Re:Programming in the Apocalypse
by actually_a_dog on Monday May 30, 2022 @08:41PM
(#31565073)
If we lost all the insects in a ~100 year period, the result would be close enough to losing "all life on earth" for anyone who doesn't have a microscope (or, more likely, a telescope). This is not an exaggeration in any sense of the word.
We won't lose all insects. They didn't all die off when a massive rock took out the non-avian dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and that was far more catastrophic (worse than any human nuclear winter scenario).
Might’ve taken a while to grow back though.
The loss of insects isn’t caused by climate change, it’s too much pesticide use and people trying to have lawns instead of native plants.
Re:Programming in the Apocalypse
by ClumsyPilot on Monday May 30, 2022 @08:51PM
(#31565123)
You are not wrong, but isn't the insect-apocalypse distrinct from climate change? Insects aren't dying from CO2 emissions, different policies are needed to address them.
Re:Programming in the Apocalypse
by actually_a_dog on Tuesday May 31, 2022 @06:37AM
(#31567960)
It’s a combination of climate change and loss of habitat from expanding agriculture.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/insects-are-dying...
To 'wipe out' life on earth, you have to crash the moon into it or do something similarly ridiculous - remember that a giant asteroid wasn't enough.
Wiping out all human life is possible, but again I don't think that anyone is comforted by the idea that 0.1% of the population might survive in an arctic cave.
Where we seem to fail is in communicating to folks that don't want to spend money to fix the problem today how their life will become miserable tomorrow.