can hang.....except mosquitoes. Just kidding! ....unless ;). No I am kidding, mosquitoes can hang.

This book left me wanting more. So many aspects of what we work with is represented in this book, things we are experiencing in field, and seeing happening before our eyes. Stunning read, wonderfully narrated, incredible real.

More like a 3.5 stars