The Columbian recently published an article on how climate change and big agriculture are threatening insects (“Climate change, big agriculture threatening insects,” Associated Press, April 21). As a former entomology lab assistant, I am concerned about the decline in insect populations.
According to the study published in Nature titled “Agriculture and Climate Change are Reshaping Insect Biodiversity Worldwide,” referenced in the article, scientists found that interactions between records of climate warming and changes in land use were associated with almost a 50 percent reduction in abundance and 27 percent reduction in number of species in more disturbed habitats. This is very bad news for our food supply. We need to address climate change to prevent a collapse of the global insect population, which we depend on for one-third of the human diet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
One proposed solution to climate change is a price on carbon with revenue given to households. There are currently several carbon pricing bills in Congress. Sens. Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray need to pass legislation with incentives to transition to clean energy and transportation, which must include a price on carbon. We need this legislation to ensure our food supply and future.
