Bees and butterflies face risk of disappearing for good

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"Europe's wild bees and butterflies are facing an escalating extinction crisis, a new conservation assessment has warned, prompting urgent calls for action to reverse the "dire" state of these vital pollinators. Their decline poses a significant threat to natural systems and food production. The latest European-level assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List now classify nearly 100 more wild bee species as at risk."

"More than 20 per cent of both bumblebee and cellophane bee species are under threat, the IUCN reports. This includes 15 species of bumblebees, crucial for pollinating plants like peas, beans, and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, vital for plants in the daisy family and trees such as red maples, now listed as threatened. These essential insects are succumbing to pressures from agriculture, pollution, and rising temperatures, necessitating immediate intervention."

The Independent requests donations to fund on-the-ground journalism covering reproductive rights, climate change, and Big Tech without paywalls, funded by supporters who can afford it. Donated funds enable reporters to investigate topics such as Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC and produce documentaries like 'The A Word', which spotlights American women fighting for reproductive rights. Europe's wild bees and butterflies are facing an escalating extinction crisis: IUCN European assessments now list 172 of 1,928 assessed wild bee species as threatened, up from 77 in 2014. More than 20% of bumblebee and cellophane bee species are under threat, harmed by agriculture, pollution, and rising temperatures, endangering pollination and food production and requiring urgent intervention.

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