Insectageddon – a new eco-jargon word, invented for another ecological catastrophe threatening our kids’ futures.
A new science report says over 50% of all insects have been destroyed in the last 25 years.
This is the invisible reason for the collapse in populations of many birds & small mammals who eat them. This is a major emergency, as humanity depends on crops pollinated by insects.
The reason for Insectageddon? Industrial pesticide & artificial fertiliser inundated industrial farming is slaughtering insect populations and meat production takes up huge tracts of land desperately needed for wildlife & insects.
But there are things we can do in Southwark about it. Organic food is not a middle-class luxury. Cheap non-organic food comes with the enormous future price-tag of widespread crop-failure and eventually human extinction.
So, let us:
- Buy organic food in local shops & markets. Fareshares in Crampton Street is an affordable community organic shop.Check website for opening hours, as it is run by volunteers. Baldwin’s Health Food Shop on the Walworth Road has a good range of organic processed and natural foods.Peckham & Oval Farmers Markets have a range of organic stalls.
Some of the bigger supermarkets around the Borough have organic items.
But the plethora of new “convenience” stores are an organic wasteland, usually with only pesticide-ridden highly-packaged foods available.
Chegworth’s stall at Borough Market has organic food from Kent.
- You can have organic food delivered by one of the various organic box-schemes.Localgreens.org is a local organic veg-box scheme in the centre & south of Southwark.Sutton Community Farm veg-boxes can be collected via Cambridge House, Camberwell.
Riverford is one of the bigger organic veg-box home delivery companies
- Grow your own free organic food if you have a garden or if your block of flats has some green space or try guerrilla organic gardening!Remove any unnecessary concrete or decking and plant insect-friendly organic food.
- Email Cllr Peter John, Southwark Council leader to urge them to stop spraying our roads & council estates with Insectageddon causing pesticides (peter.john@southwark.gov.uk).
Let’s make Southwark a 100% organic safe clean food and insect heaven!
Donnachadh McCarthy has been an environmental campaigner in Southwark since 1992 and is author of “The Prostitute State – How Britain’s Democracy Has Been Bought” www.theprostitutestate.co.uk.
He is also an independent environmental consultant www.3acorns.co.uk @DonnachadhMc.