Pests to eat more crops in warmer world
Insects will be at the heart of worldwide crop losses as the climate warms up, predicts a US study. Scientists estimate the pests will be eating 10-25% more wheat, rice and maize across the globe for each one degree rise in climate temperature.
Warming drives insect energy use and prompts them to eat more. Their populations can also increase. This is bound to put pressure on the world's leading cereal crops, says study co-author Curtis Deutsch.
"Insect pests currently consume the equivalent of one out of every 12 loaves of bread (before they ever get made). By the end of this century, if climate change continues unabated, insects will be eating more than two loaves of every 12 that could have been made," the University of Washington, US, researcher told BBC News.
Increase in crop losses to insect pests in a warming climate (DOI: 10.1126/science.aat3466) (DX)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by crafoo on Sunday September 09 2018, @07:23PM (3 children)
Well champ, just turn that frown upside down and start eating the bugs. Cornfields and double as insect harvesting centres.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday September 09 2018, @07:39PM
Better source of protein, anyway.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Sunday September 09 2018, @08:38PM
I just came to say that: more food to eat!
I can't eat wheat anyways.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 10 2018, @09:05AM
Another me too post. I'm vegetarian but would rather eat bugs than glyphosate wheat anyway
Industrialized agriculture is a big part of the global warming problem in the first place