OUR DAILY POISON
Since the 1970s, the scientific community has been warning, almost unanimously, of the potential impacts of climate change on the Earth’s ecosystems. For just as long, these warnings have been ignored by politicians and the business world. Whilst the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere caused by fossil fuels has now become the defining controversy of our time, the media coverage of global species extinction seems like a passing shadow, scarcely worthy of attention. Meanwhile, the world’s governments are, at worst, deliberately clearing nature reserves and, at best, making empty promises in campaign speeches ahead of the next election. Yet over the past decade, 80 per cent of the biomass of native insect species has disappeared in Germany alone, resulting in the death of one-fifth of the birds that feed on insects.
The cause of this catastrophe is the way human civilisation treats nature. Manufacturers such as Bayer Monsanto, BASF and the Syngenta Group produce neonicotinoids and glyphosate, which wipe out every insect. Neonicotinoids are insecticides based on a neurotoxin that is also found in cigarettes. A single drop of imidacloprid (Bayer AG) effectively sterilises an entire field, without distinguishing between harmful and beneficial insects. The companies argue that less of these highly potent poisons would be needed, which would be better for the environment. However, laboratory analyses confirm that neonicotinoids are more toxic than DDT, persist in the soil for over 16 years and, during dry spells, can be carried by the wind in dust to other fields, meadows and forests. As early as 2013, there were suspicions of a significant impact on wild bees, but the EU did not ban the pesticide until the end of 2020. Bayer challenged the ban before the European Court of Justice. In Germany and Switzerland, alternatives are already in use, but the banned pesticides are finding their way back into Europe via imported foodstuffs from abroad.
In the Southern Hemisphere, meanwhile, an area equivalent to 4,300 football pitches of rainforest is being cleared every day to make way for agricultural land. Numerous animal and plant species are being deprived of their habitats. The resulting soya monocultures, grown to produce animal feed for Western meat conglomerates, then deal the final blow to most of these animals. Yet some species are thriving in these times. Whilst rising global temperatures are putting ever-greater pressure on insects that require cool, damp conditions, heat-tolerant species are spreading into new habitats and occupying the ecological niches there. Take, for example, the Anopheles mosquito, which brought malaria to Europe, or the box tree moth, which was introduced to Germany from Asia. These invasive species are displacing native ones, with as yet unforeseen consequences for local ecosystems.
When the lime blossoms fade in August, you’ll find many dead bumblebees and bees on balconies and in the streets. They have starved to death because we prefer to have well-tended gardens and clean streets. This poses a serious problem, as numerous insects can no longer find enough food and are forced to die. On the heated pavements, gravel gardens and sealed surfaces – where meadows once bloomed and the city council now insists on order – these creatures are then literally cooked alive by the sun. It is now well known that urban greening lowers the ambient temperature by up to 15 degrees and provides insects with shelter and food. Nevertheless, stone surfaces are favoured because they are easier to maintain. The drought has now become so problematic that desperate bees are stealing sugar from pastries in bakeries – a behaviour previously known only of wasps.
Our insects face a wide range of problems for which we are directly and indirectly responsible. Land-dwelling insects have been part of the Earth’s history for 480 million years, and have never been as threatened as they are today. They are rich in species and diverse, inhabiting every continent and every ecosystem on the planet, and have a tremendous influence on their environment. They pollinate, recycle, restore and nourish our world. Their disappearance will have incalculable consequences for humanity.
The photographic series ‘Our Daily Poison’ by Alexander Hidic aims to draw attention to the issue of insect decline and encourage reflection. The images seek to capture the beauty, elegance and uniqueness of these creatures, which seem so alien to us, and to contrast them with the problems we impose upon them.
The photo series was exhibited at the Bielefeld Natural History Museum
from 2023 to 2024 as part of the special exhibition ‘Facets of Insects’.
The photo series was exhibited at the Kulturhaus Karlshorst in Berlin from September to December 2024.