Global Ideas

Brazil: Reforming the garbage economy

Until 2018, almost 2,000 illegal waste pickers worked on the largest garbage dump in Brasilia. Now they're part of the city's waste management program. Even at the university, you can study climate friendly garbage disposal.

Colombia: Young, indigenous people fight to preserve their culture

Global Ideas - Members of the Misak community in the Colombian province of Cauca

The Misak community in western Colombia wants to preserve its ancestors' traditions and horticultural knowledge while responding to ongoing deforestation in the region.

Tackling the growing threat of water conflict

Two women carry drinking water on their heads

Climate change and rapid population growth are among the reasons for rising water insecurity. Charles Iceland of the World Resources Institute spoke to DW about how it's driving conflict in Africa and across the globe.

Dominican Republic: Saving coral reefs from tourism, climate change and overfishing

People lying on a sandy, palm-lined beach

An estimated 90% of the nation's coral reefs have been destroyed, creating a knock-on effect for the entire coastal ecosystem. Local businesses and conservationists are now working to reverse this damage.

In Kenya, herders turn an invasive cactus into biofuel

Francis Merenyi cuts up the prickly pear cactus, an invasive species in Kenya

The prickly pear cactus has taken over thousands of hectares of grazing land in arid parts of Kenya. Now herders, NGOs and scientists are teaming up to fight back against the prickly menance that's deadly to livestock.

Animated explainers

Watch video 03:22

Video explainer: A plant's best friend — the importance of pollinators

What do insects, hummingbirds and lemurs all have in common? They pollinate plants!

Video explainer: A plant's best friend — the importance of pollinators

Shady dealing in endangered wildlife

Could soil save our climate?

Is 'superfood' really all that super?

Green cities, better climate

Global Ideas Startbild Infofilm über Food Waste (DW)

Why one third of our food goes to waste

Why do oceans turn acidic?

What is a forest and what is it for?

Conservation

Crocodile in Belize held by member of NGO

The fight to protect crocodiles in Belize

Crocodiles may have a fearsome reputation, but one organization is working to protect them from habitat loss and injury.

Rights of nature: Can Indigenous traditions shape environmental law?

Will Germany's vanishing Hallig islands survive rising seas?

Brazil's indigenous communities resist Bolsonaro

Environmental issues in images

What have insects ever done for us?

Planet of the insects

From pretty butterflies to pesky mosquitoes — insects are among the most diverse and dominant groups on earth. Nearly 1 million species are known to exist and there are likely many more to be discovered. According to a UN biodiversity study, up to 40% of insects species are threatened with extinction in some parts of the world. Many people do not realize that their loss would be keenly felt.
What have insects ever done for us?

Skilled pollinators

Crops, such as wheat, are wind pollinated, but many other food crops depend on insects for pollination. Their disappearance would come at great cost to farmers. Some $235 billion of yearly global food production relies on pollinators. In some farms in China, workers are hand-pollinating apple and pear trees because of the lack of bees. Such labor-intensive work pushes up food prices.
What have insects ever done for us?

Poorer plates

Pollinator disappearance also means we'd lack much of the fruit and vegetables we eat — and we wouldn't be enjoying beloved treats like chocolate and coffee. Apart from food, pollinators also contribute to the fibers, such as cotton, from which we make our clothes, as well as to plants on which certain medicines are based.
What have insects ever done for us?

Nature's cleanup crew

Many insects, like the dung beetle pictured here, decompose dead plant matter, carrion and feces that would otherwise be left to decay in our environment. Basically, the world would be a smellier and less hygienic place without them.
What have insects ever done for us?

A meal for other creatures

Insects are the main source of food for many other animals, including amphibians, reptiles, certain mammals, and birds. And as insects disappear, there could be declines in the species that feed on them too. Ornithologists believe sharp declines in bird species in the UK, for instance, are at least partly linked to a drop in insect numbers.
What have insects ever done for us?

Difficulties adapting

Climate change is also affecting insects that are slow to adapt. Bumblebees for instance are suited to cool and wet climates and may find it difficult in warmer weather. But insects that are pests are already spreading to new habitats. The European corn borer (pictured), which can destroy corn harvests, is among them. That means farmers use more pesticides that kill pollinating insects.
What have insects ever done for us?

No place for pollinators

Intensive farming is one of the major factors behind insect declines in Europe. Fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides are all driving the decline, as are monocultures — the practise of growing of a single crop or plant. That takes refuge and habitat, like diverse flowering meadows, away from insects.
What have insects ever done for us?

A home for insects

Experts say a more insect-friendly farming policy that relies less on pesticides and monocultures would boost their numbers. But planting blooming flowers in gardens and urban areas would also provide food and habitat for bumblebees and butterflies. Another option is building more "insect hotels," (pictured) for solitary critters, like leafcutter bees, which like to nest in tunnels.

Author: Jennifer Collins