{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.18,"endTime":1.7,"body":"- So as you've gathered,"},{"startTime":1.7,"endTime":5.34,"body":"I'll be talking to you"},{"startTime":1.7,"endTime":5.34,"body":"tonight about insects,"},{"startTime":5.34,"endTime":7.513,"body":"kind of my specialist subject."},{"startTime":8.86,"endTime":11.86,"body":"Really, the talk has the same"},{"startTime":8.86,"endTime":11.86,"body":"structure as my new book,"},{"startTime":11.86,"endTime":13.91,"body":"sorry to get in the book"},{"startTime":11.86,"endTime":13.91,"body":"plug right in the beginning,"},{"startTime":13.91,"endTime":15.62,"body":"but \"Silent Earth,\""},{"startTime":15.62,"endTime":17.46,"body":"which is all about insects,"},{"startTime":17.46,"endTime":20.0,"body":"it's about how amazing, beautiful,"},{"startTime":20.0,"endTime":22.84,"body":"sometimes very weird they are,"},{"startTime":22.84,"endTime":25.35,"body":"it's about how important they are,"},{"startTime":25.35,"endTime":27.18,"body":"the sad evidence that they're declining,"},{"startTime":27.18,"endTime":29.23,"body":"and why they're declining,"},{"startTime":29.23,"endTime":31.33,"body":"and what we can all do about it."},{"startTime":31.33,"endTime":33.55,"body":"So there is a bit of a depressing bit"},{"startTime":33.55,"endTime":34.98,"body":"in the middle of my talk,"},{"startTime":34.98,"endTime":35.813,"body":"but bear with me,"},{"startTime":35.813,"endTime":38.17,"body":"please don't fall asleep or walk out,"},{"startTime":38.17,"endTime":39.683,"body":"the end is more cheerful,"},{"startTime":41.114,"endTime":43.214,"body":"and there are things to be positive about."},{"startTime":44.94,"endTime":45.86,"body":"So where do you start?"},{"startTime":45.86,"endTime":48.2,"body":"Insects is an enormous topic,"},{"startTime":48.2,"endTime":50.9,"body":"insects make up the bulk of life on Earth,"},{"startTime":50.9,"endTime":55.9,"body":"more than 2/3 of all"},{"startTime":50.9,"endTime":55.9,"body":"known species are insects,"},{"startTime":56.43,"endTime":59.69,"body":"so I thought I'd start"},{"startTime":56.43,"endTime":59.69,"body":"right at the beginning."},{"startTime":59.69,"endTime":63.44,"body":"This is an artist's"},{"startTime":59.69,"endTime":63.44,"body":"impression of the Earth"},{"startTime":63.44,"endTime":65.07,"body":"when insects first appeared"},{"startTime":65.07,"endTime":67.21,"body":"about 480 million years ago,"},{"startTime":67.21,"endTime":69.04,"body":"so nearly half a billion years."},{"startTime":69.04,"endTime":72.75,"body":"They were pretty much the"},{"startTime":69.04,"endTime":72.75,"body":"first creatures that we know of"},{"startTime":72.75,"endTime":74.13,"body":"to crawl out of the sea"},{"startTime":74.13,"endTime":76.9,"body":"and colonize the land,"},{"startTime":76.9,"endTime":78.31,"body":"and they were the first animals"},{"startTime":78.31,"endTime":82.73,"body":"to really make a success of life on land."},{"startTime":82.73,"endTime":86.2,"body":"They developed, evolved"},{"startTime":82.73,"endTime":86.2,"body":"a waterproof cuticle"},{"startTime":86.2,"endTime":88.77,"body":"so they could survive even in deserts,"},{"startTime":88.77,"endTime":90.98,"body":"and some of them evolved"},{"startTime":88.77,"endTime":90.98,"body":"the ability to fly,"},{"startTime":90.98,"endTime":93.37,"body":"they were the first creatures"},{"startTime":90.98,"endTime":93.37,"body":"to fly on the planet,"},{"startTime":93.37,"endTime":94.42,"body":"also, actually, incidentally,"},{"startTime":94.42,"endTime":96.33,"body":"probably the first"},{"startTime":94.42,"endTime":96.33,"body":"creatures to make noises,"},{"startTime":96.33,"endTime":98.763,"body":"to sing, to chirrup, to buzz, and so on."},{"startTime":101.1,"endTime":101.933,"body":"Back then,"},{"startTime":101.933,"endTime":104.31,"body":"the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere"},{"startTime":104.31,"endTime":106.55,"body":"was higher than it is today,"},{"startTime":106.55,"endTime":108.71,"body":"so some insects grew much larger"},{"startTime":108.71,"endTime":110.58,"body":"than any that are around today,"},{"startTime":110.58,"endTime":112.72,"body":"and there were dragonfly-like creatures"},{"startTime":112.72,"endTime":115.81,"body":"with wingspans of about 80 centimeters,"},{"startTime":115.81,"endTime":119.62,"body":"imagine these giant things"},{"startTime":115.81,"endTime":119.62,"body":"zooming through the early skies,"},{"startTime":119.62,"endTime":121.233,"body":"it must have been extraordinary."},{"startTime":122.56,"endTime":126.75,"body":"Anyway, in half a billion years,"},{"startTime":126.75,"endTime":129.73,"body":"they've speciated into an"},{"startTime":126.75,"endTime":129.73,"body":"extraordinary diversity"},{"startTime":129.73,"endTime":131.9,"body":"of different shapes,"},{"startTime":129.73,"endTime":131.9,"body":"and sizes, and colors,"},{"startTime":131.9,"endTime":134.35,"body":"and life histories, and so on,"},{"startTime":134.35,"endTime":136.68,"body":"just remarkable."},{"startTime":136.68,"endTime":138.57,"body":"Even in the UK,"},{"startTime":138.57,"endTime":140.43,"body":"we have an extraordinary diversity"},{"startTime":140.43,"endTime":141.71,"body":"of weird and wonderful insects"},{"startTime":141.71,"endTime":143.93,"body":"if you take the time to look for them."},{"startTime":143.93,"endTime":144.98,"body":"So I thought I'd start off"},{"startTime":144.98,"endTime":147.97,"body":"by just showing you some pictures"},{"startTime":147.97,"endTime":149.38,"body":"of some interesting insects,"},{"startTime":149.38,"endTime":151.093,"body":"nothing more taxing than that."},{"startTime":152.47,"endTime":153.34,"body":"So here we are,"},{"startTime":153.34,"endTime":155.35,"body":"isn't that a lovely creature, very sweet,"},{"startTime":155.35,"endTime":157.23,"body":"this is an acorn weevil,"},{"startTime":157.23,"endTime":159.31,"body":"it's a British species."},{"startTime":159.31,"endTime":161.69,"body":"Weevils are a type of beetle,"},{"startTime":161.69,"endTime":164.79,"body":"and beetles are the most"},{"startTime":161.69,"endTime":164.79,"body":"successful family of organisms"},{"startTime":164.79,"endTime":166.0,"body":"on the planet."},{"startTime":166.0,"endTime":167.82,"body":"Just the weevils alone,"},{"startTime":167.82,"endTime":172.193,"body":"there are 97,000 known species"},{"startTime":167.82,"endTime":172.193,"body":"of weevil on our planet."},{"startTime":173.38,"endTime":174.35,"body":"There's a famous quote,"},{"startTime":174.35,"endTime":178.36,"body":"there was an evolutionary"},{"startTime":174.35,"endTime":178.36,"body":"biology called J.B.S. Haldane,"},{"startTime":178.36,"endTime":180.403,"body":"who died a few decades ago now,"},{"startTime":181.91,"endTime":183.62,"body":"but he was once asked in an interview"},{"startTime":183.62,"endTime":186.6,"body":"what his studies of evolution"},{"startTime":186.6,"endTime":189.12,"body":"had taught him about the nature of God,"},{"startTime":189.12,"endTime":191.61,"body":"and he was an atheist,"},{"startTime":191.61,"endTime":194.18,"body":"so his probably facetious response"},{"startTime":194.18,"endTime":197.683,"body":"was he must have an inordinate"},{"startTime":194.18,"endTime":197.683,"body":"fondness for beetles,"},{"startTime":198.74,"endTime":200.84,"body":"obviously he spent a very"},{"startTime":198.74,"endTime":200.84,"body":"long time making them,"},{"startTime":200.84,"endTime":203.02,"body":"if you believe that he did."},{"startTime":203.02,"endTime":204.743,"body":"Anyway, let's move on."},{"startTime":206.11,"endTime":207.66,"body":"Insects, as we'll see later,"},{"startTime":207.66,"endTime":210.12,"body":"are really important as"},{"startTime":207.66,"endTime":210.12,"body":"the base of the food chain,"},{"startTime":210.12,"endTime":212.83,"body":"many larger organisms feed on insects,"},{"startTime":212.83,"endTime":214.24,"body":"which of course the insects don't like,"},{"startTime":214.24,"endTime":216.9,"body":"so many of them have evolved"},{"startTime":214.24,"endTime":216.9,"body":"a whole array of ways"},{"startTime":216.9,"endTime":218.91,"body":"to try and avoid being eaten,"},{"startTime":218.91,"endTime":222.07,"body":"including, for example,"},{"startTime":218.91,"endTime":222.07,"body":"astonishing camouflage,"},{"startTime":222.07,"endTime":226.38,"body":"this bush cricket has"},{"startTime":222.07,"endTime":226.38,"body":"evolved to look like a leaf"},{"startTime":226.38,"endTime":229.853,"body":"with false veins on its wings, and so on."},{"startTime":231.84,"endTime":236.39,"body":"This is a photograph I took"},{"startTime":231.84,"endTime":236.39,"body":"in Ecuador a few years ago,"},{"startTime":236.39,"endTime":238.36,"body":"the forest floor."},{"startTime":238.36,"endTime":240.13,"body":"I don't know how many you can count,"},{"startTime":240.13,"endTime":240.963,"body":"but I think"},{"startTime":240.963,"endTime":244.303,"body":"there's eight different"},{"startTime":240.963,"endTime":244.303,"body":"species of moth hiding there,"},{"startTime":245.21,"endTime":247.9,"body":"I'll leave you to see how"},{"startTime":245.21,"endTime":247.9,"body":"many you think you can see,"},{"startTime":247.9,"endTime":251.63,"body":"but just an extraordinary"},{"startTime":247.9,"endTime":251.63,"body":"example of camouflage."},{"startTime":251.63,"endTime":253.29,"body":"These things sit around all day,"},{"startTime":253.29,"endTime":254.98,"body":"there are lots of birds in the forest,"},{"startTime":254.98,"endTime":257.376,"body":"I can see you're all just too"},{"startTime":254.98,"endTime":257.376,"body":"bust counting now, aren't you."},{"startTime":257.376,"endTime":258.209,"body":"(audience laughs)"},{"startTime":258.209,"endTime":260.3,"body":"Anyway, I think the answer is eight,"},{"startTime":260.3,"endTime":262.03,"body":"but I'm not entirely sure,"},{"startTime":262.03,"endTime":264.33,"body":"there's at least eight,"},{"startTime":262.03,"endTime":264.33,"body":"let's put it that way."},{"startTime":265.48,"endTime":268.33,"body":"Other insects appear to be"},{"startTime":265.48,"endTime":268.33,"body":"very poorly camouflaged."},{"startTime":268.33,"endTime":271.91,"body":"This beautiful thing is an orchid mantis,"},{"startTime":271.91,"endTime":275.0,"body":"which has evolved to look"},{"startTime":271.91,"endTime":275.0,"body":"like the petals of a flower,"},{"startTime":275.0,"endTime":277.69,"body":"which you'd think would make"},{"startTime":275.0,"endTime":277.69,"body":"it a really obvious target"},{"startTime":277.69,"endTime":279.14,"body":"for predatory birds,"},{"startTime":279.14,"endTime":280.88,"body":"but of course they think it's a flower,"},{"startTime":280.88,"endTime":282.14,"body":"so they don't try to eat it,"},{"startTime":282.14,"endTime":284.44,"body":"and that serves the double purpose"},{"startTime":284.44,"endTime":289.04,"body":"that pollinating insects"},{"startTime":284.44,"endTime":289.04,"body":"might think it's a flower too"},{"startTime":289.04,"endTime":290.01,"body":"and try to visit it,"},{"startTime":290.01,"endTime":291.24,"body":"in which case they get eaten,"},{"startTime":291.24,"endTime":294.35,"body":"and this is the wing of"},{"startTime":291.24,"endTime":294.35,"body":"an unfortunate butterfly,"},{"startTime":294.35,"endTime":296.453,"body":"the rest of which has just been consumed."},{"startTime":299.21,"endTime":300.95,"body":"Some insects have stings,"},{"startTime":300.95,"endTime":303.94,"body":"bees and wasps, for example,"},{"startTime":303.94,"endTime":306.61,"body":"and that means that predatory animals"},{"startTime":306.61,"endTime":308.83,"body":"tend to avoid trying to eat them,"},{"startTime":308.83,"endTime":310.68,"body":"but then other insects have evolved"},{"startTime":310.68,"endTime":312.91,"body":"to pretend to be things with stings,"},{"startTime":312.91,"endTime":314.48,"body":"bees or wasps,"},{"startTime":314.48,"endTime":318.24,"body":"and so this here is a"},{"startTime":314.48,"endTime":318.24,"body":"completely harmless fly,"},{"startTime":318.24,"endTime":320.29,"body":"this is a British species,"},{"startTime":320.29,"endTime":322.46,"body":"it's pretending to be a bumblebee,"},{"startTime":322.46,"endTime":324.71,"body":"and I think it would fool most humans."},{"startTime":324.71,"endTime":325.95,"body":"If you're interested,"},{"startTime":325.95,"endTime":328.35,"body":"the easiest way to tell"},{"startTime":325.95,"endTime":328.35,"body":"it's not a bumblebee"},{"startTime":328.35,"endTime":330.29,"body":"is the fact that it has"},{"startTime":328.35,"endTime":330.29,"body":"really tiny antennae,"},{"startTime":330.29,"endTime":331.123,"body":"if that was a bee,"},{"startTime":331.123,"endTime":334.56,"body":"it would have quite big,"},{"startTime":331.123,"endTime":334.56,"body":"long, thin, black antennae,"},{"startTime":334.56,"endTime":335.447,"body":"should you ever spot one"},{"startTime":335.447,"endTime":338.003,"body":"and be interested to know"},{"startTime":335.447,"endTime":338.003,"body":"what you're looking at."},{"startTime":339.69,"endTime":342.81,"body":"There are also insects"},{"startTime":339.69,"endTime":342.81,"body":"which are poisonous."},{"startTime":342.81,"endTime":344.52,"body":"Many of them become poisonous"},{"startTime":344.52,"endTime":347.41,"body":"by sequestering poisons"},{"startTime":344.52,"endTime":347.41,"body":"in the food they eat,"},{"startTime":347.41,"endTime":348.683,"body":"in the leaves they eat,"},{"startTime":349.54,"endTime":351.18,"body":"and they store the poison in their body,"},{"startTime":351.18,"endTime":353.09,"body":"and then they advertise"},{"startTime":351.18,"endTime":353.09,"body":"that they're poisonous"},{"startTime":353.09,"endTime":354.17,"body":"to potential predators,"},{"startTime":354.17,"endTime":355.7,"body":"'cause there's no point in being poisonous"},{"startTime":355.7,"endTime":357.7,"body":"but the predator doesn't realize that"},{"startTime":357.7,"endTime":359.15,"body":"until it's eaten half of you."},{"startTime":360.36,"endTime":363.57,"body":"So for example, this cinnabar"},{"startTime":360.36,"endTime":363.57,"body":"moth is a British species,"},{"startTime":363.57,"endTime":366.63,"body":"I get them in my garden,"},{"startTime":363.57,"endTime":366.63,"body":"they're very common,"},{"startTime":366.63,"endTime":367.68,"body":"it eats ragwort,"},{"startTime":367.68,"endTime":371.23,"body":"and ragwort is famously"},{"startTime":367.68,"endTime":371.23,"body":"poisonous to animals,"},{"startTime":371.23,"endTime":372.62,"body":"and the cinnabar moth caterpillar"},{"startTime":372.62,"endTime":374.81,"body":"sequesters the ragwort"},{"startTime":372.62,"endTime":374.81,"body":"poisons in its body,"},{"startTime":374.81,"endTime":376.84,"body":"and then it advertises to the world,"},{"startTime":376.84,"endTime":379.27,"body":"coincidentally using exactly"},{"startTime":376.84,"endTime":379.27,"body":"the same warning coloration"},{"startTime":379.27,"endTime":380.29,"body":"as a bee or a wasp,"},{"startTime":380.29,"endTime":381.87,"body":"saying, don't try and eat me,"},{"startTime":381.87,"endTime":383.69,"body":"you'll be ill if you do."},{"startTime":383.69,"endTime":386.78,"body":"These are some other"},{"startTime":383.69,"endTime":386.78,"body":"beautiful poisonous insects"},{"startTime":386.78,"endTime":388.033,"body":"I've seen over the years."},{"startTime":388.91,"endTime":390.557,"body":"There are also just some weird insects,"},{"startTime":390.557,"endTime":392.18,"body":"and we have really no idea"},{"startTime":392.18,"endTime":393.813,"body":"why they look like they look."},{"startTime":394.73,"endTime":397.08,"body":"This is a little planthopper,"},{"startTime":397.08,"endTime":400.96,"body":"a relative of an aphid or a froghopper,"},{"startTime":400.96,"endTime":402.27,"body":"found in Central America,"},{"startTime":402.27,"endTime":405.64,"body":"and it exudes little strands"},{"startTime":402.27,"endTime":405.64,"body":"of wax out of its bottom"},{"startTime":405.64,"endTime":406.85,"body":"which grow, and grow, and grow,"},{"startTime":406.85,"endTime":409.44,"body":"and look like a bundle of optic fibers,"},{"startTime":409.44,"endTime":410.273,"body":"really extraordinary,"},{"startTime":410.273,"endTime":411.437,"body":"nobody has the foggiest idea"},{"startTime":411.437,"endTime":414.7,"body":"what possible purpose that might serve."},{"startTime":414.7,"endTime":416.06,"body":"When they jump,"},{"startTime":416.06,"endTime":418.13,"body":"they can drift a bit"},{"startTime":416.06,"endTime":418.13,"body":"like a dandelion seed,"},{"startTime":418.13,"endTime":420.92,"body":"so maybe it's a really"},{"startTime":418.13,"endTime":420.92,"body":"odd dispersal mechanism,"},{"startTime":420.92,"endTime":422.17,"body":"but no one's really sure."},{"startTime":423.51,"endTime":426.21,"body":"Some insects are just"},{"startTime":423.51,"endTime":426.21,"body":"extraordinarily beautiful,"},{"startTime":426.21,"endTime":429.88,"body":"but so small that nobody"},{"startTime":426.21,"endTime":429.88,"body":"really notices them."},{"startTime":429.88,"endTime":431.33,"body":"For example, in the UK,"},{"startTime":431.33,"endTime":434.17,"body":"we have half a dozen species"},{"startTime":431.33,"endTime":434.17,"body":"of ruby-tailed wasps,"},{"startTime":434.17,"endTime":435.94,"body":"which are absolutely stunning,"},{"startTime":435.94,"endTime":439.7,"body":"and you will find them in"},{"startTime":435.94,"endTime":439.7,"body":"gardens, parks all over Britain,"},{"startTime":439.7,"endTime":441.04,"body":"but most people have never seen one"},{"startTime":441.04,"endTime":443.61,"body":"simply because they're only"},{"startTime":441.04,"endTime":443.61,"body":"about seven millimeters long,"},{"startTime":443.61,"endTime":445.667,"body":"so it's really easy to overlook them,"},{"startTime":445.667,"endTime":447.27,"body":"but what a beautiful creature,"},{"startTime":447.27,"endTime":449.06,"body":"it looks like it should"},{"startTime":447.27,"endTime":449.06,"body":"live in a rainforest,"},{"startTime":449.06,"endTime":450.076,"body":"or somewhere exotic,"},{"startTime":450.076,"endTime":452.743,"body":"but no, you could probably"},{"startTime":450.076,"endTime":452.743,"body":"find them round here."},{"startTime":454.0,"endTime":455.6,"body":"Just to finish off,"},{"startTime":455.6,"endTime":457.43,"body":"there's even a shield bug"},{"startTime":457.43,"endTime":461.132,"body":"that does a pretty good"},{"startTime":457.43,"endTime":461.132,"body":"impression of a jaundiced Elvis,"},{"startTime":461.132,"endTime":461.965,"body":"(audience laughs)"},{"startTime":461.965,"endTime":464.003,"body":"but obviously not deliberate."},{"startTime":465.95,"endTime":467.72,"body":"My specialty are bees,"},{"startTime":467.72,"endTime":472.72,"body":"I've been studying bees"},{"startTime":467.72,"endTime":472.72,"body":"now for about 30 years."},{"startTime":474.597,"endTime":476.79,"body":"Bees evolved relatively late."},{"startTime":476.79,"endTime":477.623,"body":"If you recall,"},{"startTime":477.623,"endTime":481.22,"body":"I said insects first appeared"},{"startTime":477.623,"endTime":481.22,"body":"about 480 million years ago,"},{"startTime":481.22,"endTime":482.57,"body":"the first bees didn't appear"},{"startTime":482.57,"endTime":484.31,"body":"until about 120 million years ago,"},{"startTime":484.31,"endTime":486.69,"body":"which sounds quite recent in comparison,"},{"startTime":486.69,"endTime":489.29,"body":"it's still in the middle of"},{"startTime":486.69,"endTime":489.29,"body":"the age of the dinosaurs,"},{"startTime":489.29,"endTime":490.72,"body":"before, for example,"},{"startTime":490.72,"endTime":492.55,"body":"Tyrannosaurus rex evolved,"},{"startTime":492.55,"endTime":493.963,"body":"so quite a while back."},{"startTime":495.13,"endTime":496.52,"body":"Bees evolved from wasps,"},{"startTime":496.52,"endTime":499.343,"body":"they're essentially wasps turned vegan."},{"startTime":500.58,"endTime":501.98,"body":"The ancestor of the bees"},{"startTime":501.98,"endTime":503.53,"body":"would have been a solitary wasp"},{"startTime":505.549,"endTime":507.28,"body":"which made a little nest in the ground"},{"startTime":507.28,"endTime":509.79,"body":"and stocked it with paralyzed prey,"},{"startTime":509.79,"endTime":512.77,"body":"it could have been"},{"startTime":509.79,"endTime":512.77,"body":"caterpillars or spiders,"},{"startTime":512.77,"endTime":515.44,"body":"there are still wasps"},{"startTime":512.77,"endTime":515.44,"body":"that do this to this day,"},{"startTime":515.44,"endTime":516.43,"body":"and then laid its eggs"},{"startTime":516.43,"endTime":519.63,"body":"on the paralyzed larder"},{"startTime":516.43,"endTime":519.63,"body":"that it had stored."},{"startTime":519.63,"endTime":520.84,"body":"But the ancestor of the bees"},{"startTime":520.84,"endTime":525.11,"body":"starting using pollen instead"},{"startTime":520.84,"endTime":525.11,"body":"of paralyzed prey items,"},{"startTime":525.11,"endTime":528.44,"body":"and that basically became the first bee,"},{"startTime":528.44,"endTime":532.52,"body":"and that seems to have been"},{"startTime":528.44,"endTime":532.52,"body":"a pretty successful strategy,"},{"startTime":532.52,"endTime":534.77,"body":"and just as the insects proliferated,"},{"startTime":534.77,"endTime":536.4,"body":"so have the bees,"},{"startTime":536.4,"endTime":540.09,"body":"and there are now about 25,000"},{"startTime":536.4,"endTime":540.09,"body":"different species of bee"},{"startTime":540.09,"endTime":540.923,"body":"in the world,"},{"startTime":540.923,"endTime":543.32,"body":"and they come in an amazing array"},{"startTime":543.32,"endTime":545.27,"body":"of shapes, and sizes, and colors."},{"startTime":545.27,"endTime":546.24,"body":"I'd love to see this one,"},{"startTime":546.24,"endTime":548.79,"body":"I've never seen a bright blue, fluffy bee,"},{"startTime":548.79,"endTime":550.78,"body":"you've got to go to China, unfortunately,"},{"startTime":550.78,"endTime":553.08,"body":"but one day perhaps."},{"startTime":553.08,"endTime":555.183,"body":"Anyway, just to rewind a bit,"},{"startTime":556.65,"endTime":560.58,"body":"I first became interested"},{"startTime":556.65,"endTime":560.58,"body":"in insects when I was a kid."},{"startTime":560.58,"endTime":562.11,"body":"This isn't me,"},{"startTime":562.11,"endTime":565.71,"body":"this is my 11 year-old son"},{"startTime":562.11,"endTime":565.71,"body":"a couple of years ago, Seth,"},{"startTime":565.71,"endTime":566.87,"body":"my youngest,"},{"startTime":566.87,"endTime":569.15,"body":"who is still in a bug phase."},{"startTime":569.15,"endTime":571.383,"body":"I think lots of kids"},{"startTime":569.15,"endTime":571.383,"body":"go through a bug phase,"},{"startTime":572.3,"endTime":574.92,"body":"and he loves nothing more"},{"startTime":572.3,"endTime":574.92,"body":"than to catch insects,"},{"startTime":574.92,"endTime":576.04,"body":"and keep them in jam jars,"},{"startTime":576.04,"endTime":578.06,"body":"and feed them, and look"},{"startTime":576.04,"endTime":578.06,"body":"after them, and whatever."},{"startTime":578.06,"endTime":580.293,"body":"This is Colin, his cockchafer,"},{"startTime":581.48,"endTime":583.713,"body":"who's sadly no longer with us, but anyway."},{"startTime":585.17,"endTime":588.7,"body":"I never grew out of that bug phase,"},{"startTime":588.7,"endTime":590.973,"body":"but sadly, most people do,"},{"startTime":593.19,"endTime":595.87,"body":"most teenagers and most adults these days,"},{"startTime":595.87,"endTime":599.12,"body":"their reaction to anything"},{"startTime":595.87,"endTime":599.12,"body":"that buzzes near them"},{"startTime":599.12,"endTime":601.69,"body":"is usually more fright than anything else,"},{"startTime":601.69,"endTime":603.82,"body":"they flap around, they try to kill it,"},{"startTime":603.82,"endTime":606.71,"body":"they think it's going to"},{"startTime":603.82,"endTime":606.71,"body":"bite them or sting them,"},{"startTime":606.71,"endTime":608.14,"body":"which is really sad,"},{"startTime":608.14,"endTime":611.5,"body":"and I guess my mission in life now"},{"startTime":611.5,"endTime":615.04,"body":"is to try and persuade"},{"startTime":611.5,"endTime":615.04,"body":"people to love insects,"},{"startTime":615.04,"endTime":618.33,"body":"or at the very least to respect insects,"},{"startTime":618.33,"endTime":619.78,"body":"because as we'll see in a little while,"},{"startTime":619.78,"endTime":621.45,"body":"insects are incredibly important,"},{"startTime":621.45,"endTime":622.35,"body":"love them or loathe them,"},{"startTime":622.35,"endTime":623.323,"body":"we need them,"},{"startTime":625.16,"endTime":626.77,"body":"and they're in decline,"},{"startTime":626.77,"endTime":630.843,"body":"so onto the dark and"},{"startTime":626.77,"endTime":630.843,"body":"depressing part of the talk."},{"startTime":633.28,"endTime":637.3,"body":"I should say we don't"},{"startTime":633.28,"endTime":637.3,"body":"have good longterm data"},{"startTime":637.3,"endTime":639.78,"body":"on populations of most insects"},{"startTime":639.78,"endTime":641.12,"body":"because nobody's counting them,"},{"startTime":641.12,"endTime":642.89,"body":"there are too many species,"},{"startTime":642.89,"endTime":645.8,"body":"too few people who can identify them"},{"startTime":645.8,"endTime":646.94,"body":"to provide us with data,"},{"startTime":646.94,"endTime":649.58,"body":"but some insects are quite well monitored,"},{"startTime":649.58,"endTime":652.23,"body":"and probably the best of"},{"startTime":649.58,"endTime":652.23,"body":"all are British butterflies,"},{"startTime":653.4,"endTime":657.07,"body":"which have been counted in"},{"startTime":653.4,"endTime":657.07,"body":"a national monitoring scheme"},{"startTime":657.07,"endTime":660.27,"body":"by keen amateurs since 1976."},{"startTime":664.45,"endTime":666.95,"body":"Here, they've been divided"},{"startTime":664.45,"endTime":666.95,"body":"into the commoner butterflies"},{"startTime":666.95,"endTime":670.01,"body":"and the rare"},{"startTime":666.95,"endTime":670.01,"body":"habitat-specialist butterflies,"},{"startTime":670.01,"endTime":673.37,"body":"both have declined by different amounts."},{"startTime":673.37,"endTime":675.65,"body":"Overall, butterflies in the UK"},{"startTime":675.65,"endTime":680.11,"body":"are about half as common"},{"startTime":675.65,"endTime":680.11,"body":"as they were in 1976."},{"startTime":681.789,"endTime":683.439,"body":"Coincidentally, I was 11 in 1976,"},{"startTime":684.44,"endTime":688.29,"body":"the same age that my youngest son is now,"},{"startTime":688.29,"endTime":690.6,"body":"which means that he's"},{"startTime":688.29,"endTime":690.6,"body":"growing up in a world"},{"startTime":690.6,"endTime":692.69,"body":"in which he sees half as many butterflies"},{"startTime":692.69,"endTime":695.083,"body":"as the world I grew up in,"},{"startTime":697.43,"endTime":698.74,"body":"which is quite depressing."},{"startTime":698.74,"endTime":700.8,"body":"But what I guess really concerns me"},{"startTime":700.8,"endTime":703.79,"body":"is what will his children think is normal,"},{"startTime":703.79,"endTime":705.37,"body":"will they see any butterflies,"},{"startTime":705.37,"endTime":707.993,"body":"or bumblebees, or other insects?"},{"startTime":710.15,"endTime":712.0,"body":"It isn't just butterflies"},{"startTime":710.15,"endTime":712.0,"body":"that are declining,"},{"startTime":712.0,"endTime":714.89,"body":"we do have a whole range of datasets"},{"startTime":714.89,"endTime":716.13,"body":"from different parts of the world,"},{"startTime":716.13,"endTime":717.94,"body":"mostly from Europe and North America,"},{"startTime":717.94,"endTime":719.81,"body":"for different insect groups."},{"startTime":719.81,"endTime":723.88,"body":"One of the best known studies in this area"},{"startTime":723.88,"endTime":724.81,"body":"came from Germany,"},{"startTime":724.81,"endTime":726.06,"body":"it was published in 2017."},{"startTime":727.77,"endTime":729.58,"body":"I was one of the authors of this work,"},{"startTime":729.58,"endTime":733.97,"body":"but I didn't really do a"},{"startTime":729.58,"endTime":733.97,"body":"great deal to deserve that."},{"startTime":733.97,"endTime":737.86,"body":"Anyway, keen, amateur,"},{"startTime":733.97,"endTime":737.86,"body":"German entomologists"},{"startTime":737.86,"endTime":739.94,"body":"popped these things, called malaise traps,"},{"startTime":739.94,"endTime":742.5,"body":"on nature reserves all across Germany"},{"startTime":742.5,"endTime":745.16,"body":"from 1989 onwards,"},{"startTime":745.16,"endTime":748.4,"body":"and malaise trap catch flying insects,"},{"startTime":748.4,"endTime":751.33,"body":"most insects fly, at least as adults."},{"startTime":751.33,"endTime":754.52,"body":"And what this shows here"},{"startTime":754.52,"endTime":757.01,"body":"is the daily weight, the biomass,"},{"startTime":757.01,"endTime":759.94,"body":"of insects caught per trap, per day"},{"startTime":759.94,"endTime":764.48,"body":"all across Germany from 1989 to 2016,"},{"startTime":764.48,"endTime":766.61,"body":"and you can see the weight fell,"},{"startTime":766.61,"endTime":770.65,"body":"it actually fell on average by 76%."},{"startTime":770.65,"endTime":772.16,"body":"So in 26 years,"},{"startTime":772.16,"endTime":775.53,"body":"seemingly 3/4 of the flying"},{"startTime":772.16,"endTime":775.53,"body":"insects have disappeared"},{"startTime":775.53,"endTime":777.783,"body":"right across Germany,"},{"startTime":778.65,"endTime":780.86,"body":"which actually tallies pretty well."},{"startTime":780.86,"endTime":783.08,"body":"There's a study coming out tomorrow,"},{"startTime":783.08,"endTime":786.01,"body":"I was asked to comment on a press release,"},{"startTime":786.01,"endTime":786.95,"body":"done in Kent,"},{"startTime":786.95,"endTime":789.653,"body":"a splatometer test using cars,"},{"startTime":790.8,"endTime":793.94,"body":"which asked people to count"},{"startTime":790.8,"endTime":793.94,"body":"the number of splatted insects"},{"startTime":793.94,"endTime":795.45,"body":"on their car number plate,"},{"startTime":795.45,"endTime":799.79,"body":"which seems to show a very"},{"startTime":795.45,"endTime":799.79,"body":"similar magnitude of decline."},{"startTime":799.79,"endTime":801.27,"body":"Actually, I had a strange experience"},{"startTime":801.27,"endTime":803.03,"body":"relating to this paper."},{"startTime":803.03,"endTime":803.863,"body":"I mentioned, I think,"},{"startTime":803.863,"endTime":805.689,"body":"it was published in 2017,"},{"startTime":805.689,"endTime":807.55,"body":"and there was a lot of media"},{"startTime":805.689,"endTime":807.55,"body":"interest around the world,"},{"startTime":807.55,"endTime":809.82,"body":"I think it was the first time"},{"startTime":809.82,"endTime":813.52,"body":"that there was a widespread awareness"},{"startTime":813.52,"endTime":817.21,"body":"that there was a serious"},{"startTime":813.52,"endTime":817.21,"body":"problem with our insects,"},{"startTime":817.21,"endTime":818.34,"body":"and I was in the pub,"},{"startTime":818.34,"endTime":820.86,"body":"I was on my way to"},{"startTime":818.34,"endTime":820.86,"body":"Dorchester to give a talk,"},{"startTime":820.86,"endTime":823.6,"body":"and my mobile phone rang,"},{"startTime":823.6,"endTime":825.35,"body":"and it was an Australian radio show,"},{"startTime":825.35,"endTime":827.92,"body":"they wanted to interview me"},{"startTime":825.35,"endTime":827.92,"body":"about this insect decline story,"},{"startTime":827.92,"endTime":829.3,"body":"and this paper,"},{"startTime":829.3,"endTime":831.6,"body":"and they wanted to interview"},{"startTime":829.3,"endTime":831.6,"body":"me in 10 minutes' time,"},{"startTime":831.6,"endTime":832.79,"body":"and I slightly panicked,"},{"startTime":832.79,"endTime":835.403,"body":"I thought, okay, I guess I can do that,"},{"startTime":836.9,"endTime":838.6,"body":"and they said they'd ring me back."},{"startTime":838.6,"endTime":839.58,"body":"And I thought,"},{"startTime":839.58,"endTime":841.173,"body":"the pub was really noisy,"},{"startTime":842.23,"endTime":843.66,"body":"there was a jukebox playing,"},{"startTime":843.66,"endTime":846.71,"body":"and I looked outside and it"},{"startTime":843.66,"endTime":846.71,"body":"was raining really heavily,"},{"startTime":846.71,"endTime":849.47,"body":"and so I thought I'll go into the toilet"},{"startTime":849.47,"endTime":850.87,"body":"and take the call in there."},{"startTime":850.87,"endTime":853.11,"body":"So I went into the men's"},{"startTime":850.87,"endTime":853.11,"body":"toilet, and stood there,"},{"startTime":853.11,"endTime":854.37,"body":"and the phone duly rang,"},{"startTime":854.37,"endTime":856.92,"body":"and it was the Australian radio host,"},{"startTime":856.92,"endTime":859.29,"body":"and he said, are you"},{"startTime":856.92,"endTime":859.29,"body":"ready to do the interview,"},{"startTime":859.29,"endTime":861.07,"body":"and I said, yeah, okay."},{"startTime":861.07,"endTime":862.29,"body":"Of course, as soon as it started"},{"startTime":862.29,"endTime":864.43,"body":"and I was live on air, broadcast to,"},{"startTime":864.43,"endTime":867.32,"body":"I've no idea how many"},{"startTime":864.43,"endTime":867.32,"body":"Australians were listening,"},{"startTime":867.32,"endTime":870.638,"body":"someone came in and started"},{"startTime":867.32,"endTime":870.638,"body":"urinating rather loudly,"},{"startTime":870.638,"endTime":871.471,"body":"(audience laughs)"},{"startTime":871.471,"endTime":873.47,"body":"and I had this horrible feeling"},{"startTime":873.47,"endTime":874.58,"body":"that all these Australian people"},{"startTime":874.58,"endTime":876.406,"body":"would think it was me."},{"startTime":876.406,"endTime":877.78,"body":"(audience laughs)"},{"startTime":877.78,"endTime":882.433,"body":"Anyway, the first question"},{"startTime":877.78,"endTime":882.433,"body":"that the host asked was,"},{"startTime":883.89,"endTime":885.07,"body":"so, the insects,"},{"startTime":885.07,"endTime":886.73,"body":"I won't do the accent,"},{"startTime":886.73,"endTime":888.12,"body":"the insects are disappearing,"},{"startTime":888.12,"endTime":890.24,"body":"that's a good thing, isn't it?"},{"startTime":890.24,"endTime":893.35,"body":"I think it was a tongue in"},{"startTime":890.24,"endTime":893.35,"body":"cheek, provocative question,"},{"startTime":893.35,"endTime":894.183,"body":"but nonetheless,"},{"startTime":894.183,"endTime":897.5,"body":"I think it does kind of"},{"startTime":894.183,"endTime":897.5,"body":"exemplify many people's attitude"},{"startTime":897.5,"endTime":900.26,"body":"to the disappearance of insects."},{"startTime":900.26,"endTime":901.87,"body":"Most people associate insects,"},{"startTime":901.87,"endTime":903.79,"body":"bugs, creepy-crawlies,"},{"startTime":903.79,"endTime":906.87,"body":"they have negative"},{"startTime":903.79,"endTime":906.87,"body":"connotations to most people,"},{"startTime":906.87,"endTime":908.05,"body":"and therefore, if they're disappearing,"},{"startTime":908.05,"endTime":910.663,"body":"they don't realize that"},{"startTime":908.05,"endTime":910.663,"body":"that's actually a problem."},{"startTime":912.197,"endTime":913.71,"body":"I'll come back to that in a second."},{"startTime":913.71,"endTime":915.51,"body":"One more piece of evidence,"},{"startTime":915.51,"endTime":918.8,"body":"in case I haven't convinced you yet."},{"startTime":918.8,"endTime":919.79,"body":"We don't, sadly,"},{"startTime":919.79,"endTime":924.79,"body":"have any longterm population"},{"startTime":919.79,"endTime":924.79,"body":"data for bees of any type."},{"startTime":925.82,"endTime":927.72,"body":"We have started counting them,"},{"startTime":927.72,"endTime":929.41,"body":"in a similar way to the butterfly scheme,"},{"startTime":929.41,"endTime":930.87,"body":"but we only started quite recently,"},{"startTime":930.87,"endTime":932.61,"body":"so we don't have longterm trends,"},{"startTime":932.61,"endTime":934.54,"body":"but we do have maps,"},{"startTime":934.54,"endTime":935.66,"body":"and we can see what's happened"},{"startTime":935.66,"endTime":938.54,"body":"to the ranges of bees over time."},{"startTime":938.54,"endTime":941.18,"body":"I'm just going to show"},{"startTime":938.54,"endTime":941.18,"body":"you this one example,"},{"startTime":941.18,"endTime":943.6,"body":"it's a really lovely, little bumblebee,"},{"startTime":943.6,"endTime":945.903,"body":"a UK species called the shrill carder,"},{"startTime":947.0,"endTime":950.56,"body":"so called because it has a"},{"startTime":947.0,"endTime":950.56,"body":"slightly higher pitched buzz"},{"startTime":950.56,"endTime":952.78,"body":"than most bumblebees,"},{"startTime":952.78,"endTime":953.67,"body":"and once you've heard one,"},{"startTime":953.67,"endTime":956.21,"body":"you can get your ear in for it,"},{"startTime":956.21,"endTime":957.9,"body":"and you can often detect"},{"startTime":956.21,"endTime":957.9,"body":"there's one near you"},{"startTime":957.9,"endTime":959.013,"body":"before you see it."},{"startTime":959.95,"endTime":961.94,"body":"Anyway, sorry, where were we?"},{"startTime":961.94,"endTime":963.58,"body":"It used to be common"},{"startTime":963.58,"endTime":967.19,"body":"all over the southern"},{"startTime":963.58,"endTime":967.19,"body":"half of Britain, pre-1960,"},{"startTime":967.19,"endTime":968.29,"body":"but as time has gone on,"},{"startTime":968.29,"endTime":970.76,"body":"it's rapidly disappeared."},{"startTime":970.76,"endTime":973.6,"body":"I became interested in bumblebees,"},{"startTime":973.6,"endTime":975.38,"body":"and their declines in particular,"},{"startTime":975.38,"endTime":977.31,"body":"in about 2000,"},{"startTime":977.31,"endTime":978.143,"body":"and at the time,"},{"startTime":978.143,"endTime":979.15,"body":"this bee was known"},{"startTime":979.15,"endTime":982.84,"body":"from about six little population"},{"startTime":979.15,"endTime":982.84,"body":"clusters around the UK."},{"startTime":982.84,"endTime":985.73,"body":"I, at the time, was based at Southampton,"},{"startTime":985.73,"endTime":988.6,"body":"and I wanted to see one"},{"startTime":985.73,"endTime":988.6,"body":"of these bees for myself,"},{"startTime":988.6,"endTime":990.3,"body":"so I went to Salisbury Plain here"},{"startTime":990.3,"endTime":992.22,"body":"and spent the whole"},{"startTime":990.3,"endTime":992.22,"body":"summer hunting for them,"},{"startTime":992.22,"endTime":994.4,"body":"and eventually found a couple of them,"},{"startTime":994.4,"endTime":996.11,"body":"and got really excited."},{"startTime":996.11,"endTime":997.51,"body":"But since 2000,"},{"startTime":997.51,"endTime":1000.5,"body":"that Salisbury Plain"},{"startTime":997.51,"endTime":1000.5,"body":"population has disappeared,"},{"startTime":1000.5,"endTime":1001.89,"body":"and in the last couple of years,"},{"startTime":1001.89,"endTime":1003.16,"body":"the one on the Somerset Levels"},{"startTime":1003.16,"endTime":1004.64,"body":"seems to be disappearing,"},{"startTime":1004.64,"endTime":1006.41,"body":"there's only a couple of bees been seen"},{"startTime":1006.41,"endTime":1008.155,"body":"in the last few years."},{"startTime":1008.155,"endTime":1009.94,"body":"This bee is still disappearing,"},{"startTime":1009.94,"endTime":1011.86,"body":"it's going to go extinct pretty quickly"},{"startTime":1011.86,"endTime":1013.22,"body":"if we don't do something about it,"},{"startTime":1013.22,"endTime":1015.04,"body":"so these are not historical declines,"},{"startTime":1015.04,"endTime":1016.09,"body":"they're happening now,"},{"startTime":1016.09,"endTime":1017.943,"body":"and they're still going on,"},{"startTime":1019.25,"endTime":1021.18,"body":"which we should be really worried about,"},{"startTime":1021.18,"endTime":1024.23,"body":"because, as E.O. Wilson said,"},{"startTime":1024.23,"endTime":1026.25,"body":"insects are super important,"},{"startTime":1026.25,"endTime":1027.57,"body":"I won't read his quote."},{"startTime":1027.57,"endTime":1030.09,"body":"E.O. Wilson, he died a"},{"startTime":1027.57,"endTime":1030.09,"body":"few months ago, sadly,"},{"startTime":1030.09,"endTime":1032.73,"body":"in his 90s,"},{"startTime":1032.73,"endTime":1035.913,"body":"amazing scientist and ant specialist."},{"startTime":1037.4,"endTime":1039.13,"body":"Anyway, he basically said"},{"startTime":1039.13,"endTime":1040.87,"body":"if people vanish from the planet,"},{"startTime":1040.87,"endTime":1043.02,"body":"the planet would do"},{"startTime":1040.87,"endTime":1043.02,"body":"very nicely without us,"},{"startTime":1043.91,"endTime":1045.597,"body":"but if insects were to vanish,"},{"startTime":1045.597,"endTime":1048.135,"body":"\"the environment would"},{"startTime":1045.597,"endTime":1048.135,"body":"collapse into chaos,\""},{"startTime":1048.135,"endTime":1051.11,"body":"was how he put it."},{"startTime":1051.11,"endTime":1052.2,"body":"And he's absolutely right,"},{"startTime":1052.2,"endTime":1053.77,"body":"and I just want to run through,"},{"startTime":1053.77,"endTime":1054.71,"body":"in case you don't know,"},{"startTime":1054.71,"endTime":1056.583,"body":"why insects matter."},{"startTime":1058.09,"endTime":1058.923,"body":"I've already mentioned"},{"startTime":1058.923,"endTime":1061.22,"body":"they make up the bulk of life on Earth,"},{"startTime":1061.22,"endTime":1065.58,"body":"they're then food to a"},{"startTime":1061.22,"endTime":1065.58,"body":"very large proportion"},{"startTime":1065.58,"endTime":1067.303,"body":"of the remaining organisms,"},{"startTime":1068.16,"endTime":1071.333,"body":"things like many species of bird,"},{"startTime":1072.915,"endTime":1076.279,"body":"and bats, and lizards,"},{"startTime":1072.915,"endTime":1076.279,"body":"and frogs and toads,"},{"startTime":1076.279,"endTime":1079.49,"body":"and freshwater fish like trout and salmon,"},{"startTime":1079.49,"endTime":1080.66,"body":"they all depend upon insects,"},{"startTime":1080.66,"endTime":1081.793,"body":"so if the insects disappear,"},{"startTime":1081.793,"endTime":1083.89,"body":"then they're going to be in trouble."},{"startTime":1083.89,"endTime":1084.723,"body":"And in fact,"},{"startTime":1084.723,"endTime":1089.57,"body":"we've seen disproportionately"},{"startTime":1084.723,"endTime":1089.57,"body":"rapid declines"},{"startTime":1089.57,"endTime":1092.753,"body":"in organisms that eat insects."},{"startTime":1093.843,"endTime":1096.3,"body":"There are two specialist"},{"startTime":1093.843,"endTime":1096.3,"body":"insect-eating birds,"},{"startTime":1096.3,"endTime":1097.133,"body":"the cuckoo,"},{"startTime":1097.133,"endTime":1099.22,"body":"which likes to eat hairy caterpillars,"},{"startTime":1099.22,"endTime":1101.1,"body":"and the spotter flycatcher,"},{"startTime":1101.1,"endTime":1102.69,"body":"which, as the name suggests,"},{"startTime":1102.69,"endTime":1105.253,"body":"likes to eat little flying insects."},{"startTime":1106.15,"endTime":1107.79,"body":"Birds are monitored more carefully,"},{"startTime":1107.79,"endTime":1111.08,"body":"and have been counted for"},{"startTime":1107.79,"endTime":1111.08,"body":"longer than any insect group,"},{"startTime":1111.08,"endTime":1114.58,"body":"since 1966 in the UK,"},{"startTime":1114.58,"endTime":1115.413,"body":"and you can see"},{"startTime":1115.413,"endTime":1119.13,"body":"both of these birds have undergone"},{"startTime":1115.413,"endTime":1119.13,"body":"really dramatic declines."},{"startTime":1119.13,"endTime":1120.07,"body":"I remember cuckoos,"},{"startTime":1120.07,"endTime":1121.677,"body":"the sound of cuckoos when I was a kid"},{"startTime":1121.677,"endTime":1124.58,"body":"was common everywhere"},{"startTime":1121.677,"endTime":1124.58,"body":"in lowland in Britain;"},{"startTime":1124.58,"endTime":1125.66,"body":"haven't heard one this year,"},{"startTime":1125.66,"endTime":1126.96,"body":"didn't hear one last year."},{"startTime":1129.612,"endTime":1132.42,"body":"As you can see, 77% have disappeared,"},{"startTime":1132.42,"endTime":1134.99,"body":"and much worse for the poor,"},{"startTime":1132.42,"endTime":1134.99,"body":"old spotted flycatcher,"},{"startTime":1134.99,"endTime":1138.56,"body":"which, again, used to be a"},{"startTime":1134.99,"endTime":1138.56,"body":"common garden and parkland bird,"},{"startTime":1138.56,"endTime":1140.713,"body":"but now you're very lucky if you see one."},{"startTime":1141.68,"endTime":1143.48,"body":"Rather terrifyingly, actually,"},{"startTime":1143.48,"endTime":1148.05,"body":"the British Trust for Ornithology,"},{"startTime":1148.05,"endTime":1149.19,"body":"who collate these data,"},{"startTime":1149.19,"endTime":1153.473,"body":"they calculate the total breeding"},{"startTime":1149.19,"endTime":1153.473,"body":"bird population of the UK,"},{"startTime":1156.11,"endTime":1157.94,"body":"and how it's changed over time,"},{"startTime":1157.94,"endTime":1160.92,"body":"and according to their estimates,"},{"startTime":1160.92,"endTime":1163.91,"body":"the number of breeding birds in Britain"},{"startTime":1163.91,"endTime":1168.91,"body":"has declined by an average"},{"startTime":1163.91,"endTime":1168.91,"body":"92 birds per hour since 1966,"},{"startTime":1172.45,"endTime":1173.8,"body":"isn't that a terrifying thought?"},{"startTime":1173.8,"endTime":1176.643,"body":"Every hour, 92 fewer birds."},{"startTime":1178.8,"endTime":1181.17,"body":"So insects are important as food,"},{"startTime":1181.17,"endTime":1183.7,"body":"they also do a whole bunch of other stuff,"},{"startTime":1183.7,"endTime":1186.24,"body":"they're involved in more or"},{"startTime":1183.7,"endTime":1186.24,"body":"less every ecological process"},{"startTime":1186.24,"endTime":1187.99,"body":"you can think of,"},{"startTime":1187.99,"endTime":1191.03,"body":"they're bio-control agents of crop pests,"},{"startTime":1191.03,"endTime":1194.19,"body":"admittedly the pests themselves"},{"startTime":1191.03,"endTime":1194.19,"body":"are often insects too,"},{"startTime":1194.19,"endTime":1196.293,"body":"so not all insects are helpful,"},{"startTime":1197.562,"endTime":1200.72,"body":"they're involved in"},{"startTime":1197.562,"endTime":1200.72,"body":"recycling of, for example,"},{"startTime":1200.72,"endTime":1203.37,"body":"dung by dung beetles,"},{"startTime":1200.72,"endTime":1203.37,"body":"dung flies, and so on,"},{"startTime":1203.37,"endTime":1204.24,"body":"and dead bodies,"},{"startTime":1204.24,"endTime":1206.16,"body":"that's a carrion beetle,"},{"startTime":1206.16,"endTime":1210.17,"body":"and of course maggots help"},{"startTime":1206.16,"endTime":1210.17,"body":"to tidy away dead bodies too."},{"startTime":1210.17,"endTime":1212.54,"body":"Some are involved in"},{"startTime":1210.17,"endTime":1212.54,"body":"keeping the soil healthy,"},{"startTime":1212.54,"endTime":1213.82,"body":"they distribute seeds,"},{"startTime":1213.82,"endTime":1216.45,"body":"they do all sorts of stuff"},{"startTime":1213.82,"endTime":1216.45,"body":"that we take for granted,"},{"startTime":1216.45,"endTime":1218.27,"body":"or are completely unaware of,"},{"startTime":1218.27,"endTime":1219.15,"body":"most of these things"},{"startTime":1219.15,"endTime":1222.88,"body":"are things that people"},{"startTime":1219.15,"endTime":1222.88,"body":"don't really think about."},{"startTime":1222.88,"endTime":1224.75,"body":"There's just one thing that insects do"},{"startTime":1224.75,"endTime":1227.03,"body":"that I think is widely appreciated,"},{"startTime":1227.03,"endTime":1229.803,"body":"and that of course is pollination."},{"startTime":1231.84,"endTime":1233.13,"body":"Many people wrongly think"},{"startTime":1233.13,"endTime":1236.28,"body":"that pollination is done entirely by bees,"},{"startTime":1236.28,"endTime":1238.74,"body":"some people think it's"},{"startTime":1236.28,"endTime":1238.74,"body":"done by one species of bee,"},{"startTime":1238.74,"endTime":1240.31,"body":"the honeybee,"},{"startTime":1240.31,"endTime":1242.41,"body":"that's far from the truth."},{"startTime":1242.41,"endTime":1243.63,"body":"There are, as I've already said,"},{"startTime":1243.63,"endTime":1245.89,"body":"25,000 species of bee,"},{"startTime":1245.89,"endTime":1248.08,"body":"but there are probably"},{"startTime":1245.89,"endTime":1248.08,"body":"hundreds of thousands"},{"startTime":1248.08,"endTime":1251.1,"body":"of species of pollinating insect in total,"},{"startTime":1251.1,"endTime":1253.04,"body":"including moths and butterflies,"},{"startTime":1253.04,"endTime":1255.08,"body":"and lots of species of flies, and wasps,"},{"startTime":1255.08,"endTime":1255.94,"body":"and beetles, and so on,"},{"startTime":1255.94,"endTime":1257.67,"body":"and altogether,"},{"startTime":1257.67,"endTime":1260.67,"body":"they ensure that plants set seed"},{"startTime":1260.67,"endTime":1263.13,"body":"and continue to exist."},{"startTime":1263.13,"endTime":1267.63,"body":"87% of all plant species on the planet"},{"startTime":1267.63,"endTime":1270.29,"body":"need pollinating by some kind of animal,"},{"startTime":1270.29,"endTime":1271.13,"body":"and in the tropics,"},{"startTime":1271.13,"endTime":1275.45,"body":"sometimes that's done by"},{"startTime":1271.13,"endTime":1275.45,"body":"a hummingbird, or a bat,"},{"startTime":1275.45,"endTime":1277.07,"body":"or even, in one or two strange cases,"},{"startTime":1277.07,"endTime":1279.683,"body":"by mammals, and even lizards,"},{"startTime":1280.78,"endTime":1282.17,"body":"but usually it's by an insect,"},{"startTime":1282.17,"endTime":1283.003,"body":"and in Europe,"},{"startTime":1283.003,"endTime":1283.94,"body":"it's always done by insects,"},{"startTime":1283.94,"endTime":1286.343,"body":"we don't have any vertebrate pollinators."},{"startTime":1287.828,"endTime":1289.88,"body":"Without without all these"},{"startTime":1287.828,"endTime":1289.88,"body":"little insects, then,"},{"startTime":1289.88,"endTime":1293.71,"body":"most of the plant species on"},{"startTime":1289.88,"endTime":1293.71,"body":"our planet would disappear."},{"startTime":1293.71,"endTime":1294.63,"body":"And, of course,"},{"startTime":1294.63,"endTime":1296.39,"body":"there's a direct link to humans here,"},{"startTime":1296.39,"endTime":1298.573,"body":"which I think most people are aware of."},{"startTime":1299.67,"endTime":1304.36,"body":"We've become used to"},{"startTime":1299.67,"endTime":1304.36,"body":"our shops being replete"},{"startTime":1304.36,"endTime":1306.77,"body":"with this amazing selection"},{"startTime":1304.36,"endTime":1306.77,"body":"of fruits and vegetables"},{"startTime":1306.77,"endTime":1308.453,"body":"available 12 months of the year."},{"startTime":1310.12,"endTime":1311.77,"body":"If we didn't have insect pollinators,"},{"startTime":1311.77,"endTime":1314.39,"body":"it wouldn't look so good."},{"startTime":1314.39,"endTime":1317.93,"body":"Roughly 3/4 of the crops"},{"startTime":1314.39,"endTime":1317.93,"body":"that we grow in the world"},{"startTime":1317.93,"endTime":1319.22,"body":"wouldn't give a full harvest"},{"startTime":1319.22,"endTime":1322.333,"body":"if they weren't pollinated by insects,"},{"startTime":1323.505,"endTime":1325.61,"body":"so we wouldn't have things"},{"startTime":1323.505,"endTime":1325.61,"body":"like apples, cherries,"},{"startTime":1325.61,"endTime":1327.38,"body":"blueberries, strawberries, raspberries,"},{"startTime":1327.38,"endTime":1330.04,"body":"tomatoes, squashes, chili peppers,"},{"startTime":1330.04,"endTime":1333.28,"body":"even things like coffee and chocolate"},{"startTime":1333.28,"endTime":1335.14,"body":"depend upon insect pollination,"},{"startTime":1335.14,"endTime":1338.05,"body":"so life would be dire indeed"},{"startTime":1338.05,"endTime":1340.79,"body":"if we didn't have those little creatures."},{"startTime":1340.79,"endTime":1345.79,"body":"And the obvious reality"},{"startTime":1340.79,"endTime":1345.79,"body":"is that people would die,"},{"startTime":1347.35,"endTime":1349.82,"body":"lots of people would die,"},{"startTime":1347.35,"endTime":1349.82,"body":"would starve to death"},{"startTime":1349.82,"endTime":1352.073,"body":"if we didn't have all this food,"},{"startTime":1353.07,"endTime":1357.68,"body":"so we've got a really direct"},{"startTime":1353.07,"endTime":1357.68,"body":"reason to value insects."},{"startTime":1359.37,"endTime":1361.42,"body":"I trot this argument out endlessly,"},{"startTime":1361.42,"endTime":1363.02,"body":"I don't know how many times"},{"startTime":1363.02,"endTime":1366.12,"body":"I've explained to all sorts of people,"},{"startTime":1366.12,"endTime":1368.63,"body":"including Australian radio show hosts,"},{"startTime":1368.63,"endTime":1371.363,"body":"why insects are important,"},{"startTime":1373.68,"endTime":1376.58,"body":"but I've always been"},{"startTime":1373.68,"endTime":1376.58,"body":"slightly dissatisfied by this"},{"startTime":1376.58,"endTime":1378.46,"body":"because it's just valuing insects"},{"startTime":1378.46,"endTime":1379.87,"body":"for what they do for us,"},{"startTime":1379.87,"endTime":1384.05,"body":"it seems actually quite a"},{"startTime":1379.87,"endTime":1384.05,"body":"selfish way of looking at it."},{"startTime":1384.05,"endTime":1385.07,"body":"And it worries me"},{"startTime":1385.07,"endTime":1390.07,"body":"that there insects that perhaps"},{"startTime":1385.07,"endTime":1390.07,"body":"don't do anything important,"},{"startTime":1390.18,"endTime":1392.403,"body":"at least as far as we're concerned."},{"startTime":1393.359,"endTime":1394.49,"body":"And the more I think about it,"},{"startTime":1394.49,"endTime":1396.02,"body":"the more examples I can think of"},{"startTime":1396.02,"endTime":1398.92,"body":"of insects that probably could go extinct"},{"startTime":1398.92,"endTime":1401.327,"body":"and it would make not the"},{"startTime":1398.92,"endTime":1401.327,"body":"blind bit of difference"},{"startTime":1401.327,"endTime":1402.96,"body":"to us humans,"},{"startTime":1402.96,"endTime":1405.53,"body":"so are they therefore expendable,"},{"startTime":1405.53,"endTime":1407.203,"body":"can we just let them go extinct?"},{"startTime":1408.97,"endTime":1410.2,"body":"So here's an example,"},{"startTime":1410.2,"endTime":1413.22,"body":"this is the St. Helena giant earwig."},{"startTime":1413.22,"endTime":1414.92,"body":"I'm sure you've never heard of it,"},{"startTime":1415.83,"endTime":1417.54,"body":"but it was a splendid creature,"},{"startTime":1417.54,"endTime":1418.64,"body":"not quite this big,"},{"startTime":1418.64,"endTime":1420.21,"body":"but about three inches long,"},{"startTime":1420.21,"endTime":1422.883,"body":"the biggest earwig that"},{"startTime":1420.21,"endTime":1422.883,"body":"ever lived on our planet,"},{"startTime":1424.58,"endTime":1425.86,"body":"only lived on St. Helena,"},{"startTime":1425.86,"endTime":1427.17,"body":"which is a tiny, little island"},{"startTime":1427.17,"endTime":1429.12,"body":"in the middle of the South Atlantic,"},{"startTime":1429.12,"endTime":1430.98,"body":"so none of us were ever going to see one,"},{"startTime":1430.98,"endTime":1432.33,"body":"lived in seabird colonies"},{"startTime":1432.33,"endTime":1434.41,"body":"and scavenged on bits of detritus"},{"startTime":1434.41,"endTime":1437.703,"body":"and seagull poo, presumably,"},{"startTime":1439.27,"endTime":1441.2,"body":"we don't know, because it's extinct,"},{"startTime":1441.2,"endTime":1442.53,"body":"and no one can therefore study it."},{"startTime":1442.53,"endTime":1444.96,"body":"It's been gone since the 1960s,"},{"startTime":1444.96,"endTime":1446.08,"body":"probably went extinct"},{"startTime":1446.08,"endTime":1447.08,"body":"'cause they were all eaten"},{"startTime":1447.08,"endTime":1449.483,"body":"by accidentally-introduced rats."},{"startTime":1451.36,"endTime":1454.35,"body":"Anyway, there was no"},{"startTime":1451.36,"endTime":1454.35,"body":"ecological disaster unraveled"},{"startTime":1454.35,"endTime":1455.84,"body":"because there were no giant earwigs"},{"startTime":1455.84,"endTime":1457.3,"body":"to clear away the seagull poo,"},{"startTime":1457.3,"endTime":1459.42,"body":"or whatever it was they did,"},{"startTime":1459.42,"endTime":1462.94,"body":"St. Helena appears otherwise unchanged,"},{"startTime":1462.94,"endTime":1465.64,"body":"but isn't the world a"},{"startTime":1462.94,"endTime":1465.64,"body":"slightly sadder place"},{"startTime":1465.64,"endTime":1469.11,"body":"because there isn't a"},{"startTime":1465.64,"endTime":1469.11,"body":"giant earwig on St. Helena?"},{"startTime":1469.11,"endTime":1471.74,"body":"I could think of examples"},{"startTime":1469.11,"endTime":1471.74,"body":"much closer to home than that,"},{"startTime":1471.74,"endTime":1474.4,"body":"but my point is"},{"startTime":1474.4,"endTime":1478.42,"body":"that we shouldn't just value"},{"startTime":1474.4,"endTime":1478.42,"body":"the rest of life on our planet"},{"startTime":1478.42,"endTime":1480.073,"body":"if it does something for us,"},{"startTime":1480.073,"endTime":1483.653,"body":"that just seems incredibly self-centered."},{"startTime":1484.53,"endTime":1485.88,"body":"Most of these creatures have been around"},{"startTime":1485.88,"endTime":1486.77,"body":"for millions of years,"},{"startTime":1486.77,"endTime":1489.13,"body":"much longer than we have,"},{"startTime":1489.13,"endTime":1494.13,"body":"surely these creatures"},{"startTime":1489.13,"endTime":1494.13,"body":"deserve a place on our planet"},{"startTime":1494.16,"endTime":1495.97,"body":"as much as we do."},{"startTime":1495.97,"endTime":1499.75,"body":"I'm often asked what's"},{"startTime":1495.97,"endTime":1499.75,"body":"the point of mosquitoes,"},{"startTime":1499.75,"endTime":1502.98,"body":"what's the point of slugs,"},{"startTime":1499.75,"endTime":1502.98,"body":"or wasps, or whatever."},{"startTime":1502.98,"endTime":1505.93,"body":"You could turn it round and"},{"startTime":1502.98,"endTime":1505.93,"body":"say what's the point of humans,"},{"startTime":1507.0,"endTime":1509.63,"body":"or to put it another way,"},{"startTime":1509.63,"endTime":1511.97,"body":"just because we have the ability"},{"startTime":1511.97,"endTime":1513.66,"body":"to wipe out other species,"},{"startTime":1513.66,"endTime":1516.62,"body":"surely it doesn't give us"},{"startTime":1513.66,"endTime":1516.62,"body":"the moral right to do so,"},{"startTime":1516.62,"endTime":1518.07,"body":"I don't think it does anyway."},{"startTime":1519.59,"endTime":1523.16,"body":"If we're going to reverse insect declines,"},{"startTime":1523.16,"endTime":1525.363,"body":"we need to understand"},{"startTime":1523.16,"endTime":1525.363,"body":"why they're happening."},{"startTime":1526.36,"endTime":1528.87,"body":"Actually, this is a big"},{"startTime":1526.36,"endTime":1528.87,"body":"and complicated subject,"},{"startTime":1528.87,"endTime":1530.933,"body":"and I could bore you for hours about it."},{"startTime":1533.07,"endTime":1535.37,"body":"Still, probably the biggest driver"},{"startTime":1535.37,"endTime":1537.08,"body":"is loss of habitat around the world,"},{"startTime":1537.08,"endTime":1539.93,"body":"we're still burning down and"},{"startTime":1537.08,"endTime":1539.93,"body":"chopping down rainforests,"},{"startTime":1539.93,"endTime":1541.083,"body":"and so on."},{"startTime":1542.27,"endTime":1545.88,"body":"And associated with loss of habitat"},{"startTime":1545.88,"endTime":1549.81,"body":"has been the ever increasing extent"},{"startTime":1549.81,"endTime":1551.26,"body":"of industrialized agriculture"},{"startTime":1551.26,"endTime":1553.03,"body":"and the pesticides associated with it,"},{"startTime":1553.03,"endTime":1553.97,"body":"and that's a big driver,"},{"startTime":1553.97,"endTime":1555.63,"body":"and I'll say a little bit more about that,"},{"startTime":1555.63,"endTime":1556.85,"body":"but there are lots of others"},{"startTime":1556.85,"endTime":1558.27,"body":"that I haven't got time to talk about,"},{"startTime":1558.27,"endTime":1560.38,"body":"things like climate change,"},{"startTime":1560.38,"endTime":1562.22,"body":"the spread of invasive diseases,"},{"startTime":1562.22,"endTime":1565.583,"body":"and light pollution, and so on, and so on,"},{"startTime":1566.515,"endTime":1567.42,"body":"you'll just have to read my book"},{"startTime":1567.42,"endTime":1568.77,"body":"if you really want to know."},{"startTime":1570.25,"endTime":1573.43,"body":"But I'll say a tiny bit"},{"startTime":1570.25,"endTime":1573.43,"body":"more about habitat loss"},{"startTime":1573.43,"endTime":1575.053,"body":"and industrialized farming."},{"startTime":1576.44,"endTime":1578.27,"body":"I took this picture off the internet,"},{"startTime":1578.27,"endTime":1579.2,"body":"it could be anywhere,"},{"startTime":1579.2,"endTime":1580.34,"body":"I think it's South America,"},{"startTime":1580.34,"endTime":1582.873,"body":"but it really doesn't"},{"startTime":1580.34,"endTime":1582.873,"body":"matter where it was taken."},{"startTime":1584.96,"endTime":1589.96,"body":"There used to be a natural"},{"startTime":1584.96,"endTime":1589.96,"body":"community living here,"},{"startTime":1590.14,"endTime":1591.62,"body":"there would have been, who knows,"},{"startTime":1591.62,"endTime":1593.56,"body":"maybe it was grassland,"},{"startTime":1591.62,"endTime":1593.56,"body":"maybe it was forest,"},{"startTime":1593.56,"endTime":1595.64,"body":"there would have been lots of"},{"startTime":1593.56,"endTime":1595.64,"body":"different species of birds,"},{"startTime":1595.64,"endTime":1597.143,"body":"and insects, and flowers,"},{"startTime":1598.64,"endTime":1599.94,"body":"now there's almost nothing,"},{"startTime":1599.94,"endTime":1601.1,"body":"there's just a crop,"},{"startTime":1601.1,"endTime":1605.84,"body":"an almost pure monoculture"},{"startTime":1601.1,"endTime":1605.84,"body":"stretching to the horizon."},{"startTime":1605.84,"endTime":1609.98,"body":"We've scraped away all of the"},{"startTime":1605.84,"endTime":1609.98,"body":"life that used to be there,"},{"startTime":1609.98,"endTime":1611.1,"body":"and pretty obviously,"},{"startTime":1611.1,"endTime":1613.62,"body":"that massively reduces biodiversity,"},{"startTime":1613.62,"endTime":1616.21,"body":"and we're doing this"},{"startTime":1613.62,"endTime":1616.21,"body":"on an ever bigger scale"},{"startTime":1616.21,"endTime":1617.92,"body":"around the world."},{"startTime":1617.92,"endTime":1620.2,"body":"This kind of agriculture"},{"startTime":1617.92,"endTime":1620.2,"body":"is only really possible"},{"startTime":1620.2,"endTime":1623.12,"body":"with lots of chemical"},{"startTime":1620.2,"endTime":1623.12,"body":"inputs to control pests"},{"startTime":1623.12,"endTime":1626.283,"body":"and to boost the fertility of the crop,"},{"startTime":1628.53,"endTime":1633.53,"body":"and pesticide use continues"},{"startTime":1628.53,"endTime":1633.53,"body":"to grow globally year on year."},{"startTime":1633.6,"endTime":1635.01,"body":"When I created this slide,"},{"startTime":1635.01,"endTime":1635.9,"body":"the best estimate"},{"startTime":1635.9,"endTime":1638.12,"body":"was that we were currently"},{"startTime":1635.9,"endTime":1638.12,"body":"manufacturing and spraying"},{"startTime":1638.12,"endTime":1641.13,"body":"about 3 million tons of"},{"startTime":1638.12,"endTime":1641.13,"body":"pesticides onto our planet"},{"startTime":1641.13,"endTime":1641.973,"body":"each year."},{"startTime":1643.07,"endTime":1644.72,"body":"Pesticides are basically poisons"},{"startTime":1644.72,"endTime":1646.01,"body":"designed to kill something,"},{"startTime":1646.01,"endTime":1648.46,"body":"maybe insects, maybe weeds,"},{"startTime":1648.46,"endTime":1650.793,"body":"it might be fungi, it might be molluscs,"},{"startTime":1651.87,"endTime":1653.38,"body":"but they're all toxins."},{"startTime":1653.38,"endTime":1654.76,"body":"Actually, this is already out of date,"},{"startTime":1654.76,"endTime":1656.68,"body":"it's now about 4 million tons,"},{"startTime":1656.68,"endTime":1659.063,"body":"it's gone up in the last couple of years."},{"startTime":1660.9,"endTime":1664.3,"body":"That said, we should think"},{"startTime":1660.9,"endTime":1664.3,"body":"ourselves fairly lucky in Europe"},{"startTime":1664.3,"endTime":1665.74,"body":"because in Europe,"},{"startTime":1665.74,"endTime":1668.88,"body":"there is a fairly strict"},{"startTime":1665.74,"endTime":1668.88,"body":"pesticide regulatory system"},{"startTime":1668.88,"endTime":1673.36,"body":"which has banned at least"},{"startTime":1668.88,"endTime":1673.36,"body":"some of the worst chemicals,"},{"startTime":1673.36,"endTime":1676.47,"body":"it's better regulated in"},{"startTime":1673.36,"endTime":1676.47,"body":"Europe than anywhere else."},{"startTime":1676.47,"endTime":1679.01,"body":"If you live in North America,"},{"startTime":1679.01,"endTime":1683.34,"body":"you might be accustomed"},{"startTime":1679.01,"endTime":1683.34,"body":"to this kind of thing,"},{"startTime":1683.34,"endTime":1687.59,"body":"this is a common way of applying"},{"startTime":1683.34,"endTime":1687.59,"body":"pesticides in the Americas,"},{"startTime":1687.59,"endTime":1688.53,"body":"from a crop duster,"},{"startTime":1688.53,"endTime":1690.23,"body":"which is incredibly indiscriminate,"},{"startTime":1690.23,"endTime":1693.96,"body":"you can actually see the spray"},{"startTime":1690.23,"endTime":1693.96,"body":"drift just going on the wind,"},{"startTime":1693.96,"endTime":1695.027,"body":"who knows where that will end up"},{"startTime":1695.027,"endTime":1697.15,"body":"and what it will kill."},{"startTime":1697.15,"endTime":1700.033,"body":"Thankfully, we don't allow that here."},{"startTime":1701.04,"endTime":1703.37,"body":"But this is nothing compared to this."},{"startTime":1703.37,"endTime":1705.39,"body":"It might not seem quite so bad,"},{"startTime":1705.39,"endTime":1706.493,"body":"but let me explain."},{"startTime":1707.53,"endTime":1709.61,"body":"In the developing world,"},{"startTime":1709.61,"endTime":1711.17,"body":"there are very few restrictions"},{"startTime":1711.17,"endTime":1714.35,"body":"on what pesticides can be used,"},{"startTime":1714.35,"endTime":1717.94,"body":"and often, pesticides"},{"startTime":1714.35,"endTime":1717.94,"body":"which are banned in Europe"},{"startTime":1717.94,"endTime":1720.51,"body":"are still manufactured in Europe"},{"startTime":1720.51,"endTime":1724.41,"body":"and sold to developing countries."},{"startTime":1724.41,"endTime":1726.28,"body":"I took this picture about three years ago"},{"startTime":1726.28,"endTime":1727.52,"body":"just outside Calcutta,"},{"startTime":1727.52,"endTime":1730.87,"body":"this guy has a small"},{"startTime":1727.52,"endTime":1730.87,"body":"farm, about a hectare,"},{"startTime":1730.87,"endTime":1732.69,"body":"he grows fruits and vegetables,"},{"startTime":1732.69,"endTime":1734.47,"body":"and he sells them in markets in the city."},{"startTime":1734.47,"endTime":1737.993,"body":"It sounds like a really"},{"startTime":1734.47,"endTime":1737.993,"body":"sustainable, nice setup actually,"},{"startTime":1739.96,"endTime":1742.07,"body":"but what he's doing"},{"startTime":1739.96,"endTime":1742.07,"body":"here is quite chilling,"},{"startTime":1742.07,"endTime":1743.48,"body":"he's spraying paraquat,"},{"startTime":1743.48,"endTime":1745.01,"body":"which is a herbicide,"},{"startTime":1745.01,"endTime":1748.74,"body":"it's a herbicide that's"},{"startTime":1745.01,"endTime":1748.74,"body":"banned for use in Europe"},{"startTime":1748.74,"endTime":1750.87,"body":"because it's really,"},{"startTime":1748.74,"endTime":1750.87,"body":"really poisonous to people."},{"startTime":1750.87,"endTime":1753.27,"body":"If he were to accidentally"},{"startTime":1750.87,"endTime":1753.27,"body":"swallow a drop of it,"},{"startTime":1753.27,"endTime":1754.79,"body":"it will kill him."},{"startTime":1754.79,"endTime":1758.61,"body":"He's had no training in use"},{"startTime":1754.79,"endTime":1758.61,"body":"of this chemical at all,"},{"startTime":1758.61,"endTime":1760.93,"body":"he's using ancient spray equipment,"},{"startTime":1760.93,"endTime":1763.737,"body":"I don't know what exactly"},{"startTime":1760.93,"endTime":1763.737,"body":"this old brass pump is,"},{"startTime":1763.737,"endTime":1767.77,"body":"and obviously he's just got"},{"startTime":1763.737,"endTime":1767.77,"body":"a plastic can around his neck"},{"startTime":1767.77,"endTime":1768.983,"body":"with the pesticide in it,"},{"startTime":1768.983,"endTime":1771.45,"body":"he's not wearing any"},{"startTime":1768.983,"endTime":1771.45,"body":"protective clothing at all."},{"startTime":1771.45,"endTime":1773.69,"body":"If he was using pesticides in Europe,"},{"startTime":1773.69,"endTime":1775.79,"body":"he'd have to be wearing a"},{"startTime":1773.69,"endTime":1775.79,"body":"suit, and mask, and everything,"},{"startTime":1775.79,"endTime":1778.223,"body":"but he hasn't even got shoes on, poor guy."},{"startTime":1779.47,"endTime":1780.96,"body":"The paraquat he's spraying"},{"startTime":1780.96,"endTime":1783.633,"body":"was almost certainly made in Huddersfield,"},{"startTime":1784.49,"endTime":1787.26,"body":"we still make most of the"},{"startTime":1784.49,"endTime":1787.26,"body":"world's paraquat here,"},{"startTime":1787.26,"endTime":1789.02,"body":"and are happy to seel"},{"startTime":1787.26,"endTime":1789.02,"body":"it to the Third World"},{"startTime":1789.02,"endTime":1790.34,"body":"even though it's far too dangerous"},{"startTime":1790.34,"endTime":1792.773,"body":"for our own farmers to use."},{"startTime":1792.773,"endTime":1795.933,"body":"It does seem astonishing hypocrisy to me."},{"startTime":1797.27,"endTime":1799.94,"body":"Just to finish off ranting on pesticides,"},{"startTime":1799.94,"endTime":1801.39,"body":"actually, it's not entirely finishing off"},{"startTime":1801.39,"endTime":1803.13,"body":"'cause I will come back"},{"startTime":1801.39,"endTime":1803.13,"body":"to them once more later,"},{"startTime":1803.13,"endTime":1803.963,"body":"but anyway,"},{"startTime":1806.79,"endTime":1809.12,"body":"I just wanted to illustrate"},{"startTime":1806.79,"endTime":1809.12,"body":"the scale of this,"},{"startTime":1809.12,"endTime":1812.39,"body":"this is not just something"},{"startTime":1809.12,"endTime":1812.39,"body":"that's happening locally on farms"},{"startTime":1812.39,"endTime":1815.02,"body":"in one or two places in the world."},{"startTime":1815.02,"endTime":1816.67,"body":"There's a really interesting study"},{"startTime":1816.67,"endTime":1817.98,"body":"that was done in Switzerland,"},{"startTime":1817.98,"endTime":1820.203,"body":"which is sort of a citizen science study."},{"startTime":1821.17,"endTime":1822.24,"body":"Some Swiss scientists"},{"startTime":1822.24,"endTime":1824.75,"body":"were interested in a particular"},{"startTime":1822.24,"endTime":1824.75,"body":"group of insecticides"},{"startTime":1824.75,"endTime":1825.913,"body":"called neonicotinoids."},{"startTime":1826.82,"endTime":1828.91,"body":"They became notorious"},{"startTime":1828.91,"endTime":1832.84,"body":"because of growing evidence"},{"startTime":1828.91,"endTime":1832.84,"body":"that they were poisoning bees."},{"startTime":1832.84,"endTime":1833.78,"body":"They're neurotoxins"},{"startTime":1833.78,"endTime":1837.16,"body":"that are really poisonous"},{"startTime":1833.78,"endTime":1837.16,"body":"to all insects in fact,"},{"startTime":1837.16,"endTime":1839.75,"body":"it's a bit like Novichok for insects,"},{"startTime":1839.75,"endTime":1843.653,"body":"it just takes a few billionths"},{"startTime":1839.75,"endTime":1843.653,"body":"of a gram to kill an insect."},{"startTime":1845.11,"endTime":1846.46,"body":"What these Swiss scientists did"},{"startTime":1846.46,"endTime":1848.04,"body":"was they put out a call"},{"startTime":1848.04,"endTime":1849.19,"body":"for anyone going on holiday"},{"startTime":1849.19,"endTime":1851.84,"body":"to buy a jar of honey and bring it back,"},{"startTime":1851.84,"endTime":1856.173,"body":"and each of these dots"},{"startTime":1851.84,"endTime":1856.173,"body":"represents a jar of honey."},{"startTime":1857.74,"endTime":1861.533,"body":"They screened the honey for"},{"startTime":1857.74,"endTime":1861.533,"body":"these neonicotinoid pesticides."},{"startTime":1862.41,"endTime":1864.11,"body":"The white samples of honey"},{"startTime":1864.11,"endTime":1865.98,"body":"were ones without any pesticide in,"},{"startTime":1865.98,"endTime":1869.46,"body":"but they only make up 25%"},{"startTime":1865.98,"endTime":1869.46,"body":"of the dots on this map,"},{"startTime":1869.46,"endTime":1872.56,"body":"so 75% of honey samples"},{"startTime":1869.46,"endTime":1872.56,"body":"from all over the world,"},{"startTime":1872.56,"endTime":1875.86,"body":"including even remote islands"},{"startTime":1872.56,"endTime":1875.86,"body":"in the Pacific, and so on,"},{"startTime":1875.86,"endTime":1878.54,"body":"were contaminated with"},{"startTime":1875.86,"endTime":1878.54,"body":"neurotoxic insecticides"},{"startTime":1878.54,"endTime":1880.83,"body":"designed to kill insects,"},{"startTime":1880.83,"endTime":1884.92,"body":"which is obviously really"},{"startTime":1880.83,"endTime":1884.92,"body":"worrying for honeybees,"},{"startTime":1884.92,"endTime":1888.09,"body":"but actually, it should be really worrying"},{"startTime":1888.09,"endTime":1889.6,"body":"on a much bigger scale than that,"},{"startTime":1889.6,"endTime":1892.43,"body":"because the honeybees are"},{"startTime":1889.6,"endTime":1892.43,"body":"picking up this poison"},{"startTime":1892.43,"endTime":1894.21,"body":"by visiting contaminated flowers,"},{"startTime":1894.21,"endTime":1895.55,"body":"if the honeybees are being poisoned,"},{"startTime":1895.55,"endTime":1896.383,"body":"that means that"},{"startTime":1896.383,"endTime":1897.81,"body":"the tens or hundreds of thousands"},{"startTime":1897.81,"endTime":1899.79,"body":"of other species of pollinating insects"},{"startTime":1899.79,"endTime":1900.623,"body":"all over the world"},{"startTime":1900.623,"endTime":1902.293,"body":"are also all being poisoned,"},{"startTime":1903.24,"endTime":1905.01,"body":"which is a pretty terrifying prospect"},{"startTime":1905.01,"endTime":1907.753,"body":"given how much we need pollinators."},{"startTime":1909.07,"endTime":1911.37,"body":"Okay, so enough doom and gloom,"},{"startTime":1911.37,"endTime":1913.31,"body":"what can we do about all this?"},{"startTime":1913.31,"endTime":1914.833,"body":"There is good news here."},{"startTime":1915.99,"endTime":1919.723,"body":"Lots of environmental stories"},{"startTime":1915.99,"endTime":1919.723,"body":"are deeply depressing,"},{"startTime":1920.99,"endTime":1923.28,"body":"partly at least because"},{"startTime":1920.99,"endTime":1923.28,"body":"you feel so helpless."},{"startTime":1923.28,"endTime":1927.58,"body":"When you see the news"},{"startTime":1923.28,"endTime":1927.58,"body":"footage from the Amazon"},{"startTime":1927.58,"endTime":1931.34,"body":"of Bolsonaro allowing forests"},{"startTime":1927.58,"endTime":1931.34,"body":"still to be burned down,"},{"startTime":1931.34,"endTime":1932.173,"body":"and so on,"},{"startTime":1932.173,"endTime":1933.13,"body":"it's just so depressing,"},{"startTime":1933.13,"endTime":1934.68,"body":"and you don't think you"},{"startTime":1933.13,"endTime":1934.68,"body":"can do anything about it,"},{"startTime":1934.68,"endTime":1936.52,"body":"but with insects,"},{"startTime":1936.52,"endTime":1937.49,"body":"they live all around us,"},{"startTime":1937.49,"endTime":1941.09,"body":"they live in our parks,"},{"startTime":1937.49,"endTime":1941.09,"body":"they live in our gardens,"},{"startTime":1941.09,"endTime":1943.32,"body":"most of them haven't gone extinct yet,"},{"startTime":1943.32,"endTime":1945.12,"body":"and they can recover really quickly,"},{"startTime":1945.12,"endTime":1948.08,"body":"much faster than pandas or rhinos,"},{"startTime":1948.08,"endTime":1949.78,"body":"just give them the right circumstances,"},{"startTime":1949.78,"endTime":1951.63,"body":"somewhere to live, something to eat"},{"startTime":1951.63,"endTime":1953.57,"body":"and they can proliferate really fast,"},{"startTime":1953.57,"endTime":1956.64,"body":"so we could enable them to recover,"},{"startTime":1956.64,"endTime":1958.25,"body":"or at least many of them."},{"startTime":1958.25,"endTime":1960.17,"body":"And we can all get involved in doing it,"},{"startTime":1960.17,"endTime":1963.01,"body":"and I think that's the"},{"startTime":1960.17,"endTime":1963.01,"body":"particularly exciting thing."},{"startTime":1963.01,"endTime":1964.41,"body":"So what do we need to do?"},{"startTime":1964.41,"endTime":1966.58,"body":"Well very crudely,"},{"startTime":1966.58,"endTime":1968.98,"body":"four different things we need to do,"},{"startTime":1968.98,"endTime":1973.66,"body":"and I'm going to talk a"},{"startTime":1968.98,"endTime":1973.66,"body":"little bit more about these."},{"startTime":1973.66,"endTime":1977.69,"body":"We can make our urban"},{"startTime":1973.66,"endTime":1977.69,"body":"areas more insect-friendly,"},{"startTime":1977.69,"endTime":1979.17,"body":"more wildlife-friendly,"},{"startTime":1979.17,"endTime":1980.67,"body":"we need to think about farming"},{"startTime":1980.67,"endTime":1983.493,"body":"and how we can make that"},{"startTime":1980.67,"endTime":1983.493,"body":"more wildlife-friendly,"},{"startTime":1984.42,"endTime":1985.52,"body":"I think we need to put back"},{"startTime":1985.52,"endTime":1987.4,"body":"some of our beautiful flower-rich meadows"},{"startTime":1987.4,"endTime":1988.88,"body":"that we used to have."},{"startTime":1988.88,"endTime":1992.8,"body":"Britain had, in 1930,"},{"startTime":1992.8,"endTime":1997.8,"body":"we had about 7 million acres"},{"startTime":1992.8,"endTime":1997.8,"body":"of lowland hay meadows,"},{"startTime":1997.86,"endTime":1999.923,"body":"which look like this, full of flowers."},{"startTime":2000.95,"endTime":2005.66,"body":"By 1987, we'd destroyed"},{"startTime":2000.95,"endTime":2005.66,"body":"97% of that habitat,"},{"startTime":2005.66,"endTime":2006.62,"body":"it was just swept away"},{"startTime":2006.62,"endTime":2009.72,"body":"and replaced by silage fields,"},{"startTime":2009.72,"endTime":2012.52,"body":"which are monocultures of rye grass."},{"startTime":2012.52,"endTime":2014.43,"body":"But we know how to restore it,"},{"startTime":2014.43,"endTime":2016.46,"body":"there are projects ongoing right now"},{"startTime":2016.46,"endTime":2019.253,"body":"replanting this beautiful habitat,"},{"startTime":2020.22,"endTime":2021.053,"body":"it can be done."},{"startTime":2021.053,"endTime":2022.41,"body":"We can't probably do it everywhere,"},{"startTime":2022.41,"endTime":2025.35,"body":"we do need to grow crops, and so on,"},{"startTime":2025.35,"endTime":2028.09,"body":"but we could certainly put"},{"startTime":2025.35,"endTime":2028.09,"body":"back some of what we lost."},{"startTime":2028.09,"endTime":2030.36,"body":"And we need to stop"},{"startTime":2028.09,"endTime":2030.36,"body":"spraying so many pesticides,"},{"startTime":2030.36,"endTime":2032.15,"body":"as I've already explained."},{"startTime":2032.15,"endTime":2034.573,"body":"So let's focus on gardening."},{"startTime":2035.86,"endTime":2038.6,"body":"You might think that gardening"},{"startTime":2035.86,"endTime":2038.6,"body":"for insects is a bit trivial"},{"startTime":2038.6,"endTime":2039.72,"body":"in the grand scheme of things,"},{"startTime":2039.72,"endTime":2041.39,"body":"but I don't think it is."},{"startTime":2041.39,"endTime":2045.71,"body":"There are about 22"},{"startTime":2041.39,"endTime":2045.71,"body":"million gardens in the UK,"},{"startTime":2045.71,"endTime":2048.95,"body":"which collectively cover an"},{"startTime":2045.71,"endTime":2048.95,"body":"area of about a million acres,"},{"startTime":2048.95,"endTime":2051.563,"body":"about 400,000 hectares,"},{"startTime":2053.645,"endTime":2056.66,"body":"and that's excluding the"},{"startTime":2053.645,"endTime":2056.66,"body":"parks, the road verges,"},{"startTime":2056.66,"endTime":2058.55,"body":"the roundabouts, the cemeteries,"},{"startTime":2058.55,"endTime":2060.61,"body":"and all the other urban green spaces,"},{"startTime":2060.61,"endTime":2064.01,"body":"just imagine if most of"},{"startTime":2060.61,"endTime":2064.01,"body":"the gardens in Britain"},{"startTime":2064.01,"endTime":2065.17,"body":"were wildlife-friendly,"},{"startTime":2065.17,"endTime":2066.65,"body":"and we could get the councils onboard"},{"startTime":2066.65,"endTime":2068.75,"body":"so that the road verges"},{"startTime":2066.65,"endTime":2068.75,"body":"were all full of flowers,"},{"startTime":2068.75,"endTime":2070.29,"body":"and the roundabouts were full of flowers,"},{"startTime":2070.29,"endTime":2072.3,"body":"and free of pesticides, and so on,"},{"startTime":2072.3,"endTime":2075.73,"body":"that would be a national network"},{"startTime":2072.3,"endTime":2075.73,"body":"of insect-friendly habitat,"},{"startTime":2075.73,"endTime":2078.14,"body":"that would really make a difference."},{"startTime":2078.14,"endTime":2078.973,"body":"And what's more,"},{"startTime":2078.973,"endTime":2081.08,"body":"it's achievable in quite"},{"startTime":2078.973,"endTime":2081.08,"body":"a short space of time,"},{"startTime":2081.08,"endTime":2082.74,"body":"and it's already happening,"},{"startTime":2082.74,"endTime":2083.78,"body":"there are lots of people"},{"startTime":2083.78,"endTime":2087.9,"body":"who want to invite more"},{"startTime":2083.78,"endTime":2087.9,"body":"nature into their lives,"},{"startTime":2087.9,"endTime":2090.75,"body":"into their gardens, into their local park,"},{"startTime":2090.75,"endTime":2091.64,"body":"and actually doing it,"},{"startTime":2091.64,"endTime":2096.26,"body":"choosing plants deliberately"},{"startTime":2091.64,"endTime":2096.26,"body":"to encourage bees, and so on."},{"startTime":2096.26,"endTime":2097.78,"body":"And there are councils coming onboard"},{"startTime":2097.78,"endTime":2100.842,"body":"changing their mowing regimes"},{"startTime":2097.78,"endTime":2100.842,"body":"of road verges, and so on,"},{"startTime":2100.842,"endTime":2102.81,"body":"so this is actually already happening,"},{"startTime":2102.81,"endTime":2104.29,"body":"and I think that's really exciting,"},{"startTime":2104.29,"endTime":2107.273,"body":"it isn't just a crazy pipe"},{"startTime":2104.29,"endTime":2107.273,"body":"dream of people like me."},{"startTime":2108.58,"endTime":2110.48,"body":"As you can probably tell,"},{"startTime":2110.48,"endTime":2112.11,"body":"I'm quite excited about this,"},{"startTime":2112.11,"endTime":2113.24,"body":"and I've written books about it,"},{"startTime":2113.24,"endTime":2115.637,"body":"sorry for another book"},{"startTime":2113.24,"endTime":2115.637,"body":"plug, but there you go,"},{"startTime":2115.637,"endTime":2117.5,"body":"\"Garden Jungle\" and"},{"startTime":2115.637,"endTime":2117.5,"body":"\"Gardening for Bumblebees\""},{"startTime":2117.5,"endTime":2119.34,"body":"if you want to know more about the detail"},{"startTime":2119.34,"endTime":2122.863,"body":"about how to invite"},{"startTime":2119.34,"endTime":2122.863,"body":"nature into your gardens."},{"startTime":2123.74,"endTime":2125.543,"body":"Of course, inviting"},{"startTime":2123.74,"endTime":2125.543,"body":"nature into our gardens,"},{"startTime":2125.543,"endTime":2128.16,"body":"as well as looking after nature,"},{"startTime":2128.16,"endTime":2130.14,"body":"it has a second purpose,"},{"startTime":2130.14,"endTime":2133.75,"body":"it means that kids can grow up in a world"},{"startTime":2133.75,"endTime":2136.87,"body":"where they encounter bees,"},{"startTime":2133.75,"endTime":2136.87,"body":"and butterflies, and so on,"},{"startTime":2136.87,"endTime":2139.78,"body":"which I think is really important."},{"startTime":2139.78,"endTime":2143.823,"body":"It's amazing how much"},{"startTime":2139.78,"endTime":2143.823,"body":"life can live in a garden,"},{"startTime":2146.49,"endTime":2147.823,"body":"even a small garden."},{"startTime":2148.72,"endTime":2151.333,"body":"There's a really interesting"},{"startTime":2148.72,"endTime":2151.333,"body":"study from Leicester,"},{"startTime":2152.277,"endTime":2153.61,"body":"there's a lady called Jenny Owen"},{"startTime":2153.61,"endTime":2156.307,"body":"who wrote a book called"},{"startTime":2153.61,"endTime":2156.307,"body":"\"The Wildlife of a Garden.\""},{"startTime":2157.57,"endTime":2158.84,"body":"She only had 1/8 on an acre,"},{"startTime":2158.84,"endTime":2160.16,"body":"so a pretty small garden,"},{"startTime":2160.16,"endTime":2162.85,"body":"quite close to the center of Leicester,"},{"startTime":2162.85,"endTime":2164.59,"body":"but she spent 35 years"},{"startTime":2164.59,"endTime":2167.13,"body":"cataloging every species"},{"startTime":2164.59,"endTime":2167.13,"body":"of animal and plant"},{"startTime":2167.13,"endTime":2169.44,"body":"she could find in her little garden,"},{"startTime":2169.44,"endTime":2172.01,"body":"and after 35 years,"},{"startTime":2172.01,"endTime":2173.63,"body":"top marks for dedication,"},{"startTime":2173.63,"endTime":2177.76,"body":"her species list was 2,673."},{"startTime":2177.76,"endTime":2178.74,"body":"Isn't that extraordinary."},{"startTime":2178.74,"endTime":2182.7,"body":"I would have guessed that"},{"startTime":2178.74,"endTime":2182.7,"body":"would be the number of critters"},{"startTime":2182.7,"endTime":2184.72,"body":"you might find in a bit of"},{"startTime":2182.7,"endTime":2184.72,"body":"rainforest, or something,"},{"startTime":2184.72,"endTime":2186.593,"body":"not in the middle of Leicester,"},{"startTime":2187.55,"endTime":2189.0,"body":"so it just goes to show"},{"startTime":2189.0,"endTime":2192.13,"body":"we can all have thousands"},{"startTime":2189.0,"endTime":2192.13,"body":"of species living around us"},{"startTime":2192.13,"endTime":2194.15,"body":"if we just have a little bit of space"},{"startTime":2194.15,"endTime":2196.163,"body":"and manage it the right way."},{"startTime":2197.59,"endTime":2198.993,"body":"What is the right way?"},{"startTime":2199.85,"endTime":2201.28,"body":"Well it's quite a big topic,"},{"startTime":2201.28,"endTime":2203.823,"body":"and I haven't got time to"},{"startTime":2201.28,"endTime":2203.823,"body":"go into lots of detail."},{"startTime":2205.11,"endTime":2206.48,"body":"The first thing people think about"},{"startTime":2206.48,"endTime":2208.4,"body":"is what plants should I grow,"},{"startTime":2208.4,"endTime":2210.313,"body":"and as a crude rule,"},{"startTime":2211.24,"endTime":2213.77,"body":"old-fashioned cottage garden herbs,"},{"startTime":2213.77,"endTime":2215.27,"body":"biennials and perennials"},{"startTime":2215.27,"endTime":2216.55,"body":"tend to be good,"},{"startTime":2216.55,"endTime":2219.09,"body":"and native plants tend to be good."},{"startTime":2219.09,"endTime":2220.013,"body":"If you want to know more,"},{"startTime":2220.013,"endTime":2221.73,"body":"I've got lots of YouTube videos,"},{"startTime":2221.73,"endTime":2222.7,"body":"as well as the books,"},{"startTime":2222.7,"endTime":2224.17,"body":"which talk about the different plants"},{"startTime":2224.17,"endTime":2226.08,"body":"that you might grow in your garden"},{"startTime":2226.08,"endTime":2227.08,"body":"should you be interested,"},{"startTime":2227.08,"endTime":2227.913,"body":"check them out."},{"startTime":2231.01,"endTime":2232.845,"body":"Wildflowers,"},{"startTime":2232.845,"endTime":2234.53,"body":"there have been a number"},{"startTime":2232.845,"endTime":2234.53,"body":"of scientific studies"},{"startTime":2234.53,"endTime":2236.46,"body":"which show that, on average,"},{"startTime":2236.46,"endTime":2239.88,"body":"native plants tend to attract"},{"startTime":2236.46,"endTime":2239.88,"body":"more insects, more wildlife"},{"startTime":2239.88,"endTime":2241.663,"body":"than non-native plants,"},{"startTime":2242.655,"endTime":2243.742,"body":"and that shouldn't really surprise us"},{"startTime":2243.742,"endTime":2248.07,"body":"because native plants and native insects"},{"startTime":2248.07,"endTime":2251.24,"body":"have co-evolved together"},{"startTime":2248.07,"endTime":2251.24,"body":"over thousands of years,"},{"startTime":2251.24,"endTime":2255.34,"body":"so if we could all grow a"},{"startTime":2251.24,"endTime":2255.34,"body":"few more native wildflowers"},{"startTime":2255.34,"endTime":2256.173,"body":"in our garden,"},{"startTime":2256.173,"endTime":2258.03,"body":"that would certainly help."},{"startTime":2258.03,"endTime":2260.74,"body":"Which brings me on to"},{"startTime":2258.03,"endTime":2260.74,"body":"the subject of weeds,"},{"startTime":2260.74,"endTime":2263.33,"body":"these are all ways that"},{"startTime":2260.74,"endTime":2263.33,"body":"we can get more flowers"},{"startTime":2263.33,"endTime":2265.233,"body":"back into urban areas,"},{"startTime":2266.333,"endTime":2267.27,"body":"and number one for me"},{"startTime":2267.27,"endTime":2268.81,"body":"is trying to persuade people"},{"startTime":2268.81,"endTime":2271.97,"body":"to be more tolerant of certain plants"},{"startTime":2271.97,"endTime":2273.27,"body":"which, for some reason,"},{"startTime":2273.27,"endTime":2275.78,"body":"we have branded as undesirables,"},{"startTime":2275.78,"endTime":2276.73,"body":"we've called them weeds."},{"startTime":2276.73,"endTime":2280.71,"body":"The word weed is an artificial concept,"},{"startTime":2280.71,"endTime":2283.123,"body":"one man's weed is"},{"startTime":2280.71,"endTime":2283.123,"body":"another man's wildflower,"},{"startTime":2284.27,"endTime":2286.393,"body":"so things like dandelions,"},{"startTime":2288.35,"endTime":2290.21,"body":"beautiful native wildflowers,"},{"startTime":2290.21,"endTime":2293.44,"body":"but many gardeners spend"},{"startTime":2290.21,"endTime":2293.44,"body":"countless hours digging them out,"},{"startTime":2293.44,"endTime":2294.273,"body":"poisoning them,"},{"startTime":2294.273,"endTime":2296.63,"body":"trying to get rid of them at all costs."},{"startTime":2296.63,"endTime":2298.407,"body":"Similarly with ragwort, and thistles,"},{"startTime":2298.407,"endTime":2301.65,"body":"and a host of other common"},{"startTime":2298.407,"endTime":2301.65,"body":"native beautiful wildflowers."},{"startTime":2301.65,"endTime":2303.41,"body":"Pollinators love this stuff,"},{"startTime":2303.41,"endTime":2305.5,"body":"dandelions are a really fantastic resource"},{"startTime":2305.5,"endTime":2308.65,"body":"of pollen and nectar in early spring."},{"startTime":2308.65,"endTime":2310.19,"body":"So I say to people,"},{"startTime":2310.19,"endTime":2311.96,"body":"you can get rid of all"},{"startTime":2310.19,"endTime":2311.96,"body":"the weeds in your garden"},{"startTime":2311.96,"endTime":2312.793,"body":"just like that,"},{"startTime":2312.793,"endTime":2314.313,"body":"just call them all wildflowers."},{"startTime":2315.407,"endTime":2317.21,"body":"(audience laughs)"},{"startTime":2317.21,"endTime":2318.263,"body":"Moving on,"},{"startTime":2319.53,"endTime":2322.38,"body":"flowering trees can be"},{"startTime":2319.53,"endTime":2322.38,"body":"fantastic for pollinators."},{"startTime":2322.38,"endTime":2323.44,"body":"This time of year,"},{"startTime":2323.44,"endTime":2325.21,"body":"my garden is full of blossom trees,"},{"startTime":2325.21,"endTime":2327.3,"body":"apples, and cherries, and so on,"},{"startTime":2327.3,"endTime":2329.88,"body":"covered in pollinating insects,"},{"startTime":2329.88,"endTime":2331.04,"body":"and if you choose wisely,"},{"startTime":2331.04,"endTime":2334.683,"body":"you can have blossom right"},{"startTime":2331.04,"endTime":2334.683,"body":"from March through to June,"},{"startTime":2335.53,"endTime":2338.26,"body":"which provides a continuity"},{"startTime":2335.53,"endTime":2338.26,"body":"of forage for insects,"},{"startTime":2338.26,"endTime":2339.63,"body":"and of course they return the favor"},{"startTime":2339.63,"endTime":2340.89,"body":"by pollinating the crops"},{"startTime":2340.89,"endTime":2342.35,"body":"and giving your own homegrown,"},{"startTime":2342.35,"endTime":2346.05,"body":"zero-pesticide, zero-food miles fruit,"},{"startTime":2346.05,"endTime":2347.543,"body":"what's not to like?"},{"startTime":2348.5,"endTime":2350.18,"body":"We should mow less,"},{"startTime":2350.18,"endTime":2352.303,"body":"this is something"},{"startTime":2352.303,"endTime":2354.63,"body":"that there's a big"},{"startTime":2352.303,"endTime":2354.63,"body":"campaign on at the moment,"},{"startTime":2354.63,"endTime":2356.32,"body":"No Mow May."},{"startTime":2356.32,"endTime":2358.42,"body":"It's a strange thing that, in the UK,"},{"startTime":2358.42,"endTime":2359.67,"body":"many people are obsessed"},{"startTime":2359.67,"endTime":2361.13,"body":"by trying to recreate something"},{"startTime":2361.13,"endTime":2362.71,"body":"that looks like a Wimbledon tennis court"},{"startTime":2362.71,"endTime":2363.543,"body":"in their back garden,"},{"startTime":2363.543,"endTime":2366.34,"body":"they mow up and down"},{"startTime":2363.543,"endTime":2366.34,"body":"in dead straight lines"},{"startTime":2366.34,"endTime":2368.54,"body":"trying to get that little stripy effect."},{"startTime":2368.54,"endTime":2369.963,"body":"I've no idea why."},{"startTime":2371.11,"endTime":2374.94,"body":"If you can just persuade"},{"startTime":2371.11,"endTime":2374.94,"body":"yourself to be more relaxed"},{"startTime":2374.94,"endTime":2376.47,"body":"and let the grass grow up a bit,"},{"startTime":2376.47,"endTime":2377.954,"body":"usually, it's full of flowers."},{"startTime":2377.954,"endTime":2379.79,"body":"That's my lawn,"},{"startTime":2379.79,"endTime":2382.163,"body":"and I haven't sown any flowers at all,"},{"startTime":2382.163,"endTime":2385.1,"body":"it's just what came up if I don't mow,"},{"startTime":2385.1,"endTime":2387.18,"body":"which I don't terribly often."},{"startTime":2387.18,"endTime":2390.01,"body":"So if you're a mower,"},{"startTime":2390.01,"endTime":2391.7,"body":"next time you start to twitch"},{"startTime":2391.7,"endTime":2393.94,"body":"and you think the grass is too long,"},{"startTime":2393.94,"endTime":2396.28,"body":"if you can restrain yourself,"},{"startTime":2396.28,"endTime":2397.54,"body":"don't get the mower out of the shed,"},{"startTime":2397.54,"endTime":2398.83,"body":"get a deck chair out of the shed"},{"startTime":2398.83,"endTime":2400.66,"body":"and make yourself a"},{"startTime":2398.83,"endTime":2400.66,"body":"coffee or a gin and tonic"},{"startTime":2400.66,"endTime":2402.72,"body":"and sit down, and relax,"},{"startTime":2402.72,"endTime":2404.353,"body":"and enjoy the insects."},{"startTime":2405.7,"endTime":2409.29,"body":"And then of course there's mown areas"},{"startTime":2409.29,"endTime":2410.89,"body":"in all of our towns and cities,"},{"startTime":2410.89,"endTime":2413.19,"body":"and many of them don't"},{"startTime":2410.89,"endTime":2413.19,"body":"seem to need mowing."},{"startTime":2413.19,"endTime":2415.7,"body":"The council will pay teams of people"},{"startTime":2415.7,"endTime":2417.71,"body":"to come out eight times a year typically"},{"startTime":2417.71,"endTime":2420.4,"body":"to mow, and mow, and mow"},{"startTime":2417.71,"endTime":2420.4,"body":"through the spring and summer,"},{"startTime":2420.4,"endTime":2422.403,"body":"road verges, roundabouts, and so on."},{"startTime":2423.56,"endTime":2426.88,"body":"We could save an awful"},{"startTime":2423.56,"endTime":2426.88,"body":"lot of sweat and petrol"},{"startTime":2426.88,"endTime":2429.41,"body":"by instead growing wildflowers."},{"startTime":2429.41,"endTime":2431.03,"body":"This is an example of a road verge"},{"startTime":2431.03,"endTime":2433.42,"body":"from up in Stirling, in Scotland,"},{"startTime":2433.42,"endTime":2435.98,"body":"which was taken over by a"},{"startTime":2433.42,"endTime":2435.98,"body":"little local campaign group"},{"startTime":2435.98,"endTime":2437.77,"body":"called On the Verge,"},{"startTime":2437.77,"endTime":2441.763,"body":"and they basically spend their"},{"startTime":2437.77,"endTime":2441.763,"body":"weekends sowing wildflowers,"},{"startTime":2443.88,"endTime":2445.85,"body":"they dig over any bit of mown grass"},{"startTime":2445.85,"endTime":2447.75,"body":"they can get permission to attack."},{"startTime":2447.75,"endTime":2448.583,"body":"And at the last count,"},{"startTime":2448.583,"endTime":2451.15,"body":"I think they've got 94 patches like this,"},{"startTime":2451.15,"endTime":2452.98,"body":"there's roundabouts and road verges,"},{"startTime":2452.98,"endTime":2455.04,"body":"they've got one next to a rugby pitch,"},{"startTime":2455.04,"endTime":2457.03,"body":"one in a primary school field,"},{"startTime":2457.03,"endTime":2458.71,"body":"and even a patch of wildflowers"},{"startTime":2458.71,"endTime":2460.71,"body":"in the local women's prison in Stirling."},{"startTime":2461.92,"endTime":2462.753,"body":"Wouldn't it be great"},{"startTime":2462.753,"endTime":2465.5,"body":"if every road verge all around"},{"startTime":2462.753,"endTime":2465.5,"body":"Britain looked like that,"},{"startTime":2465.5,"endTime":2467.533,"body":"that would really help, I think."},{"startTime":2468.59,"endTime":2471.3,"body":"Instead, what you see all too often"},{"startTime":2471.3,"endTime":2472.69,"body":"in our cities and towns"},{"startTime":2472.69,"endTime":2473.823,"body":"is this kind of thing."},{"startTime":2474.95,"endTime":2477.045,"body":"You can probably guess what this is,"},{"startTime":2477.045,"endTime":2480.433,"body":"this is vegetation that's"},{"startTime":2477.045,"endTime":2480.433,"body":"been killed with herbicide."},{"startTime":2481.7,"endTime":2483.18,"body":"You see this all over the place"},{"startTime":2483.18,"endTime":2484.45,"body":"once you've got your eye out for it,"},{"startTime":2484.45,"endTime":2486.91,"body":"this horrible, dead, yellow vegetation."},{"startTime":2486.91,"endTime":2489.08,"body":"That was just a bit of"},{"startTime":2486.91,"endTime":2489.08,"body":"grass growing around a tree,"},{"startTime":2489.08,"endTime":2490.17,"body":"what harm was it doing?"},{"startTime":2490.17,"endTime":2492.67,"body":"It probably didn't support"},{"startTime":2490.17,"endTime":2492.67,"body":"terribly much life,"},{"startTime":2492.67,"endTime":2495.37,"body":"but there would have been"},{"startTime":2492.67,"endTime":2495.37,"body":"a few insects in there,"},{"startTime":2495.37,"endTime":2496.71,"body":"now it looks dead,"},{"startTime":2496.71,"endTime":2497.543,"body":"does that look better?"},{"startTime":2497.543,"endTime":2498.9,"body":"It looks awful to me,"},{"startTime":2498.9,"endTime":2503.06,"body":"I just don't understand"},{"startTime":2498.9,"endTime":2503.06,"body":"why local councils,"},{"startTime":2503.06,"endTime":2504.54,"body":"they employ teams of people"},{"startTime":2504.54,"endTime":2505.68,"body":"to drive around the streets"},{"startTime":2505.68,"endTime":2507.83,"body":"looking for something"},{"startTime":2505.68,"endTime":2507.83,"body":"green and killing it,"},{"startTime":2510.005,"endTime":2512.123,"body":"it doesn't make any sense to me."},{"startTime":2513.142,"endTime":2515.04,"body":"So aside from being"},{"startTime":2515.04,"endTime":2517.86,"body":"seemingly just needless"},{"startTime":2515.04,"endTime":2517.86,"body":"environmental vandalism"},{"startTime":2517.86,"endTime":2520.113,"body":"that we pay for through our taxes,"},{"startTime":2521.04,"endTime":2522.92,"body":"there's also a more"},{"startTime":2521.04,"endTime":2522.92,"body":"sinister aspect to this,"},{"startTime":2522.92,"endTime":2524.43,"body":"which is that the chemical used"},{"startTime":2524.43,"endTime":2525.88,"body":"is almost invariably Roundup,"},{"startTime":2525.88,"endTime":2529.12,"body":"which is based on a"},{"startTime":2525.88,"endTime":2529.12,"body":"compound called glyphosate,"},{"startTime":2529.12,"endTime":2531.43,"body":"and there's pretty clear evidence,"},{"startTime":2531.43,"endTime":2533.46,"body":"disputed by the manufacturers, of course,"},{"startTime":2533.46,"endTime":2534.69,"body":"but pretty clear evidence"},{"startTime":2534.69,"endTime":2537.24,"body":"that glyphosate causes cancer in people,"},{"startTime":2537.24,"endTime":2541.05,"body":"particularly people who use it"},{"startTime":2537.24,"endTime":2541.05,"body":"as part of their occupation,"},{"startTime":2541.05,"endTime":2543.073,"body":"like the people who sprayed this,"},{"startTime":2544.34,"endTime":2545.41,"body":"and yet we're happy"},{"startTime":2545.41,"endTime":2550.15,"body":"to spray it on children's"},{"startTime":2545.41,"endTime":2550.15,"body":"play equipment in parks,"},{"startTime":2550.15,"endTime":2552.77,"body":"it just seems completely bonkers to me."},{"startTime":2552.77,"endTime":2555.98,"body":"I personally think we should"},{"startTime":2552.77,"endTime":2555.98,"body":"ban urban pesticides completely"},{"startTime":2555.98,"endTime":2557.83,"body":"and we should stop them"},{"startTime":2555.98,"endTime":2557.83,"body":"being sold to gardeners"},{"startTime":2557.83,"endTime":2558.84,"body":"and the local council."},{"startTime":2558.84,"endTime":2561.28,"body":"And if you think that"},{"startTime":2558.84,"endTime":2561.28,"body":"sounds quite extreme,"},{"startTime":2561.28,"endTime":2562.48,"body":"France have already done this."},{"startTime":2562.48,"endTime":2564.58,"body":"In 2018, they introduced a law"},{"startTime":2564.58,"endTime":2566.35,"body":"that meant only licensed farmers"},{"startTime":2566.35,"endTime":2567.94,"body":"can buy any kind of pesticide,"},{"startTime":2567.94,"endTime":2571.3,"body":"so Paris is now pesticide-free,"},{"startTime":2571.3,"endTime":2572.37,"body":"and it hasn't been overrun"},{"startTime":2572.37,"endTime":2574.28,"body":"with dandelions and giant cockroaches,"},{"startTime":2574.28,"endTime":2575.74,"body":"it still seems to be fine."},{"startTime":2575.74,"endTime":2578.37,"body":"If Paris can do it,"},{"startTime":2575.74,"endTime":2578.37,"body":"why can't London do it,"},{"startTime":2578.37,"endTime":2580.58,"body":"why can't the whole of Britain"},{"startTime":2580.58,"endTime":2583.29,"body":"get rid of these things"},{"startTime":2580.58,"endTime":2583.29,"body":"in our gardens and parks?"},{"startTime":2583.29,"endTime":2584.49,"body":"We just don't need them."},{"startTime":2586.4,"endTime":2587.77,"body":"I've just got a couple of minutes"},{"startTime":2587.77,"endTime":2589.9,"body":"to say a tiny bit about farming"},{"startTime":2589.9,"endTime":2591.133,"body":"before I wrap up."},{"startTime":2595.74,"endTime":2598.74,"body":"We can make urban areas good for wildlife,"},{"startTime":2598.74,"endTime":2602.05,"body":"and that's really"},{"startTime":2598.74,"endTime":2602.05,"body":"exciting, and is happening,"},{"startTime":2602.05,"endTime":2604.76,"body":"but it isn't going to"},{"startTime":2602.05,"endTime":2604.76,"body":"solve all of the problems,"},{"startTime":2604.76,"endTime":2607.16,"body":"urban land doesn't"},{"startTime":2604.76,"endTime":2607.16,"body":"cover enough of Britain,"},{"startTime":2607.16,"endTime":2610.61,"body":"by far the bigger area is farmland,"},{"startTime":2610.61,"endTime":2613.39,"body":"70% of Britain is farmed,"},{"startTime":2613.39,"endTime":2616.68,"body":"and most of that land is"},{"startTime":2613.39,"endTime":2616.68,"body":"pretty hostile to life,"},{"startTime":2616.68,"endTime":2619.24,"body":"for the reasons I've already discussed."},{"startTime":2619.24,"endTime":2620.16,"body":"But I think many people"},{"startTime":2620.16,"endTime":2624.24,"body":"accept this kind of industrialized"},{"startTime":2620.16,"endTime":2624.24,"body":"farming as necessary,"},{"startTime":2624.24,"endTime":2625.527,"body":"a necessary evil if you like,"},{"startTime":2625.527,"endTime":2629.693,"body":"the only way we can feed the"},{"startTime":2625.527,"endTime":2629.693,"body":"ever-growing human population."},{"startTime":2631.29,"endTime":2634.06,"body":"I actually think that"},{"startTime":2631.29,"endTime":2634.06,"body":"this approach to farming"},{"startTime":2634.06,"endTime":2635.0,"body":"isn't sustainable,"},{"startTime":2635.0,"endTime":2636.087,"body":"and if we carry on,"},{"startTime":2636.087,"endTime":2638.223,"body":"then people in the future will starve,"},{"startTime":2639.68,"endTime":2641.85,"body":"because of at least three reasons."},{"startTime":2641.85,"endTime":2646.85,"body":"Firstly, this industrialized"},{"startTime":2641.85,"endTime":2646.85,"body":"approach to farming"},{"startTime":2647.22,"endTime":2649.21,"body":"is undermining its own basis"},{"startTime":2649.21,"endTime":2651.94,"body":"by wiping out the biodiversity"},{"startTime":2649.21,"endTime":2651.94,"body":"that it depends upon,"},{"startTime":2651.94,"endTime":2655.14,"body":"we need the natural enemies of crop pests"},{"startTime":2655.14,"endTime":2657.39,"body":"to control the pests,"},{"startTime":2657.39,"endTime":2660.24,"body":"we need the pollinators"},{"startTime":2657.39,"endTime":2660.24,"body":"to pollinate the crops,"},{"startTime":2660.24,"endTime":2661.88,"body":"and yet this type of farming"},{"startTime":2661.88,"endTime":2665.26,"body":"is wiping out those"},{"startTime":2661.88,"endTime":2665.26,"body":"creatures it depends upon."},{"startTime":2665.26,"endTime":2667.28,"body":"It's also doing terrible damage to soil,"},{"startTime":2667.28,"endTime":2669.62,"body":"there was a recent report"},{"startTime":2667.28,"endTime":2669.62,"body":"from the United Nations"},{"startTime":2669.62,"endTime":2671.85,"body":"that 40% of the world's soils"},{"startTime":2671.85,"endTime":2673.89,"body":"are already badly degraded."},{"startTime":2673.89,"endTime":2676.22,"body":"What will future generations"},{"startTime":2673.89,"endTime":2676.22,"body":"grow their food in"},{"startTime":2676.22,"endTime":2679.09,"body":"if there's no decent soil left?"},{"startTime":2679.09,"endTime":2681.62,"body":"And finally, food production,"},{"startTime":2681.62,"endTime":2684.82,"body":"this kind of industrialized"},{"startTime":2681.62,"endTime":2684.82,"body":"food production"},{"startTime":2684.82,"endTime":2686.7,"body":"produces lots of greenhouse gases,"},{"startTime":2686.7,"endTime":2688.76,"body":"about a third of all greenhouse gases"},{"startTime":2688.76,"endTime":2692.05,"body":"come from food production"},{"startTime":2688.76,"endTime":2692.05,"body":"one way or another,"},{"startTime":2692.05,"endTime":2695.61,"body":"and we all know that we have"},{"startTime":2692.05,"endTime":2695.61,"body":"to rein in climate change,"},{"startTime":2695.61,"endTime":2697.04,"body":"so we can't carry on doing"},{"startTime":2697.04,"endTime":2699.65,"body":"what we've been doing up 'til now,"},{"startTime":2699.65,"endTime":2700.95,"body":"I don't think."},{"startTime":2700.95,"endTime":2702.753,"body":"So what should we do instead?"},{"startTime":2703.67,"endTime":2704.76,"body":"Well it's kind of interesting, I think,"},{"startTime":2704.76,"endTime":2709.01,"body":"to just think what would we"},{"startTime":2704.76,"endTime":2709.01,"body":"want from our farming system."},{"startTime":2709.01,"endTime":2711.85,"body":"It obviously needs to produce"},{"startTime":2709.01,"endTime":2711.85,"body":"enough food to feed everybody,"},{"startTime":2711.85,"endTime":2714.01,"body":"ideally to feed everyone"},{"startTime":2711.85,"endTime":2714.01,"body":"a nice, healthy diet,"},{"startTime":2714.01,"endTime":2716.31,"body":"which actually the current"},{"startTime":2714.01,"endTime":2716.31,"body":"system fails to do,"},{"startTime":2717.489,"endTime":2719.15,"body":"but it does need to look after the soil"},{"startTime":2719.15,"endTime":2720.37,"body":"so that future generations"},{"startTime":2720.37,"endTime":2722.22,"body":"have something to grow their crops in."},{"startTime":2722.22,"endTime":2724.32,"body":"I think it has to work with nature,"},{"startTime":2724.32,"endTime":2727.45,"body":"it has to support healthy"},{"startTime":2724.32,"endTime":2727.45,"body":"pollinator populations,"},{"startTime":2727.45,"endTime":2730.76,"body":"it needs to support those"},{"startTime":2727.45,"endTime":2730.76,"body":"natural enemies of crop pests,"},{"startTime":2730.76,"endTime":2733.07,"body":"it needs to support all the"},{"startTime":2730.76,"endTime":2733.07,"body":"creatures that live in the soil"},{"startTime":2733.07,"endTime":2734.7,"body":"and help to keep it healthy,"},{"startTime":2734.7,"endTime":2735.57,"body":"which probably means"},{"startTime":2735.57,"endTime":2740.57,"body":"that it needs either massively"},{"startTime":2735.57,"endTime":2740.57,"body":"reduced or no pesticide use."},{"startTime":2740.62,"endTime":2743.71,"body":"And that seems like"},{"startTime":2740.62,"endTime":2743.71,"body":"quite an ambitious list,"},{"startTime":2743.71,"endTime":2745.89,"body":"but there are actually"},{"startTime":2743.71,"endTime":2745.89,"body":"already types of farming"},{"startTime":2745.89,"endTime":2747.853,"body":"which seem to do all of this,"},{"startTime":2748.94,"endTime":2750.35,"body":"and these are just a few examples,"},{"startTime":2750.35,"endTime":2751.183,"body":"I haven't got time"},{"startTime":2751.183,"endTime":2753.57,"body":"to tell you about them"},{"startTime":2751.183,"endTime":2753.57,"body":"in any detail at all,"},{"startTime":2753.57,"endTime":2756.31,"body":"but things like agro-forestry,"},{"startTime":2753.57,"endTime":2756.31,"body":"and permaculture,"},{"startTime":2756.31,"endTime":2758.99,"body":"and biodynamic farming, organic farming,"},{"startTime":2758.99,"endTime":2762.21,"body":"all of these are very much focused on"},{"startTime":2762.21,"endTime":2763.92,"body":"looking after soil health,"},{"startTime":2763.92,"endTime":2766.32,"body":"not using pesticides,"},{"startTime":2766.32,"endTime":2769.88,"body":"they all involve a much"},{"startTime":2766.32,"endTime":2769.88,"body":"greater diversity of crops,"},{"startTime":2769.88,"endTime":2771.32,"body":"and the ones I've visited,"},{"startTime":2771.32,"endTime":2773.49,"body":"so for example there's"},{"startTime":2771.32,"endTime":2773.49,"body":"a lovely biodynamic farm"},{"startTime":2773.49,"endTime":2774.46,"body":"in West Sussex"},{"startTime":2774.46,"endTime":2776.46,"body":"that I've been to many times."},{"startTime":2776.46,"endTime":2777.94,"body":"I was a little bit skeptical at first"},{"startTime":2777.94,"endTime":2779.14,"body":"'cause biodynamic farming"},{"startTime":2779.14,"endTime":2782.11,"body":"does involve a little bit of wizardry,"},{"startTime":2782.11,"endTime":2783.393,"body":"they make potions,"},{"startTime":2784.46,"endTime":2786.04,"body":"but most of what they're doing,"},{"startTime":2786.04,"endTime":2789.23,"body":"99% of it is incredibly sensible,"},{"startTime":2789.23,"endTime":2791.04,"body":"and if you visit a biodynamic farm,"},{"startTime":2791.04,"endTime":2793.0,"body":"you'll see the soil is full of earthworms,"},{"startTime":2793.0,"endTime":2795.46,"body":"and it's rich, and dark, and healthy,"},{"startTime":2795.46,"endTime":2797.0,"body":"they've got this incredible diversity"},{"startTime":2797.0,"endTime":2799.14,"body":"of different crops that they grow,"},{"startTime":2799.14,"endTime":2800.78,"body":"all of which seem pretty healthy,"},{"startTime":2800.78,"endTime":2802.92,"body":"and in terms of productivity,"},{"startTime":2802.92,"endTime":2804.52,"body":"they produce a lot of food."},{"startTime":2804.52,"endTime":2806.65,"body":"We've looked at the production per hectare"},{"startTime":2806.65,"endTime":2808.26,"body":"and it compares really favorably"},{"startTime":2808.26,"endTime":2810.75,"body":"to industrialized farming methods."},{"startTime":2810.75,"endTime":2812.66,"body":"And it's teeming with life,"},{"startTime":2812.66,"endTime":2814.55,"body":"so you can have nature and food production"},{"startTime":2814.55,"endTime":2815.55,"body":"in the same place,"},{"startTime":2815.55,"endTime":2816.51,"body":"and it seems to me"},{"startTime":2816.51,"endTime":2819.88,"body":"we should invest more"},{"startTime":2816.51,"endTime":2819.88,"body":"in these kinds of areas"},{"startTime":2819.88,"endTime":2823.69,"body":"and try and move away from"},{"startTime":2819.88,"endTime":2823.69,"body":"the industrialized approach."},{"startTime":2823.69,"endTime":2824.523,"body":"Whatever we do,"},{"startTime":2824.523,"endTime":2827.263,"body":"we need to do a better"},{"startTime":2824.523,"endTime":2827.263,"body":"job of looking after this."},{"startTime":2828.65,"endTime":2829.95,"body":"It's an extraordinary thing,"},{"startTime":2829.95,"endTime":2832.45,"body":"we don't often stop to"},{"startTime":2829.95,"endTime":2832.45,"body":"actually think about the fact"},{"startTime":2832.45,"endTime":2833.87,"body":"that we are clinging to the surface"},{"startTime":2833.87,"endTime":2836.38,"body":"of a rock hurtling through space"},{"startTime":2836.38,"endTime":2840.03,"body":"with a few million other"},{"startTime":2836.38,"endTime":2840.03,"body":"species castaway with us,"},{"startTime":2840.03,"endTime":2841.47,"body":"if you like,"},{"startTime":2841.47,"endTime":2846.47,"body":"it's our home, it is everything we have."},{"startTime":2846.68,"endTime":2848.17,"body":"Whatever Elon Musk thinks,"},{"startTime":2848.17,"endTime":2852.15,"body":"we aren't going to go and"},{"startTime":2848.17,"endTime":2852.15,"body":"live on Mars anytime soon."},{"startTime":2852.15,"endTime":2856.85,"body":"It's a source of wonder and inspiration,"},{"startTime":2856.85,"endTime":2858.95,"body":"and I don't understand"},{"startTime":2858.95,"endTime":2860.587,"body":"why we're being so reckless with it,"},{"startTime":2860.587,"endTime":2861.86,"body":"and it really worries me"},{"startTime":2861.86,"endTime":2863.98,"body":"that future generations"},{"startTime":2861.86,"endTime":2863.98,"body":"are going to inherit"},{"startTime":2863.98,"endTime":2866.173,"body":"an impoverished Earth."},{"startTime":2867.13,"endTime":2869.37,"body":"We would all do anything for"},{"startTime":2867.13,"endTime":2869.37,"body":"our children, wouldn't we,"},{"startTime":2869.37,"endTime":2871.47,"body":"apart from leave them a"},{"startTime":2869.37,"endTime":2871.47,"body":"decent planet to live on,"},{"startTime":2871.47,"endTime":2872.94,"body":"I don't understand."},{"startTime":2872.94,"endTime":2874.5,"body":"Anyway, we can do better,"},{"startTime":2874.5,"endTime":2875.67,"body":"and what better place to start"},{"startTime":2875.67,"endTime":2877.43,"body":"than by looking after"},{"startTime":2875.67,"endTime":2877.43,"body":"all the little insects"},{"startTime":2877.43,"endTime":2878.99,"body":"that live all around us."},{"startTime":2878.99,"endTime":2881.911,"body":"Thank you everybody for listening."},{"startTime":2881.911,"endTime":2884.911,"body":"(audience applauds)"},{"startTime":2889.767,"endTime":2894.597,"body":"- \"Villages which compete in"},{"startTime":2889.767,"endTime":2894.597,"body":"the Village in Bloom events"},{"startTime":2894.597,"endTime":2897.367,"body":"\"seem to choose geraniums, begonias,"},{"startTime":2897.367,"endTime":2899.237,"body":"\"and busy lizzies, et cetera,"},{"startTime":2899.237,"endTime":2900.217,"body":"\"or double blooms"},{"startTime":2900.217,"endTime":2902.367,"body":"\"which are of no use to pollinators,"},{"startTime":2902.367,"endTime":2903.817,"body":"\"whilst at the same time"},{"startTime":2903.817,"endTime":2906.047,"body":"\"weeding the verges for neatness."},{"startTime":2906.047,"endTime":2909.377,"body":"\"How do we raise"},{"startTime":2906.047,"endTime":2909.377,"body":"awareness to change this?\""},{"startTime":2910.796,"endTime":2911.66,"body":"- That's a good question,"},{"startTime":2911.66,"endTime":2913.38,"body":"and it's absolutely true"},{"startTime":2913.38,"endTime":2916.669,"body":"that we do grow and plant"},{"startTime":2913.38,"endTime":2916.669,"body":"an awful lot of these,"},{"startTime":2916.669,"endTime":2919.01,"body":"I think, fairly hideous"},{"startTime":2916.669,"endTime":2919.01,"body":"annual bedding plants,"},{"startTime":2919.01,"endTime":2920.64,"body":"these really showy things"},{"startTime":2920.64,"endTime":2923.823,"body":"that you see in hanging"},{"startTime":2920.64,"endTime":2923.823,"body":"baskets, and so on."},{"startTime":2924.81,"endTime":2925.88,"body":"It's all about education,"},{"startTime":2925.88,"endTime":2927.51,"body":"I think if people realized"},{"startTime":2927.51,"endTime":2931.21,"body":"that if you plant some native wildflowers,"},{"startTime":2931.21,"endTime":2935.43,"body":"or just some traditional"},{"startTime":2931.21,"endTime":2935.43,"body":"cottage garden herbs, and so on,"},{"startTime":2935.43,"endTime":2936.77,"body":"you can attract and feed"},{"startTime":2936.77,"endTime":2938.64,"body":"a whole host of amazing insects,"},{"startTime":2938.64,"endTime":2941.17,"body":"whereas if you grow a"},{"startTime":2938.64,"endTime":2941.17,"body":"pelargonium from South Africa,"},{"startTime":2941.17,"endTime":2942.91,"body":"you'll feed almost nothing,"},{"startTime":2942.91,"endTime":2944.493,"body":"it's just dead space."},{"startTime":2945.512,"endTime":2946.51,"body":"It's a case"},{"startTime":2946.51,"endTime":2951.51,"body":"of just simply getting that"},{"startTime":2946.51,"endTime":2951.51,"body":"message across, I think."},{"startTime":2951.52,"endTime":2953.49,"body":"Everyone wants to help wildlife,"},{"startTime":2953.49,"endTime":2955.06,"body":"we all want to help the bees, don't we,"},{"startTime":2955.06,"endTime":2957.12,"body":"but most people don't really know how,"},{"startTime":2957.12,"endTime":2962.12,"body":"so it's all about educating"},{"startTime":2957.12,"endTime":2962.12,"body":"people to grow the right plants."},{"startTime":2962.41,"endTime":2965.04,"body":"- [Questioner] Could"},{"startTime":2962.41,"endTime":2965.04,"body":"we go back the caption"},{"startTime":2965.04,"endTime":2967.06,"body":"which showed the shrill carder,"},{"startTime":2967.06,"endTime":2970.463,"body":"it showed the decline of that species?"},{"startTime":2972.523,"endTime":2976.48,"body":"I remember seeing that"},{"startTime":2972.523,"endTime":2976.48,"body":"it was left concentrated"},{"startTime":2976.48,"endTime":2980.57,"body":"in the Thames Estuary"},{"startTime":2976.48,"endTime":2980.57,"body":"and the West of England."},{"startTime":2980.57,"endTime":2983.83,"body":"Why is that, please, in those areas?"},{"startTime":2983.83,"endTime":2985.06,"body":"Thank you."},{"startTime":2985.06,"endTime":2986.08,"body":"- The shrill carder,"},{"startTime":2986.08,"endTime":2989.3,"body":"why is the shrill carder"},{"startTime":2986.08,"endTime":2989.3,"body":"thriving, apparently,"},{"startTime":2989.3,"endTime":2991.263,"body":"relatively thriving here?"},{"startTime":2994.26,"endTime":2995.78,"body":"There are lots of coastal marshes"},{"startTime":2995.78,"endTime":2997.12,"body":"which are quite rich in flowers,"},{"startTime":2997.12,"endTime":2999.11,"body":"and because they're marshland,"},{"startTime":2999.11,"endTime":3000.64,"body":"and they flood occasionally,"},{"startTime":3000.64,"endTime":3001.93,"body":"they're not very good for farming,"},{"startTime":3001.93,"endTime":3005.65,"body":"so they tend to be not intensively farmed,"},{"startTime":3005.65,"endTime":3007.133,"body":"it's as simple as that."},{"startTime":3008.5,"endTime":3009.74,"body":"Actually, I should mention,"},{"startTime":3009.74,"endTime":3012.34,"body":"there are some really"},{"startTime":3009.74,"endTime":3012.34,"body":"interesting brownfield sites"},{"startTime":3012.34,"endTime":3013.21,"body":"in the Thames Estuary,"},{"startTime":3013.21,"endTime":3015.54,"body":"abandoned sites, like Canvey Wick,"},{"startTime":3015.54,"endTime":3018.21,"body":"where you can find the shrill carder."},{"startTime":3018.21,"endTime":3020.73,"body":"Canvey Wick used to be an oil refinery,"},{"startTime":3020.73,"endTime":3023.42,"body":"but it was abandoned 30, 40 years ago,"},{"startTime":3023.42,"endTime":3026.55,"body":"and it's a really beautiful illustration"},{"startTime":3026.55,"endTime":3031.55,"body":"of how nature can recover"},{"startTime":3026.55,"endTime":3031.55,"body":"if we just leave it alone."},{"startTime":3032.62,"endTime":3034.3,"body":"All that's happened is"},{"startTime":3032.62,"endTime":3034.3,"body":"that people walked away,"},{"startTime":3034.3,"endTime":3035.76,"body":"left it as contaminated land,"},{"startTime":3035.76,"endTime":3039.15,"body":"and now it's got this"},{"startTime":3035.76,"endTime":3039.15,"body":"really rare bumblebee there."},{"startTime":3039.15,"endTime":3040.65,"body":"so largely, nature,"},{"startTime":3040.65,"endTime":3042.06,"body":"all it needs is some space"},{"startTime":3042.06,"endTime":3044.823,"body":"and freedom from us"},{"startTime":3042.06,"endTime":3044.823,"body":"messing around with it."},{"startTime":3045.95,"endTime":3047.83,"body":"- [Questioner] What's"},{"startTime":3045.95,"endTime":3047.83,"body":"the most common pushback"},{"startTime":3047.83,"endTime":3049.3,"body":"by local councils"},{"startTime":3049.3,"endTime":3052.886,"body":"around wild gardening, essentially,"},{"startTime":3052.886,"endTime":3057.613,"body":"and the use of pesticides"},{"startTime":3052.886,"endTime":3057.613,"body":"which cause cancer, allegedly?"},{"startTime":3059.74,"endTime":3062.033,"body":"- The most common pushback from councils?"},{"startTime":3063.54,"endTime":3066.87,"body":"I think the pressure on councils,"},{"startTime":3066.87,"endTime":3070.088,"body":"a lot of it come from people who complain"},{"startTime":3070.088,"endTime":3073.41,"body":"if the verges aren't cut,"},{"startTime":3070.088,"endTime":3073.41,"body":"if the park isn't cut,"},{"startTime":3073.41,"endTime":3076.103,"body":"they think it's laziness"},{"startTime":3073.41,"endTime":3076.103,"body":"on the part of the council,"},{"startTime":3077.84,"endTime":3082.29,"body":"and they don't realize that"},{"startTime":3077.84,"endTime":3082.29,"body":"it can be an active choice"},{"startTime":3082.29,"endTime":3083.73,"body":"in favor of nature,"},{"startTime":3083.73,"endTime":3088.73,"body":"so it's about making that clear."},{"startTime":3088.73,"endTime":3091.44,"body":"I would advise councils to put signs up"},{"startTime":3091.44,"endTime":3093.34,"body":"if they're not going to mow a road verge"},{"startTime":3093.34,"endTime":3095.2,"body":"and leave it to go into bloom,"},{"startTime":3095.2,"endTime":3097.81,"body":"then put a sign saying, wildflower strip,"},{"startTime":3097.81,"endTime":3099.44,"body":"and people are much"},{"startTime":3097.81,"endTime":3099.44,"body":"less likely to complain,"},{"startTime":3099.44,"endTime":3102.2,"body":"but it's those complaints"},{"startTime":3099.44,"endTime":3102.2,"body":"that make them mow."},{"startTime":3102.2,"endTime":3103.033,"body":"And very often,"},{"startTime":3103.033,"endTime":3104.49,"body":"they get more letters of complaint"},{"startTime":3104.49,"endTime":3106.53,"body":"than they do of congratulations."},{"startTime":3106.53,"endTime":3108.3,"body":"As a species, we like to complain"},{"startTime":3108.3,"endTime":3110.9,"body":"and we don't often bother to congratulate."},{"startTime":3110.9,"endTime":3112.73,"body":"So if your local council"},{"startTime":3112.73,"endTime":3117.34,"body":"do leave ares of a park, or"},{"startTime":3112.73,"endTime":3117.34,"body":"road verge, or whatever to grow,"},{"startTime":3118.83,"endTime":3120.62,"body":"write them a letter and thank them,"},{"startTime":3120.62,"endTime":3121.453,"body":"and if everyone did that,"},{"startTime":3121.453,"endTime":3124.83,"body":"and the councils got more"},{"startTime":3121.453,"endTime":3124.83,"body":"letters of thanks than complaint,"},{"startTime":3124.83,"endTime":3126.74,"body":"they'd carry on."},{"startTime":3126.74,"endTime":3130.32,"body":"So I think making it clear to the councils"},{"startTime":3130.32,"endTime":3132.253,"body":"there's public support is key."},{"startTime":3133.802,"endTime":3136.66,"body":"- I've got a question here"},{"startTime":3133.802,"endTime":3136.66,"body":"online that I'd like to bring in,"},{"startTime":3136.66,"endTime":3139.097,"body":"here's someone, clearly a fan of yours,"},{"startTime":3139.097,"endTime":3140.95,"body":"\"After reading some of your books,\""},{"startTime":3140.95,"endTime":3142.867,"body":"which implies she's reading quite a few,"},{"startTime":3142.867,"endTime":3144.477,"body":"\"I'm concerned about the fact"},{"startTime":3144.477,"endTime":3147.387,"body":"\"that so many plants are"},{"startTime":3144.477,"endTime":3147.387,"body":"treated by pesticides"},{"startTime":3147.387,"endTime":3149.177,"body":"\"before being sold."},{"startTime":3149.177,"endTime":3150.677,"body":"\"I can't quite get my head around"},{"startTime":3150.677,"endTime":3152.827,"body":"\"the longterm impact of this."},{"startTime":3152.827,"endTime":3156.307,"body":"\"Is there a point when the"},{"startTime":3152.827,"endTime":3156.307,"body":"planet becomes safe again?\""},{"startTime":3158.04,"endTime":3159.683,"body":"- Not anytime soon, I fear."},{"startTime":3162.08,"endTime":3163.68,"body":"Something I didn't mention in my talk"},{"startTime":3163.68,"endTime":3165.71,"body":"is that if you go to a garden center"},{"startTime":3165.71,"endTime":3168.11,"body":"and buy a pretty plant,"},{"startTime":3168.11,"endTime":3170.75,"body":"a bee-friendly one or otherwise,"},{"startTime":3170.75,"endTime":3173.66,"body":"and they do often badge"},{"startTime":3170.75,"endTime":3173.66,"body":"bee-friendly plants"},{"startTime":3173.66,"endTime":3174.68,"body":"with a logo,"},{"startTime":3174.68,"endTime":3175.513,"body":"they often use"},{"startTime":3175.513,"endTime":3179.24,"body":"the Royal Horticultural Society"},{"startTime":3175.513,"endTime":3179.24,"body":"perfect for pollinators logo"},{"startTime":3179.24,"endTime":3182.093,"body":"to badge plants which are"},{"startTime":3179.24,"endTime":3182.093,"body":"attractive to insects."},{"startTime":3183.13,"endTime":3186.05,"body":"What nobody tells you is that those plants"},{"startTime":3186.05,"endTime":3187.51,"body":"will almost certainly have been treated"},{"startTime":3187.51,"endTime":3189.343,"body":"with a whole bunch of pesticides."},{"startTime":3190.22,"endTime":3191.19,"body":"And a couple of years ago,"},{"startTime":3191.19,"endTime":3192.46,"body":"we did some research,"},{"startTime":3192.46,"endTime":3194.59,"body":"we tested the nectar and pollen"},{"startTime":3194.59,"endTime":3198.03,"body":"of plants being sold by garden"},{"startTime":3194.59,"endTime":3198.03,"body":"centers as bee-friendly,"},{"startTime":3198.03,"endTime":3201.86,"body":"and nearly 100% of them"},{"startTime":3198.03,"endTime":3201.86,"body":"contained pesticides,"},{"startTime":3201.86,"endTime":3205.26,"body":"in fact, 75% of them"},{"startTime":3201.86,"endTime":3205.26,"body":"contained these neonicotinoids"},{"startTime":3205.26,"endTime":3206.68,"body":"that I mentioned earlier,"},{"startTime":3206.68,"endTime":3209.19,"body":"so they're not bee-friendly at all,"},{"startTime":3209.19,"endTime":3212.147,"body":"far from it."},{"startTime":3212.147,"endTime":3214.58,"body":"But when will the planet"},{"startTime":3212.147,"endTime":3214.58,"body":"become safe again?"},{"startTime":3214.58,"endTime":3217.04,"body":"When we stop poisoning"},{"startTime":3214.58,"endTime":3217.04,"body":"everything, obviously,"},{"startTime":3217.04,"endTime":3218.49,"body":"that would help, wouldn't it,"},{"startTime":3219.89,"endTime":3224.04,"body":"but we don't seem set to do"},{"startTime":3219.89,"endTime":3224.04,"body":"that anytime soon, sadly."},{"startTime":3224.04,"endTime":3225.26,"body":"- [Questioner] Thank you."},{"startTime":3225.26,"endTime":3228.13,"body":"Thinking about the produce element of this"},{"startTime":3228.13,"endTime":3229.39,"body":"in terms of the interventions,"},{"startTime":3229.39,"endTime":3230.69,"body":"and the agricultural industry,"},{"startTime":3230.69,"endTime":3232.75,"body":"and I'm just interested in your view of,"},{"startTime":3232.75,"endTime":3234.4,"body":"to what extent is the fix"},{"startTime":3235.69,"endTime":3237.89,"body":"switching those methods of production,"},{"startTime":3237.89,"endTime":3240.71,"body":"versus government regulation and subsidy,"},{"startTime":3240.71,"endTime":3243.35,"body":"versus expecting consumers,"},{"startTime":3240.71,"endTime":3243.35,"body":"through education,"},{"startTime":3243.35,"endTime":3245.703,"body":"to pick up the economic"},{"startTime":3243.35,"endTime":3245.703,"body":"discrepancy in cost?"},{"startTime":3247.92,"endTime":3249.38,"body":"- It's an interesting one,"},{"startTime":3249.38,"endTime":3252.53,"body":"how do we make this transition"},{"startTime":3252.53,"endTime":3254.28,"body":"towards more sustainable agriculture,"},{"startTime":3254.28,"endTime":3257.08,"body":"which we clearly need to do?"},{"startTime":3257.08,"endTime":3260.71,"body":"It could be done any number of ways,"},{"startTime":3260.71,"endTime":3264.0,"body":"it could be driven entirely"},{"startTime":3260.71,"endTime":3264.0,"body":"by bottom-up consumer pressure"},{"startTime":3264.0,"endTime":3267.25,"body":"if enough people were aware."},{"startTime":3267.25,"endTime":3268.33,"body":"To be very simplistic,"},{"startTime":3268.33,"endTime":3270.48,"body":"if everyone bought organic food,"},{"startTime":3270.48,"endTime":3273.59,"body":"there'd be no pesticides in the world,"},{"startTime":3273.59,"endTime":3276.42,"body":"but I don't see consumer pressure"},{"startTime":3276.42,"endTime":3279.28,"body":"being that powerful anytime soon."},{"startTime":3279.28,"endTime":3280.2,"body":"The alternative, of course,"},{"startTime":3280.2,"endTime":3285.2,"body":"would be for a top-down,"},{"startTime":3280.2,"endTime":3285.2,"body":"government regulation approach,"},{"startTime":3285.44,"endTime":3288.11,"body":"which actually could"},{"startTime":3285.44,"endTime":3288.11,"body":"be done really swiftly"},{"startTime":3288.11,"endTime":3290.62,"body":"because of the farming subsidy system."},{"startTime":3290.62,"endTime":3292.18,"body":"We basically pay, at present,"},{"startTime":3292.18,"endTime":3295.47,"body":"about 3 1/2 billion"},{"startTime":3292.18,"endTime":3295.47,"body":"pounds a year to farmers"},{"startTime":3295.47,"endTime":3297.8,"body":"to farm, essentially,"},{"startTime":3297.8,"endTime":3299.003,"body":"taxpayers' money,"},{"startTime":3300.147,"endTime":3303.27,"body":"60% of farmer income"},{"startTime":3300.147,"endTime":3303.27,"body":"is subsidy in Britain,"},{"startTime":3303.27,"endTime":3307.07,"body":"it's the only heavily subsidized"},{"startTime":3303.27,"endTime":3307.07,"body":"industry in the country,"},{"startTime":3307.07,"endTime":3308.94,"body":"and that gives us a mechanism,"},{"startTime":3308.94,"endTime":3311.83,"body":"you could completely turn the"},{"startTime":3308.94,"endTime":3311.83,"body":"subsidy system on its head"},{"startTime":3311.83,"endTime":3314.053,"body":"and you could give much more money to,"},{"startTime":3315.41,"endTime":3316.66,"body":"for the sake of argument,"},{"startTime":3316.66,"endTime":3318.57,"body":"biodynamic farms, or organic farms,"},{"startTime":3318.57,"endTime":3320.933,"body":"or whatever it was you wanted to support,"},{"startTime":3321.92,"endTime":3324.06,"body":"and that would transform the landscape"},{"startTime":3324.06,"endTime":3326.66,"body":"in just a few years."},{"startTime":3326.66,"endTime":3327.64,"body":"But again,"},{"startTime":3327.64,"endTime":3330.29,"body":"that would require the government in power"},{"startTime":3330.29,"endTime":3332.44,"body":"to really buy into this,"},{"startTime":3332.44,"endTime":3335.18,"body":"and sadly, I don't think they do."},{"startTime":3335.18,"endTime":3336.24,"body":"Sorry, this is a long answer."},{"startTime":3336.24,"endTime":3338.02,"body":"There is an interesting"},{"startTime":3336.24,"endTime":3338.02,"body":"development at the moment,"},{"startTime":3338.02,"endTime":3339.38,"body":"which is this ELM scheme,"},{"startTime":3339.38,"endTime":3341.2,"body":"Environmental Land Management scheme,"},{"startTime":3341.2,"endTime":3344.94,"body":"which is a new iteration"},{"startTime":3341.2,"endTime":3344.94,"body":"of the farm subsidy system,"},{"startTime":3344.94,"endTime":3346.27,"body":"which sounded as if"},{"startTime":3346.27,"endTime":3350.39,"body":"it might be quite an important"},{"startTime":3346.27,"endTime":3350.39,"body":"step in the right direction,"},{"startTime":3350.39,"endTime":3354.71,"body":"but it seems to be being watered"},{"startTime":3350.39,"endTime":3354.71,"body":"down in its implementation,"},{"startTime":3354.71,"endTime":3355.82,"body":"and we're all sort of waiting"},{"startTime":3355.82,"endTime":3358.213,"body":"for the final version of it to come out."},{"startTime":3360.23,"endTime":3362.91,"body":"Michael Gove made it sound as"},{"startTime":3360.23,"endTime":3362.91,"body":"if it was going to be great,"},{"startTime":3362.91,"endTime":3365.853,"body":"and seems to have since"},{"startTime":3362.91,"endTime":3365.853,"body":"backtracked, unfortunately."},{"startTime":3367.91,"endTime":3369.19,"body":"One way or another,"},{"startTime":3369.19,"endTime":3372.235,"body":"maybe we need a mix of bottom-up support,"},{"startTime":3372.235,"endTime":3374.54,"body":"and we need to vote for politicians"},{"startTime":3374.54,"endTime":3379.38,"body":"that will introduce the top-down"},{"startTime":3374.54,"endTime":3379.38,"body":"regulation that we need to,"},{"startTime":3379.38,"endTime":3380.41,"body":"one way or another,"},{"startTime":3380.41,"endTime":3382.57,"body":"transition into more"},{"startTime":3380.41,"endTime":3382.57,"body":"sustainable food production,"},{"startTime":3382.57,"endTime":3383.91,"body":"but if we don't,"},{"startTime":3383.91,"endTime":3386.22,"body":"then all of these"},{"startTime":3383.91,"endTime":3386.22,"body":"problems I've talked about"},{"startTime":3386.22,"endTime":3388.283,"body":"are going to continue, sadly."},{"startTime":3389.43,"endTime":3391.113,"body":"- Time for a quick couple more here,"},{"startTime":3391.113,"endTime":3391.946,"body":"I'll just take one from online"},{"startTime":3391.946,"endTime":3393.99,"body":"which I think other people in the room"},{"startTime":3393.99,"endTime":3396.6,"body":"might want to know the answer to,"},{"startTime":3396.6,"endTime":3399.34,"body":"the question about the contaminated plants"},{"startTime":3399.34,"endTime":3400.23,"body":"from garden centers."},{"startTime":3400.23,"endTime":3401.207,"body":"This person says,"},{"startTime":3401.207,"endTime":3403.887,"body":"\"Is it then safer to plant from seed"},{"startTime":3403.887,"endTime":3406.15,"body":"\"rather than from a plant you buy?\""},{"startTime":3406.15,"endTime":3407.52,"body":"- Yes it is,"},{"startTime":3407.52,"endTime":3411.04,"body":"plant from seed, buy"},{"startTime":3407.52,"endTime":3411.04,"body":"from an organic nursery,"},{"startTime":3411.04,"endTime":3412.21,"body":"and there are a few around,"},{"startTime":3412.21,"endTime":3413.823,"body":"and some of them deliver online,"},{"startTime":3415.131,"endTime":3418.84,"body":"Rosybee Nursery and Bee Happy Plants"},{"startTime":3418.84,"endTime":3420.83,"body":"are two off the top of my head,"},{"startTime":3420.83,"endTime":3422.92,"body":"or do plant swaps with"},{"startTime":3420.83,"endTime":3422.92,"body":"friends and neighbors,"},{"startTime":3422.92,"endTime":3425.54,"body":"which is probably the"},{"startTime":3422.92,"endTime":3425.54,"body":"most sustainable way,"},{"startTime":3425.54,"endTime":3428.83,"body":"and the easiest way to get healthy plants."},{"startTime":3428.83,"endTime":3430.7,"body":"Look over your garden fence,"},{"startTime":3430.7,"endTime":3432.12,"body":"if your neighbor's a gardener,"},{"startTime":3432.12,"endTime":3435.77,"body":"they'll happily give you bits"},{"startTime":3432.12,"endTime":3435.77,"body":"and pieces of surplus plant,"},{"startTime":3435.77,"endTime":3437.26,"body":"and what thrives in their garden"},{"startTime":3437.26,"endTime":3438.51,"body":"will thrive in your garden,"},{"startTime":3438.51,"endTime":3439.65,"body":"so it's much better"},{"startTime":3439.65,"endTime":3441.73,"body":"than going and spending a"},{"startTime":3439.65,"endTime":3441.73,"body":"fortune in the garden center"},{"startTime":3441.73,"endTime":3444.76,"body":"buying a whole bunch of poisonous plants"},{"startTime":3444.76,"endTime":3447.56,"body":"grown in a peat-based compost"},{"startTime":3444.76,"endTime":3447.56,"body":"in disposable plastic pots,"},{"startTime":3447.56,"endTime":3450.7,"body":"which is basically what"},{"startTime":3447.56,"endTime":3450.7,"body":"garden centers are all about."},{"startTime":3450.7,"endTime":3452.18,"body":"- [Questioner] It's more"},{"startTime":3450.7,"endTime":3452.18,"body":"of a comment really."},{"startTime":3452.18,"endTime":3454.8,"body":"I am a councilor in Southwark,"},{"startTime":3454.8,"endTime":3456.48,"body":"and since I got elected,"},{"startTime":3456.48,"endTime":3459.35,"body":"I've been pushing to improve biodiversity,"},{"startTime":3459.35,"endTime":3460.183,"body":"and what I would do"},{"startTime":3460.183,"endTime":3461.71,"body":"is encourage everyone in this room"},{"startTime":3461.71,"endTime":3464.9,"body":"to write to your local councilors"},{"startTime":3461.71,"endTime":3464.9,"body":"and your cabinet members,"},{"startTime":3464.9,"endTime":3465.84,"body":"and make it clear"},{"startTime":3465.84,"endTime":3470.8,"body":"that you don't want them to"},{"startTime":3465.84,"endTime":3470.8,"body":"use glyphosate in particular."},{"startTime":3470.8,"endTime":3472.63,"body":"What we've done on the"},{"startTime":3470.8,"endTime":3472.63,"body":"estates in Southwark,"},{"startTime":3472.63,"endTime":3473.8,"body":"where I'm a councilor,"},{"startTime":3473.8,"endTime":3477.22,"body":"we've encouraged them to"},{"startTime":3473.8,"endTime":3477.22,"body":"not use any pesticides"},{"startTime":3477.22,"endTime":3478.81,"body":"and not mow for a couple of months,"},{"startTime":3478.81,"endTime":3480.843,"body":"not just during No Mow May,"},{"startTime":3482.829,"endTime":3484.16,"body":"or whatever it's called."},{"startTime":3484.16,"endTime":3485.42,"body":"And I just wanted to thank you"},{"startTime":3485.42,"endTime":3487.84,"body":"for your brilliant book,"},{"startTime":3485.42,"endTime":3487.84,"body":"\"The Garden Jungle.\""},{"startTime":3487.84,"endTime":3488.673,"body":"As a consequence,"},{"startTime":3488.673,"endTime":3490.69,"body":"I've set up a little"},{"startTime":3488.673,"endTime":3490.69,"body":"organization in Southwark"},{"startTime":3490.69,"endTime":3493.35,"body":"to try and re-wild one square mile,"},{"startTime":3493.35,"endTime":3495.88,"body":"and we're getting different"},{"startTime":3493.35,"endTime":3495.88,"body":"organizations involved,"},{"startTime":3495.88,"endTime":3497.26,"body":"so I just wanted to thank you very much"},{"startTime":3497.26,"endTime":3499.0,"body":"for that brilliant book."},{"startTime":3499.0,"endTime":3500.58,"body":"- Thank you, and hear, hear."},{"startTime":3500.58,"endTime":3502.17,"body":"- Tremendous, ladies and gentlemen,"},{"startTime":3502.17,"endTime":3505.16,"body":"to end on an absolutely positive note,"},{"startTime":3505.16,"endTime":3508.25,"body":"I'm sure Professor Goulson"},{"startTime":3505.16,"endTime":3508.25,"body":"would take more questions"},{"startTime":3508.25,"endTime":3510.92,"body":"from those of you in the room afterwards,"},{"startTime":3510.92,"endTime":3513.0,"body":"but it's seven o'clock, so we must end,"},{"startTime":3513.0,"endTime":3514.42,"body":"and I'd like to thank him very much"},{"startTime":3514.42,"endTime":3515.33,"body":"for a tremendous talk,"},{"startTime":3515.33,"endTime":3516.33,"body":"thank you very much."}]}