Climate change has a direct impact on survival of insects who are necessary to maintain the ecological balance

The natural reaction when one sees an insect is of disgust. It reflects the feelings against the whole kingdom of insects. These include cockroaches, mosquitoes and creepy-crawlies of all kinds. However, ecologists say the decline in the population of insects is a matter of concern. It seems there are nearly 5.5 million species of insects on planet Earth. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and account for nearly 80 percent of animal life on earth. The worst part is that both the number and diversity of insects are declining around the globe. These are attributed to loss of habitat, pollution and climate change. A paper published before the ongoing COP27 commenced warns about possible consequences. These could include limiting the chances of a sustainable future with healthy ecosystems. A fading buzz: Editorial on impact of climate change on insects. The paper adds that fruit flies, butterflies, and flour beetles can survive heat waves, but are sterilised and unable to reproduce. They become zombies, the “living dead.”

The reasons for their disappearance are excessive use of pesticide by farmers, rising global temperatures, habitat fragmentation and destruction and so on. The consequences of their annihilation would be drastic. This us because insects enable plants to reproduce, through pollination, and form the base of the food pyramid. One of the fundamental mechanisms that made life on earth possible is insect-borne pollination among flowers and food crops. This is now in peril by this unfolding entomological disaster. Incidentally, species higher up the food chain get a greater attention of scientists, conservators as well as policymakers. Delegates at the COP27 will wrestle with funding, emission cuts, sustainable development goals etcetera. Their agenda should include reducing the use of pesticides.

Some popular stories of this blogger –

Midair collision between two WWII-era planes near Dallas kills at least two

Sea level rise from Hurricane Nicole washes away many beachfront homes in Florida

At least nine injured in a hot air balloon crash on the edge of the Alps in Austria

Ganga Vilas cruise, the longest river journey of 50 days, will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh

Global carbon emission of China is lower to that of the United States

Harry and Meghan honor service personnel on Remembrance Day and Veterans Day

During his trip to Asia, President Joe Biden will meet leaders of Japan and South Korea to discuss the nuclear program of North Korea

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and has now banned women from using gyms

China will send monkeys to its Tiangong space station to experiment with reproduction in space

By 2028, Singapore will welcome a near 1000 feet skyscraper known as 8 Shenton Way

This height of this skyscraper will be 984 feet and offer offices, a hotel and 34 floors of luxury residences. It will be known as 8 Shenton Way and occupy 1.6 million square feet of floor space. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the US architects behind Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, have designed the new tower in Singapore. The project envisages more than 107,000 square feet of elevated green space. These will have plants chosen specifically to attract birds and butterflies. More than half of the site's landscaped areas will be accessible to the public. SOM design principal Nic Medrano said at a press conference - "We want to create places that are comfortable, where people want to be and are healthy." He added that all occupants would be able to "access nature" within "three or four floors." Moreover, this will be among Asia's "most sustainable" skyscrapers. Once in operation, the consumption of electricity would be 55 percent less than is required to achieve the local government's highest sustainability rating. Plans for Singapore's first 'supertall' skyscraper unveiled.

Incidentally, the skyscraper will come up on a site currently occupied by another tower that opened in 1986. Demolition work has started and the new building will make use of portions of the existing foundation. Such a move would "save material... and lower the carbon footprint of the building from the get-go." Singapore is one of the world's most densely populated countries. However, its skyline is relatively low-rise compared to cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Singapore is less than half the size of London and has two civilian airports and multiple military air bases. There are reports of a restriction on the height of buildings in downtown areas. However, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of the country declined to comment on the subject.

Some popular stories of this blogger –

The new Royal Caribbean cruise ship “Icon of the Seas” boasts of a jaw-dropping design

SpaceX launched the first Falcon Heavy mission in over three years

Mystery surrounds the fate of Elon Musk’s proposed Hyperloop transportation technology from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games and the Invictus Games Foundation in 2014

Fifteen killed in a fire at a popular bar in the Russian city of Kostroma

Abandoned toy train coaches of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) to become restaurants at four stations

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres wants COP27 to close the ambition gap, the credibility gap and the solidarity gap

Tension mounts in the Korean Peninsula as South Korea scrambles 80 of its stealth jets

Eruption of volcano in Tonga led to a plume of ash and water that went about 31 to 50 miles above the surface of the Earth