Silent Earth

Averting the Insect Apocalypse

De: Dave Goulson

Narrado por: Dave Goulson

In the tradition of Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking environmental classic Silent Spring, an award-winning entomologist and conservationist explains the importance of insects to our survival and offers a clarion call to avoid a looming ecological disaster of our own making.

Drawing on 30 years of research, Goulson has written an accessible, fascinating, and important book that examines the evidence of an alarming drop in insect numbers around the world. “If we lose the insects, then everything is going to collapse," he warned in a recent interview in the New York Times - beginning with humans’ food supply. The main cause of this decrease in insect populations is the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides. Hence, Silent Earth’s nod to Rachel Carson’s classic Silent Spring, which, when published in 1962, led to the global banning of DDT. This was a huge victory for science and ecological health at the time.

Yet before long, new pesticides just as lethal as DDT were introduced, and today, humanity finds itself on the brink of a new crisis. What will happen when the bugs are all gone? Goulson explores the intrinsic connection between climate change, nature, wildlife, and the shrinking biodiversity and analyzes the harmful impact for the Earth and its inhabitants.

Meanwhile, we have all read stories about hive collapse syndrome affecting honeybee colonies and the tragic decline of monarch butterflies in North America, and more. But it is not too late to arrest this decline, and Silent Earth should be the clarion call. Smart, eye-opening, and essential, Silent Earth is a forceful call to action to save our world, and ultimately, ourselves.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Dave Goulson (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Thorough presentation of how we arrived at the current situation.

Strong connections between environmental challenges and human actions. As dark as the situation is, I felt hope with the possible plan of actions humans can take to help mitigate the evolving disaster.

Profoundly important book

This book is scary but profoundly important. Goulson is an expert in the field and also writes and narrates well. While the topic is disturbing—the shocking global decline in insects, it is essential that we hear what he has to say and act on it before it is too late. Listening to this book made me want to quit my job and start an organic permaculture farm. I just may do that.

Important book for all

i really enjoyed listening to this book. I think easier to hear than to read. but a must read for all on our planet. this really is a sequel to Silent Spring.

If only Trump could read

I do not want to turn off potential listeners with words like “AMAZING” or “EPIC” or… this is simply one of my NEW FAVORITE books… I plan to listen a second time. SO hopefully that will convey my gratitude and appreciation for the work of the author and the incredible (sorry) amount of information conveyed in a most interesting and inspiring way by the author.

Really good

Fantastic! Shocking, disheartening, and hard to accept, but a must-read. Save our insects, save our world.