Is the Insect Apocalypse Really Among Us?

Last month, I linked to a New York Times article called The Insect Apocalypse Is Here about the world-wide catastrophe about to happen to insect populations. As it happens with science articles in the mainstream press (even the Times), the actual situation may be more nuanced, although still grim.

In The Atlantic's article, Is The Insect Apocalypse Really Among Us?, Ed Yong takes another look at the situation.

I spoke with several entomologists about whether these claims are valid, and what I found was complicated. The data on insect declines are too patchy, unrepresentative, and piecemeal to justify some of the more hyperbolic alarms. At the same time, what little information we have tends to point in the same worrying direction. How, then, should we act on that imperfect knowledge? It’s a question that goes beyond the fate of insects: How do we preserve our rapidly changing world when the unknowns are vast and the cost of inaction is potentially high?

Both articles are worth reading.