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Silent Earth
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Read this book, then look and wonder' Sunday Times*A TLS Book of the Year*We have to learn to live as part of nature, not apart from it. And the first step is to start looking after the insects, the little creatures that make our shared world go round.Insects are essential for life as we know it - without them, our world would look vastly different. Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research and a lifetime's study, Dave Goulson reveals the long decline of insect populations that has taken place in recent decades and its potential consequences.Eye-opening and inspiring, Silent Earth asks for profound change at every level and a passionate argument or us to love, respect and care for our six-legged friends.'Compelling - Silent Earth is a wake-up call' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding'Enlightening, urgent and funny, Goulson's book is a timely call for action' New Statesman
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2021
286 people are currently reading
6136 people want to read
About the author
Dave Goulson
18 books342 followersAfter a childhood chasing butterflies and collecting bird’s eggs, I studied Biology at Oxford University, and then did a PhD on butterfly ecology at Oxford Brookes University. Shortly afterwards I got a lectureship at University of Southampton, where I stayed for 11 years. It was there that I began to specialize in bumblebee ecology and conservation. In 2006 I became Professor of Biology and Stirling University. In 2006 I also founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a charity devoted to reversing bumblebee declines. In 2013 I moved to Sussex University.
I have published over 200 scientific articles on the ecology of bees and other insects, and am author of Bumblebees: Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation (2010, Oxford University Press) and A Sting in the Tale (2013, Jonathan Cape), a popular science book about bumblebees. A Buzz in the Meadow (Jonathon Cape) is due to be published in September 2014.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 2010 I was BBSRC "Social Innovator of the Year" and in 2013 I won the Marsh Award for Conservation Biology from the Zoological Society of London.
I have published over 200 scientific articles on the ecology of bees and other insects, and am author of Bumblebees: Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation (2010, Oxford University Press) and A Sting in the Tale (2013, Jonathan Cape), a popular science book about bumblebees. A Buzz in the Meadow (Jonathon Cape) is due to be published in September 2014.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 2010 I was BBSRC "Social Innovator of the Year" and in 2013 I won the Marsh Award for Conservation Biology from the Zoological Society of London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
May 4, 2022
"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.
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You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
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January 14, 2023
I wasn't aware how bad the insect situation where before listening to this, so it was an important read. 4 stars for that. Although my 3.5 star rating is because I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook format or maybe it was the writing I didn't quite gel with. But an important subject nevertheless
October 4, 2021
My Shelf Awareness review: With insect populations down 75% since the early 1970s, University of Sussex biology professor Dave Goulson issues a solemn warning: without insects, "our world will slowly grind to a halt." Essential to food chains, they also provide vital services such as pollination and decomposition. But in his hard-hitting, passionate exposé, Goulson doesn't campaign to save insects because of what they do for us; that might make an effective argument with politicians, but for him the matter is personal: "I do it because I think they are wonderful." One of his earliest memories is of finding caterpillars on his school playground and raising them into moths. Grateful to have made a living from his hobby, he writes with enthusiasm and, in one-page interludes, celebrates bizarre, breathtaking species like cicadas and fireflies.
The book painstakingly sets out the threats to insects, including pesticides, fertilizer, light pollution, invasive species and climate change. (Most of these factors directly damage human health as well. For instance, Roundup users who contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma have successfully sued Monsanto.) Statistics and graphs make the case devastatingly clear.
As Rachel Carson did in Silent Spring, Goulson conjures a dystopian future: in post-civilizational-collapse 2080, his son is reduced to a meager existence, with hand-pollination required to produce any food. But this vision doesn't have to come true. An invaluable final chapter gives tips for what individuals, as well as local and national governments, can do to start reversing the losses. Insect-friendly habits can start with our own backyards.
(Posted with permission from Shelf Awareness.)
[All of Goulson's books are of a piece, but that’s no problem because his enthusiasm for insect life is infectious and he writes with the wit and charm of Gerald Durrell. This one has a little more detail than I think is necessary for laymen, and I wished the species portraits could have been longer (and been accompanied by photographs!). (3.5 stars)]
The book painstakingly sets out the threats to insects, including pesticides, fertilizer, light pollution, invasive species and climate change. (Most of these factors directly damage human health as well. For instance, Roundup users who contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma have successfully sued Monsanto.) Statistics and graphs make the case devastatingly clear.
As Rachel Carson did in Silent Spring, Goulson conjures a dystopian future: in post-civilizational-collapse 2080, his son is reduced to a meager existence, with hand-pollination required to produce any food. But this vision doesn't have to come true. An invaluable final chapter gives tips for what individuals, as well as local and national governments, can do to start reversing the losses. Insect-friendly habits can start with our own backyards.
(Posted with permission from Shelf Awareness.)
[All of Goulson's books are of a piece, but that’s no problem because his enthusiasm for insect life is infectious and he writes with the wit and charm of Gerald Durrell. This one has a little more detail than I think is necessary for laymen, and I wished the species portraits could have been longer (and been accompanied by photographs!). (3.5 stars)]
August 23, 2021
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 habitats
An 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.
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 habitats
An 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.
January 2, 2022
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 farming
As 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!
* pesticides
* habitat loss
* climate change
* parasites
* invasive species
* industrial farming
As 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!
June 8, 2022
People seem to forget that we are an integral part of the natural world and this planet. Ultimately, everything that we do will have an effect and repercussions much further down the line. This piece of art by Jim Vision and Louis Masai says it all really:
One of the creatures that we really have to look after is insects. They are essential for life in so many ways, so of which we know and as Goulson, says in the book, echoes Donald Rumsfeld of all people, in ways that we have not even begun to comprehend. As they disappear because of our actions; spraying vast swathes of land with toxic chemicals, drenching plants with weedkillers and pumping vast quantities of climate-changing gasses into the atmosphere, the world as we know it will change irrevocably.
Goulson is drawing all his scientific knowledge to do two things in this book. The first is to show the shocking and often cataclysmic decline in insect populations that have taken place in recent decades and the reasons why this has happened. The second is to show how and why we need change at every level of government and society. We have to look after these invertebrates; our lives depend on them.
This is not an easy book to like, but sadly it is a necessary final warning shot across the bows as our species wreaks havoc across the world. The focus in this book is on Goulson’s favourites, the insects, however, he lays all of the facts out very clearly and draws on the evidence provided by science about the devastation that we are causing. It would be nice to think that this could be read by more MPs, who are in a position to do something about it, but I fear that it won’t be. It is a sobering and vitally important read.
One of the creatures that we really have to look after is insects. They are essential for life in so many ways, so of which we know and as Goulson, says in the book, echoes Donald Rumsfeld of all people, in ways that we have not even begun to comprehend. As they disappear because of our actions; spraying vast swathes of land with toxic chemicals, drenching plants with weedkillers and pumping vast quantities of climate-changing gasses into the atmosphere, the world as we know it will change irrevocably.
Goulson is drawing all his scientific knowledge to do two things in this book. The first is to show the shocking and often cataclysmic decline in insect populations that have taken place in recent decades and the reasons why this has happened. The second is to show how and why we need change at every level of government and society. We have to look after these invertebrates; our lives depend on them.
This is not an easy book to like, but sadly it is a necessary final warning shot across the bows as our species wreaks havoc across the world. The focus in this book is on Goulson’s favourites, the insects, however, he lays all of the facts out very clearly and draws on the evidence provided by science about the devastation that we are causing. It would be nice to think that this could be read by more MPs, who are in a position to do something about it, but I fear that it won’t be. It is a sobering and vitally important read.
May 26, 2024
Nevienam nepatīk odi un lapsenes, bet vai mēs zinām, kādu funkciju šie mošķi veic dabā? Autors, nebūt ne ticīgs cilvēks, uzdod provocējošu jautājumu - vai tiešām Dievs būtu radījis pilnīgi nederīgas un liekas radības?
Grāmata bagātīgi ilustrē kukaiņu daudzveidīgo pasauli un pierāda, ka viņu pasaule ir daļa no mūsu pasaules. Neviena darbība nepaiet bez sekām, ne slikta, ne laba. Simts un viens veids, kā esam kukaiņiem sabojājuši dzīvi, un tikpat daudz versiju, cik ātri izmirstošo kukaiņu klusums ved mūs pretim jaunai pasaulei, kas, dāmas un kungi, diemžēl nav utopija, bet gan klasiska distopija, kurā augi jāapputeksnē ar rokām un vaigi sviedros izaudzētie brokoļi jāsargā ar bisi.
Kāpēc dzeltenie rapšu lauki nav nekas iepriecinošs, pat ja (prezidenta) bildēs izskatās mīlīgi. Kāpēc tīrs zālājs ar tūju žogu nav civilizācijas augtsākais punkts. Cik kaitīga ir jūsu mīļdzīvnieka blusu inde (ĻOTI, ja suns īsi pēc tam peldas upītē).
Autors iezīmē ļoti tumšu nākotni mūsu planētai, un šis noteikti ir tas gadījums, kad patiesība ir daudz briesmīgāka. Bet vai viss ir zaudēts? Mēs nevaram padoties. Grāmatas pēdējā nodaļa pilna padomiem, kā katram no mums, tā valsts un pašvaldībai. Māciet bērniem dabas mācību, vediet mežā. Nepļaujiet zālienu. Iesējiet pļavu. Iekārtojiet komposta kaudzi. Ēdiet vietējo bioloģisko pārtiku, ierobežojiet gaļas patēriņu. Balsojiet ar savu maciņu par saprātīgi un ilgtspējīgi pārvaldītu pārtikas audzēšanas procesu. Balsojiet par Zaļajiem. Rakstiet petīcijas valdībai. Iestājieties par aizsargājamām dabas teritorijām un pret industriālo pārtikas ražošanu. Un izlasiet šo grāmatu!
Grāmata bagātīgi ilustrē kukaiņu daudzveidīgo pasauli un pierāda, ka viņu pasaule ir daļa no mūsu pasaules. Neviena darbība nepaiet bez sekām, ne slikta, ne laba. Simts un viens veids, kā esam kukaiņiem sabojājuši dzīvi, un tikpat daudz versiju, cik ātri izmirstošo kukaiņu klusums ved mūs pretim jaunai pasaulei, kas, dāmas un kungi, diemžēl nav utopija, bet gan klasiska distopija, kurā augi jāapputeksnē ar rokām un vaigi sviedros izaudzētie brokoļi jāsargā ar bisi.
Kāpēc dzeltenie rapšu lauki nav nekas iepriecinošs, pat ja (prezidenta) bildēs izskatās mīlīgi. Kāpēc tīrs zālājs ar tūju žogu nav civilizācijas augtsākais punkts. Cik kaitīga ir jūsu mīļdzīvnieka blusu inde (ĻOTI, ja suns īsi pēc tam peldas upītē).
Autors iezīmē ļoti tumšu nākotni mūsu planētai, un šis noteikti ir tas gadījums, kad patiesība ir daudz briesmīgāka. Bet vai viss ir zaudēts? Mēs nevaram padoties. Grāmatas pēdējā nodaļa pilna padomiem, kā katram no mums, tā valsts un pašvaldībai. Māciet bērniem dabas mācību, vediet mežā. Nepļaujiet zālienu. Iesējiet pļavu. Iekārtojiet komposta kaudzi. Ēdiet vietējo bioloģisko pārtiku, ierobežojiet gaļas patēriņu. Balsojiet ar savu maciņu par saprātīgi un ilgtspējīgi pārvaldītu pārtikas audzēšanas procesu. Balsojiet par Zaļajiem. Rakstiet petīcijas valdībai. Iestājieties par aizsargājamām dabas teritorijām un pret industriālo pārtikas ražošanu. Un izlasiet šo grāmatu!
October 21, 2021
Apparently based on bad science, alarmist propaganda by an anti-pesticide nut.
‘Silent Earth’ raises false alarm about non-existent ‘insect apocalypse’
Henry Miller | October 20, 2021
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/20...
...much of Goulson’s evidence is purely anecdotal — such as fewer bugs splattering on the windshields of European cars now compared to the past — and the few studies of global insect populations he does consider are deeply flawed or mischaracterized in his account.
Perhaps the most problematic study of them all is the one that precipitated the insect apocalypse frenzy — a 2017 study co-authored by Goulson with 11 other scientists that compared insect populations in certain German nature reserves over the last quarter century. Its dramatic finding — that the biomass of flying insects had declined an astonishing 76 percent in 27 years — together with Goulson’s eager goosing of the press — generated the apocalyptic headlines he was clearly seeking....
Experts who raised doubts about the study received little attention, but there was much to criticize. Among other things, the researchers in many cases failed to sample the same sites in comparison years — a fundamental flaw that in itself renders the findings suspect, if not totally meaningless. They also used what are called malaise traps to collect their samples. These only collect insects when they are flying, which is highly influenced by other variables like the weather — insects fly more when it is warmer — making the measurements even less reliable, despite the scientists’ attempt to account for them. And even though the study took place in nature reserves and did not even purport to test possible causes of decline, Goulson was immediately giving interviews to the press blaming agricultural pesticides (a long time hobby-horse of his), in the absence of any evidence in the study to support the claim.
---------------------------
Perspective: ‘Silent Earth’ is simply alarmism from an anti-pesticide trustee
By Amanda Zaluckyj, The Farmer’s Daughter USA, Published: October 01, 2021
https://www.agdaily.com/insights/pers...
...But it won’t come as any surprise that Goulson isn’t an unbiased and impartial researcher. He’s a trustee for the Pesticide Action Network UK, an activist organization that strives to reduce the use of “hazardous” and “chemical” pest control. Worse, some circles consider Goulson a “scientist for hire.” In other words, his studies elicit the results his clients want.
The good news is that Goulson is wrong. The surveys and studies he’s conducted and relies upon are flawed and incomplete, to say the least. Fortunately, scientist Matthew Moran and his hand-selected team published a comprehensive study in 2020 that challenged Goulson’s conclusions. Moran’s approach took raw data spanning decades for various insects in North America. Guess what? They found no significant change in population...
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Standard Disclaimer
Look at what shelves this book is on. This book is on my 'do-not-read' shelf because it was shoved under my nose I thought I might want to read it. I did some research & found that it was crap. If you disagree & want to discuss in the comments, you need to prove that it isn't with solid evidence. That means peer reviewed science, not anecdotes, opinions, or sites that are biased. Read the Debunking Handbook which is available for free here & follow its guidelines for providing proof. I'm willing to look at good evidence. I've been wrong before.
Comments that don't adhere to the above will be deleted. We're not going to change our minds if you just want to troll. If you repeatedly troll, your comment will be flagged & support will spank you. I may block you, too.
‘Silent Earth’ raises false alarm about non-existent ‘insect apocalypse’
Henry Miller | October 20, 2021
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/20...
...much of Goulson’s evidence is purely anecdotal — such as fewer bugs splattering on the windshields of European cars now compared to the past — and the few studies of global insect populations he does consider are deeply flawed or mischaracterized in his account.
Perhaps the most problematic study of them all is the one that precipitated the insect apocalypse frenzy — a 2017 study co-authored by Goulson with 11 other scientists that compared insect populations in certain German nature reserves over the last quarter century. Its dramatic finding — that the biomass of flying insects had declined an astonishing 76 percent in 27 years — together with Goulson’s eager goosing of the press — generated the apocalyptic headlines he was clearly seeking....
Experts who raised doubts about the study received little attention, but there was much to criticize. Among other things, the researchers in many cases failed to sample the same sites in comparison years — a fundamental flaw that in itself renders the findings suspect, if not totally meaningless. They also used what are called malaise traps to collect their samples. These only collect insects when they are flying, which is highly influenced by other variables like the weather — insects fly more when it is warmer — making the measurements even less reliable, despite the scientists’ attempt to account for them. And even though the study took place in nature reserves and did not even purport to test possible causes of decline, Goulson was immediately giving interviews to the press blaming agricultural pesticides (a long time hobby-horse of his), in the absence of any evidence in the study to support the claim.
---------------------------
Perspective: ‘Silent Earth’ is simply alarmism from an anti-pesticide trustee
By Amanda Zaluckyj, The Farmer’s Daughter USA, Published: October 01, 2021
https://www.agdaily.com/insights/pers...
...But it won’t come as any surprise that Goulson isn’t an unbiased and impartial researcher. He’s a trustee for the Pesticide Action Network UK, an activist organization that strives to reduce the use of “hazardous” and “chemical” pest control. Worse, some circles consider Goulson a “scientist for hire.” In other words, his studies elicit the results his clients want.
The good news is that Goulson is wrong. The surveys and studies he’s conducted and relies upon are flawed and incomplete, to say the least. Fortunately, scientist Matthew Moran and his hand-selected team published a comprehensive study in 2020 that challenged Goulson’s conclusions. Moran’s approach took raw data spanning decades for various insects in North America. Guess what? They found no significant change in population...
-----------------
Standard Disclaimer
Look at what shelves this book is on. This book is on my 'do-not-read' shelf because it was shoved under my nose I thought I might want to read it. I did some research & found that it was crap. If you disagree & want to discuss in the comments, you need to prove that it isn't with solid evidence. That means peer reviewed science, not anecdotes, opinions, or sites that are biased. Read the Debunking Handbook which is available for free here & follow its guidelines for providing proof. I'm willing to look at good evidence. I've been wrong before.
Comments that don't adhere to the above will be deleted. We're not going to change our minds if you just want to troll. If you repeatedly troll, your comment will be flagged & support will spank you. I may block you, too.
June 27, 2024
Imagine reading about the impending doom of our planet's tiniest superheroes while on ketamine. Well, that's precisely what I did with Dave Goulson's Silent Earth.
I didn't read the subtitle, "Averting the Insect Apocalypse"—my bad—so I was expecting something like An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong or The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman. You'll get something along those lines only in chapters 2 and 3. After that, Goulson's writing is a well-orchestrated dance of facts, urgency, and a sprinkle—yes, only a zest—of hope.
My trip with Goulson was disheartening, but he also made me care deeply and understand how the six-legged critters are crucial to my survival and yours. I don't have children, and I can't have them. Still, I have a couple of niblings who I would like to grow old and be miserable because they have a terrible marriage and not because of the end of the world. Nor would I want to imagine that dachshunds won't survive the rising oceans.
There are a lot of summaries and other better reviews than this one, so I will focus on chapter 16, which, for me, is the emotional climax, Goulson's version of The Last of Us and that shot of espresso that jolts me awake. It's a smart move to stick this chapter near the end. Throughout the book, Goulson teaches us to care for these peculiar creatures and then throws us into a possible 2080. To keep it brief, a desolate nightmare awaits. That is, if neither Biden, Bezos, Jinping, Modi, Netanyahu, Putin, Trump, nor bin Salman Al Saud get bored or creative and kill us all first.
Starting with Chapter 17, Goulson lists a bunch of stuff you, me, gardeners, and governments could, should, and must do. I will add to the list that Mr. Goulson should publish Chapter 16 for everyone to read for free!
In summary, reading this book made me want to punch a few company executives, shake the heads of politicians, hug a bunch of bees, or at least set them up for a cosy Airbeenbee.
Disclaimer: My love for animals, particularly sausage dogs, may have altered my perception of this book.
I didn't read the subtitle, "Averting the Insect Apocalypse"—my bad—so I was expecting something like An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong or The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman. You'll get something along those lines only in chapters 2 and 3. After that, Goulson's writing is a well-orchestrated dance of facts, urgency, and a sprinkle—yes, only a zest—of hope.
My trip with Goulson was disheartening, but he also made me care deeply and understand how the six-legged critters are crucial to my survival and yours. I don't have children, and I can't have them. Still, I have a couple of niblings who I would like to grow old and be miserable because they have a terrible marriage and not because of the end of the world. Nor would I want to imagine that dachshunds won't survive the rising oceans.
There are a lot of summaries and other better reviews than this one, so I will focus on chapter 16, which, for me, is the emotional climax, Goulson's version of The Last of Us and that shot of espresso that jolts me awake. It's a smart move to stick this chapter near the end. Throughout the book, Goulson teaches us to care for these peculiar creatures and then throws us into a possible 2080. To keep it brief, a desolate nightmare awaits. That is, if neither Biden, Bezos, Jinping, Modi, Netanyahu, Putin, Trump, nor bin Salman Al Saud get bored or creative and kill us all first.
Starting with Chapter 17, Goulson lists a bunch of stuff you, me, gardeners, and governments could, should, and must do. I will add to the list that Mr. Goulson should publish Chapter 16 for everyone to read for free!
In summary, reading this book made me want to punch a few company executives, shake the heads of politicians, hug a bunch of bees, or at least set them up for a cosy Airbeenbee.
Disclaimer: My love for animals, particularly sausage dogs, may have altered my perception of this book.
January 26, 2022
A book with a title referencing Rachel Carson's seminal Silent Spring is a bold undertaking. But it had to be done. Despite the growth in awareness that Carson provoked, the actual destruction of the environment never stopped. DDT may have been mostly phased out, but now we have neonicotinoid insecticides which are continuing the relentless destruction of insect life and the food web that we all depend on.
It's a bleak picture, and despite the increase in awareness since the 1960s, Goulson makes it pretty clear that its a vastly under-researched problem. I note that funding for ecological research has not fared well over recent decades, at the precise point when we needed it most. But there is enough data to be very concerned about plummeting insect numbers and probably many species going extinct without our even knowing it. Since insects are a vital foundation of ecosystems, as well as being fascinating, this is concerning on many levels. We rely entirely on healthy ecosystems for our own food, in the end.
The first three parts of the book develop this case, in a calm but impassioned way. They summarise why insects are crucial (and very cool), the current state of scientific research, and ethical and policy arguments succinctly and accessibly. All manner of threats to insect survival and diversity are covered, including city light pollution, herbicides, fungicides, invasive species and more.
I particularly enjoyed the coverage of controversial issues like bans on the herbicide Roundup (he explains the debate around this better than anything else I have read). He canvasses (and rightly dismisses) some of the wackier ideas out there (chemtrails) while, rightly or wrongly, suggesting a more precautionary approach to others (5G technology).
More broadly, and partly because of the important role insects play in supporting the biodiversity of everything else, this book is a great description of the broader crisis of biodiversity that the world finds itself in - something maybe more or less frightening than climate change, but acting in concert with it to create a crisis for the foundations of our ecology, economy and culture.
This far, the book is a dire but essential intervention into public debate. Were it to end there, I would give it five stars, and everyone concerned should read this far at least. The remaining two parts of the book highlight what I think are two main limitations - one contextual and surmountable, the other profound and revealing of broader problems with the response to environmental problems.
The concluding sections of the book focus on the technical ways that we can stop destroying insect biodiversity - in our cities, and in agriculture. There are some good discussions of environmental policy (land sparing vs land land sharing, for example) and the way our current systems could be altered. There are many sensible suggestions that I and many others familiar with the problems all broadly agree with, and which taken together, would go a long way to solving the problems. However, the very UK focused nature of Goulson's examples and recommendations make it a bit laborious for people elsewhere. We have to extrapolate to which elements apply in our situation and try to work out if they apply directly, or perhaps with alteration. That's an understandable limitation I suppose. More problematic, I think is the slightly parochial sense in which his solutions mostly ignore issues of international trade, debt and development. It's impossible to solve our biodiversity or climate crises in one country; the legacy of colonialism and third world underdevelopment really needs to be considered more. Which brings me to the bigger problem.
The fundamental problem with book, in relation to its aim of "Averting the Insect Apocalypse", is that Goulson completely ignores and sidesteps issues of political power and power structure - at both national and international levels. His remedies for people to pursue range through such radical steps as voting for the parties with the best policy, writing to your politicians, and things like installing "bee hotels" in your backyard garden (assuming you have one). The problem is, these are the kinds of actions that people who care have been doing since Silent Spring came out, and things have only gotten worse in that time.
Perhaps some of his final recommendations could have been to find like-minded others and form a revolutionary cell, which can then go on to:
- study the history and theories of profound/revolutionary social change
- study the nature of political and economic power in our capitalist society
- analyse the history of colonialism and imperialism, and seek international alliances to strengthen those battling their legacy directly
- link up with others to take action to reform and/or transform the current capitalist system in ways that directly attack its structural failings
I could go on. Of course building a bee hotel in your backyard, or even having a chat with your MP over tea and biscuits, is much easier and no doubt seems more direct. But where is the evidence for these things making an impact on the scale we need? Why have these efforts failed for so long? If the problem was a lack of reasoned argument finding its target, I suspect the problem would have been solved many decades ago. Goulson isn't a political theorist I guess, so I should note that I don't find the things he does suggest particularly unhelpful in and of themself. But conservationists need to get beyond liberal thinking that takes the status quo for granted.
Silent Earth is essential reading, but mostly the first three parts. Perhaps readers should go on from this to something like What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism: A Citizen's Guide to Capitalism and the Environment.
It's a bleak picture, and despite the increase in awareness since the 1960s, Goulson makes it pretty clear that its a vastly under-researched problem. I note that funding for ecological research has not fared well over recent decades, at the precise point when we needed it most. But there is enough data to be very concerned about plummeting insect numbers and probably many species going extinct without our even knowing it. Since insects are a vital foundation of ecosystems, as well as being fascinating, this is concerning on many levels. We rely entirely on healthy ecosystems for our own food, in the end.
The first three parts of the book develop this case, in a calm but impassioned way. They summarise why insects are crucial (and very cool), the current state of scientific research, and ethical and policy arguments succinctly and accessibly. All manner of threats to insect survival and diversity are covered, including city light pollution, herbicides, fungicides, invasive species and more.
I particularly enjoyed the coverage of controversial issues like bans on the herbicide Roundup (he explains the debate around this better than anything else I have read). He canvasses (and rightly dismisses) some of the wackier ideas out there (chemtrails) while, rightly or wrongly, suggesting a more precautionary approach to others (5G technology).
More broadly, and partly because of the important role insects play in supporting the biodiversity of everything else, this book is a great description of the broader crisis of biodiversity that the world finds itself in - something maybe more or less frightening than climate change, but acting in concert with it to create a crisis for the foundations of our ecology, economy and culture.
This far, the book is a dire but essential intervention into public debate. Were it to end there, I would give it five stars, and everyone concerned should read this far at least. The remaining two parts of the book highlight what I think are two main limitations - one contextual and surmountable, the other profound and revealing of broader problems with the response to environmental problems.
The concluding sections of the book focus on the technical ways that we can stop destroying insect biodiversity - in our cities, and in agriculture. There are some good discussions of environmental policy (land sparing vs land land sharing, for example) and the way our current systems could be altered. There are many sensible suggestions that I and many others familiar with the problems all broadly agree with, and which taken together, would go a long way to solving the problems. However, the very UK focused nature of Goulson's examples and recommendations make it a bit laborious for people elsewhere. We have to extrapolate to which elements apply in our situation and try to work out if they apply directly, or perhaps with alteration. That's an understandable limitation I suppose. More problematic, I think is the slightly parochial sense in which his solutions mostly ignore issues of international trade, debt and development. It's impossible to solve our biodiversity or climate crises in one country; the legacy of colonialism and third world underdevelopment really needs to be considered more. Which brings me to the bigger problem.
The fundamental problem with book, in relation to its aim of "Averting the Insect Apocalypse", is that Goulson completely ignores and sidesteps issues of political power and power structure - at both national and international levels. His remedies for people to pursue range through such radical steps as voting for the parties with the best policy, writing to your politicians, and things like installing "bee hotels" in your backyard garden (assuming you have one). The problem is, these are the kinds of actions that people who care have been doing since Silent Spring came out, and things have only gotten worse in that time.
Perhaps some of his final recommendations could have been to find like-minded others and form a revolutionary cell, which can then go on to:
- study the history and theories of profound/revolutionary social change
- study the nature of political and economic power in our capitalist society
- analyse the history of colonialism and imperialism, and seek international alliances to strengthen those battling their legacy directly
- link up with others to take action to reform and/or transform the current capitalist system in ways that directly attack its structural failings
I could go on. Of course building a bee hotel in your backyard, or even having a chat with your MP over tea and biscuits, is much easier and no doubt seems more direct. But where is the evidence for these things making an impact on the scale we need? Why have these efforts failed for so long? If the problem was a lack of reasoned argument finding its target, I suspect the problem would have been solved many decades ago. Goulson isn't a political theorist I guess, so I should note that I don't find the things he does suggest particularly unhelpful in and of themself. But conservationists need to get beyond liberal thinking that takes the status quo for granted.
Silent Earth is essential reading, but mostly the first three parts. Perhaps readers should go on from this to something like What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism: A Citizen's Guide to Capitalism and the Environment.
September 2, 2021
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...
October 30, 2021
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.
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.
February 23, 2025
Both depressing and encouraging in turns, Silent Earth is a thoughtful and well-researched look at the severe ecological damage we've done to our planet and its inhabitants. I particularly enjoyed the final few chapters discussing tangible ways to help remedy this crisis. An important read.
December 22, 2021
The title is no accident; this is Professor Goulson’s ‘Silent Spring.’ For me, as an amateur entomologist since early childhood, Dave Goulson is The Man. I’ve read nearly all he has written; he writes readable popular science, with serious undertones and a nice vein of humour, as well as serious scientific studies.
This book is longer, more serious, a timely warning, and a wake up call about the catastrophic decline in the insect population world-wide. We hear a good deal about insects as pollinators, but how about insects as removers of dung, vegetable waste and dead bodies? Thus Part One is ‘Why Insects Matter’ - Part Two ‘Insect Declines’, Part Three the causes of these declines. Part Four is a chilling dystopian view of a world where biodiversity has crumbled away and human society has as a result collapsed. Part Five ‘What can we do?’ offers a series of actions, world scale, national, and immediate and personal, that could tip the balance away from disaster.
Definitely recommended reading, and interspersed with small vignettes of fascinating insect species and their lives. Even if you view insects with distaste or fear, read and discover why they underpin life on earth as we are fortunate to still know it.
This book is longer, more serious, a timely warning, and a wake up call about the catastrophic decline in the insect population world-wide. We hear a good deal about insects as pollinators, but how about insects as removers of dung, vegetable waste and dead bodies? Thus Part One is ‘Why Insects Matter’ - Part Two ‘Insect Declines’, Part Three the causes of these declines. Part Four is a chilling dystopian view of a world where biodiversity has crumbled away and human society has as a result collapsed. Part Five ‘What can we do?’ offers a series of actions, world scale, national, and immediate and personal, that could tip the balance away from disaster.
Definitely recommended reading, and interspersed with small vignettes of fascinating insect species and their lives. Even if you view insects with distaste or fear, read and discover why they underpin life on earth as we are fortunate to still know it.
July 28, 2025
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 also 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.
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.
September 17, 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?
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?
August 27, 2021
Uitgebreide en heldere uiteenzetting van de teloorgang van de insecten en de onheilspellende gevolgen daarvan voor mens, dier en natuur. Goulson begint met de evolutie van insecten en hun cruciale rol in het ecosysteem: als bestuivers van de meeste gewassen, afbrekers van organisch materiaal, bestrijders van plaagsoorten en hun onmisbare plek in de voedselketen. Vervolgend een overzicht van de diverse onderzoeken die gedaan zijn naar de afname van de insecten en welke oorzaken hieraan ten grondslag liggen. De intensieve landbouw, met hun toepassing van insecticiden, onkruidverdelgers en kunstmest zijn bekend, maar ook de sterke afname van hun leefgebied, klimaatverandering, uitheemse ziektes, invasieve soorten en zelfs stedelijke lichtvervuiling hebben er aan bijgedragen. Het hoeft niet gezegd te worden dat dit allen door de mens veroorzaakte veranderingen zijn, met het neoliberalistische beleid en kapitalisme als ultieme aanjagers van vele hiervan.
Goulson besluit met wat de politiek en iedereen zelf kan doen. Van de (helaas vele) oplossingen die hij aanvoert, is het vooral goed om te zien dat hij hamert op meer en beter natuuronderwijs, te beginnen bij de jongsten en hun leraren. Ondanks alle aandacht die er is voor de klimaatcrisis, is meer fundamentele kennis en bewustzijn onontbeerlijk voor de radicale omslag die nodig is.
Goulson besluit met wat de politiek en iedereen zelf kan doen. Van de (helaas vele) oplossingen die hij aanvoert, is het vooral goed om te zien dat hij hamert op meer en beter natuuronderwijs, te beginnen bij de jongsten en hun leraren. Ondanks alle aandacht die er is voor de klimaatcrisis, is meer fundamentele kennis en bewustzijn onontbeerlijk voor de radicale omslag die nodig is.
July 26, 2023
Ungefähr genauso wissenswert und interessant wie deprimierend.
December 15, 2022
Quote in Norwegian & English ⬇️
🍃
Vi må lære å leve som en del av naturen, ikke adskilt fra den.
Jeg har lest mange viktige bøker i år, men denne er nok den klart viktigste av dem alle.
Boka er et manifest over hvordan man kan ta vare på verdens biodiversitet, som vi er på god vei til å miste.
"𝘝𝘪 𝘮å 𝘴𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘯, 𝘣å𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘷𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘫ø𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘺𝘭𝘥."
~ Fra boken 𝘋𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯: 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘬𝘵𝘥ø𝘥𝘦𝘯 - 𝘰𝘨 𝘩𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯 𝘷𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘷𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘯 av Dave Goulson
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◦•●◉❁◉●•◦
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First of all, a big thank you for writing this book Dave!
We have to learn how to live as part of nature, not apart from it.
I've read many must-reads this year, but this one is for sure of utmost importance.
It's frankly a manifesto for how to take care of the world's biodiversity that we're about to loose.
"𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦."
~ From the book 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩: 𝘈𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘴𝘦 by Dave Goulson
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To many words, so please view blog for full review 🙈:
https://www.bokbobla.no/2022/12/den-t...
➡️ bokbobla.no (link in bio)
🌿
🍃
Vi må lære å leve som en del av naturen, ikke adskilt fra den.
Jeg har lest mange viktige bøker i år, men denne er nok den klart viktigste av dem alle.
Boka er et manifest over hvordan man kan ta vare på verdens biodiversitet, som vi er på god vei til å miste.
"𝘝𝘪 𝘮å 𝘴𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘯, 𝘣å𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘷𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘫ø𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘺𝘭𝘥."
~ Fra boken 𝘋𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯: 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘬𝘵𝘥ø𝘥𝘦𝘯 - 𝘰𝘨 𝘩𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯 𝘷𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘷𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘯 av Dave Goulson
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First of all, a big thank you for writing this book Dave!
We have to learn how to live as part of nature, not apart from it.
I've read many must-reads this year, but this one is for sure of utmost importance.
It's frankly a manifesto for how to take care of the world's biodiversity that we're about to loose.
"𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦."
~ From the book 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩: 𝘈𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘴𝘦 by Dave Goulson
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To many words, so please view blog for full review 🙈:
https://www.bokbobla.no/2022/12/den-t...
➡️ bokbobla.no (link in bio)
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April 26, 2023
En skrämmande men praktisk bok om konsekvenserna av minskande insektspopulationer och oförutsedda effekter av insekter som transporteras till nya platser. Delar av förslagen är direkt applicerbara, och boken är väldigt tydlig med vad som fungerar och inte på ett väldigt ickealarmistiskt sätt (trots titeln). Visst att den förutser död, fattigdom och förödelse, men den gör det för en tidsperiod om vissa mönster inte ändras.
Det som för mig gör boken så läsvärd, är att den är konkret. Den beskriver i princip "detta och detta och detta har prövats; här är effekterna; gör detta, eftersom det ger bäst effekt av det vi prövat". Boken är också humanistisk i sitt anslag, vilket uppskattas. Det är tydligt att känslan av England som det Nya Jerusalem (för att citera den patriotiska sång som författaren själv refererar till) är genuin, och att viljan inte bara är en fungerande värld för stadsbor eller ett dygdesignalerande med tillhörande ångest, utan snarare en oro för att man genomför ogenomtänkta förändringar på ett sätt som ger stora effekter som inledningsvis är osynliga.
Jag kan inte låta bli att läsa boken med lokalpolitikerglasögon. Där är väl råden i princip ökad krontäckningsgrad genom alléer och gatuplanteringar, i kombination med bevarande och utvecklande av kolonilotter och ökad möjlighet att använda aktivitetsbidrag för ungdomar i jordbruksnära sammanhang. Alla tre väldigt praktiska, konkreta, och ickedramatiska förslag.
Det är också givande ur det perspektivet att få en genomgång av de olika aktivistiska klimatåterställningsmetoderna och deras för och nackdelar - jag misstänker att vi är många som följer rewilding-projects på youtube utan att någonsin reflektera så mycket mer över dem, och i detta avsnitt, som har karaktären av en appendix, gås metoden igenom med för och nackdelar.
Helt klart läsvärd, och eftersom den är på mindre än 350 sidor lättläst text, också ganska tillgänglig, även utan akademisk bakgrund.
Det som för mig gör boken så läsvärd, är att den är konkret. Den beskriver i princip "detta och detta och detta har prövats; här är effekterna; gör detta, eftersom det ger bäst effekt av det vi prövat". Boken är också humanistisk i sitt anslag, vilket uppskattas. Det är tydligt att känslan av England som det Nya Jerusalem (för att citera den patriotiska sång som författaren själv refererar till) är genuin, och att viljan inte bara är en fungerande värld för stadsbor eller ett dygdesignalerande med tillhörande ångest, utan snarare en oro för att man genomför ogenomtänkta förändringar på ett sätt som ger stora effekter som inledningsvis är osynliga.
Jag kan inte låta bli att läsa boken med lokalpolitikerglasögon. Där är väl råden i princip ökad krontäckningsgrad genom alléer och gatuplanteringar, i kombination med bevarande och utvecklande av kolonilotter och ökad möjlighet att använda aktivitetsbidrag för ungdomar i jordbruksnära sammanhang. Alla tre väldigt praktiska, konkreta, och ickedramatiska förslag.
Det är också givande ur det perspektivet att få en genomgång av de olika aktivistiska klimatåterställningsmetoderna och deras för och nackdelar - jag misstänker att vi är många som följer rewilding-projects på youtube utan att någonsin reflektera så mycket mer över dem, och i detta avsnitt, som har karaktären av en appendix, gås metoden igenom med för och nackdelar.
Helt klart läsvärd, och eftersom den är på mindre än 350 sidor lättläst text, också ganska tillgänglig, även utan akademisk bakgrund.
September 21, 2021
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!
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!
June 4, 2024
Página 6
«Si perdemos a los insectos, todo se derrumbará»
Página 12
Rachel Carson, «el hombre forma parte de la naturaleza, y su guerra contra ella es inevitablemente una guerra contra sí mismo».
Página 13
"Pretendo que el lector vea a los insectos como lo hago yo: como seres hermosos, sorprendentes, en algunas ocasiones sobrecogedoramente extraños y siniestros en otras, pero siempre maravillosos y merecedores de nuestra estima."
Página 17
"Mi misión en la vida es educar a las personas en el amor a los insectos, o al menos conseguir que los respeten por todo lo que hacen."
Página 29
"Si toda la humanidad desapareciera, el mundo se regeneraría y volvería al estado de equilibrio que existía hace diez mil años. Sin embargo, si lo mismo les ocurriera a los insectos, el medioambiente colapsaría en medio de un tremendo caos."
Página 96
"Estamos cometiendo un ecocidio a una escala bíblica."
«Si perdemos a los insectos, todo se derrumbará»
Página 12
Rachel Carson, «el hombre forma parte de la naturaleza, y su guerra contra ella es inevitablemente una guerra contra sí mismo».
Página 13
"Pretendo que el lector vea a los insectos como lo hago yo: como seres hermosos, sorprendentes, en algunas ocasiones sobrecogedoramente extraños y siniestros en otras, pero siempre maravillosos y merecedores de nuestra estima."
Página 17
"Mi misión en la vida es educar a las personas en el amor a los insectos, o al menos conseguir que los respeten por todo lo que hacen."
Página 29
"Si toda la humanidad desapareciera, el mundo se regeneraría y volvería al estado de equilibrio que existía hace diez mil años. Sin embargo, si lo mismo les ocurriera a los insectos, el medioambiente colapsaría en medio de un tremendo caos."
Página 96
"Estamos cometiendo un ecocidio a una escala bíblica."
February 27, 2023
"Es heißt manchmal, der Mensch befinde sich im Krieg mit der Natur, aber das Wort 'Krieg' würde ja einen wechselseitigen Konflikt bedeuten. Unser chemischer Angriff auf die Natur jedoch ähnelt eher einem Genozid, der immer mehr Tier- und Pflanzenarten vernichtet."
Ein sehr interessantes Buch mit vielen Informationen zu Themen, zu denen ich bis jetzt maximal oberflächliches Wissen hatte. Die Themen wurden meist von realistisch umsetzbaren Änderungsvorschlägen in vielen unterschiedlichen Bereichen begleitet, was ich sehr wertschätze. Leider fehlte für mich an einigen Stellen der rote Faden und der Überblick, die Informationen richtig einzuordnen.
Ein sehr interessantes Buch mit vielen Informationen zu Themen, zu denen ich bis jetzt maximal oberflächliches Wissen hatte. Die Themen wurden meist von realistisch umsetzbaren Änderungsvorschlägen in vielen unterschiedlichen Bereichen begleitet, was ich sehr wertschätze. Leider fehlte für mich an einigen Stellen der rote Faden und der Überblick, die Informationen richtig einzuordnen.
May 9, 2024
Insektenapokalypse. Was würde sie für uns Menschen wirklich bedeuten? Und wieso müssen wir umdenken, um ein insektenreiches Leben zu begrüßen. Dabei erzählt Goulson viel über die Funktion der Tiere und auch über ausgeklügelte Systeme der Pflanzen und Tierwelt, um sich gegen Insektenangriffe zu schützen.
Dabei advokiert er für mehr Grünflächen, politische Untetstützung und das Tun von Individueen.
Dabei advokiert er für mehr Grünflächen, politische Untetstützung und das Tun von Individueen.
July 12, 2025
"..., podemos afirmar que los insectos son importantes práctica y económicamente, y que son una fuente de alegría, inspiración y asombro, pero en el fondo ambos argumentos son egoístas ya que se centran en lo que hacen los insectos por nosotros. Existe otra razón por la que debemos cuidar de los insectos y del resto de las formas de vida de nuestro planeta, grandes y pequeñas, y no se centra en el bienestar de los humanos -todos los organismos que viven en la tierra tienen el mismo derecho que nosotros a estar aquí."
"Hay quien dice que la humanidad está en guerra con la naturaleza, pero la palabra guerra implica un conflicto entre dos partes. Nuestro ataque químico a la naturaleza es más parecido a un genocidio. No es de extrañar pues que nuestra vida silvestre esté desapareciendo."
"El declive de los insectos está impulsado por todos los factores que he descrito -pérdida del hábitat, especies invasoras, enfermedades foráneas, mezclas de pesticidas, cambio climático, contaminación lumínica y probablemente otros agentes antropogénicos que de momento desconocemos- No hay un único culpable."
"Si no eres capaz de reconocer una mariposa limonera, es muy posible que no te des cuenta cuando una de ellas pase volando cerca de ti. No sabes que existe porque no tiene nombre y no te enterarás o te dará igual si desaparece para siempre."
Dave Goulson
"Hay quien dice que la humanidad está en guerra con la naturaleza, pero la palabra guerra implica un conflicto entre dos partes. Nuestro ataque químico a la naturaleza es más parecido a un genocidio. No es de extrañar pues que nuestra vida silvestre esté desapareciendo."
"El declive de los insectos está impulsado por todos los factores que he descrito -pérdida del hábitat, especies invasoras, enfermedades foráneas, mezclas de pesticidas, cambio climático, contaminación lumínica y probablemente otros agentes antropogénicos que de momento desconocemos- No hay un único culpable."
"Si no eres capaz de reconocer una mariposa limonera, es muy posible que no te des cuenta cuando una de ellas pase volando cerca de ti. No sabes que existe porque no tiene nombre y no te enterarás o te dará igual si desaparece para siempre."
Dave Goulson
December 25, 2021
Necessary reading if you don't know much about what's happening to Earth's insect populations and how they will impact our future.
July 3, 2025
3.75*
Important and interesting, but a bit repetative and a bit heavy on the technical details
Important and interesting, but a bit repetative and a bit heavy on the technical details
October 9, 2021
This is grim reading, and in conclusion: We’re doomed. Chapter 17, Raising Awareness, is especially gloomy. “We ostriches are burying our heads in the sand… the large majority […] are paying not the slightest attention.” People will keep voting in terrible people with no motivation to so the necessary work that is clearly required. However, just how each system interacts with another, driven by greed and profits, shows how we are all responsible for these problems.
November 30, 2021
***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.
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.
March 19, 2023
This somehow manages to be an optimistic book even while documenting the damage that is being done to insect populations, and the terrible consequences this may ultimately have for us. I really hope its not too late.
Being a similar age to the author, I too can remember the bug-splatteted windscreens of car journeys in the past. I also remember giant puddles teeming with pond skaters, an insect that's now a rarity. Although the manufacturers of pesticides may dispute the causes of insect decline, there's no doubt it's happening.
Being a similar age to the author, I too can remember the bug-splatteted windscreens of car journeys in the past. I also remember giant puddles teeming with pond skaters, an insect that's now a rarity. Although the manufacturers of pesticides may dispute the causes of insect decline, there's no doubt it's happening.
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