Synopsis "Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse "
Shortlisted for The James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation 2022
Insects are essential for life as we know it. As they become more scarce, our world will slowly grind to a halt; we simply cannot function without them. Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research and a lifetime's study, Dave Goulson reveals the shocking decline of insect populations that has taken place in recent decades, with potentially catastrophic consequences. He passionately argues that we must all learn to love, respect and care for our six-legged friends.
Eye-opening, inspiring and riveting, Silent Earth is part love letter to the insect world, part elegy, part rousing manifesto for a greener planet. It is a call to arms for profound change at every level - in government policy, agriculture, industry and in our own homes and gardens. Although time is running out, it is not yet too late for insect populations to recover. We may feel helpless in the face of many of the environmental issues that loom on our horizon, but Goulson shows us how we can all take simple steps to encourage insects and counter their destruction.
MEDIA REVIEWS
A powerful book - Mark Cocker, Financial Times
Thoughtful, frightening and yet hugely enjoyable... This book will make you think differently about our right of dominion over the planet - Daily Telegraph
It's remarkable that insect decline has gone largely unnoticed by non-specialists... Keep dreaming, Dave Goulson. We'll need more dreamers like you - The Times
If Silent Earth contains a single incontestable message it is that nature - insects, flowers, plants, trees, birds and mammals, including our species - is a single system... This powerful book tells us that we need to act as if we understand this essential truth - Financial Times
Compelling, penetrating, devastating - Silent Earth is a wake-up call for the world. Dave Goulson matches science with eloquence and passion to spotlight the cataclysmic loss of insect life on our planet. Rachel Carson would be proud. - Isabella Tree
