Insectageddon: a silent unfolding disaster

While we might sometimes consider insects a bit of a nuisance, the world would be in big trouble without them. Insects pollinate food crops essential for our survival, they control pests and help decompose waste, and they support the ecosystems that sustain our lives. Oliver Milman, environment correspondent for the Guardian, says insects are not only our greatest allies on this planet, they display some of the most astonishing characteristics and abilities. And yet insects are at the centre of a silent unfolding disaster - some call it "insectageddon". Habitat loss, pesticides and climate change are threatening insect populations worldwide and the United Nations estimates that half a million species could be lost by the midpoint of this century. Kathryn speaks with Oliver Milman about what he found out while writing his book The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires that Run the World.