The first thing to do is to define what a synthetic pesticide is and what biodiversity is. A synthetic pesticide is a chemical used to kill or repel pests, and biodiversity is the variety of life in the world. According to the United States Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, at least 5.6 billion pounds of pesticides are used worldwide each year. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe World Wild Life organization released a Living Planet report stating that between 1970 and 2012, the population of animals living on land decreased by 38%, the population of freshwater creatures has decreased by 81% and the population of marine life decreased by 36%. In this report I will explore the impact of increased pesticide use on biodiversity from a global perspective, from a national perspective of India and from a local perspective of Tamil Nadu, and will also explore the fact that India consumes 3.5 % of total pesticides used in the world. Even though it is not much, it has still had adverse effects on India's biodiversity. Problems The increasing use of synthetic pesticides has led to many problems regarding biodiversity, but I will mainly focus on how pesticides harm innocent animals, affect the food chain and have caused the extinction of some species. These problems have direct effects on biodiversity. Synthetic Pesticides Harm Innocent Animals Neonicotinoids are commonly used as insecticides. These chemicals are believed to be 10,000 times more potent than DDT and can cause instant death of insects. Four nanograms of clothianidin, a type of neonicotinoid, kills half the bees that feed on it. A sharp decline in the bee population has been reported in the Nilgiris region of Tamil Nadu. This is true not only in Tamil Nadu but all over India. It was found that where no synthetic pesticides were used, farmland had a greater diversity of bee species, but the opposite was found in places that used a lot of synthetic pesticides. A decrease in bee diversity has also been noted in the United States and parts of Europe. In fact, each year, both places lose 30% of their hives. For this reason, the European Commission has decided to ban neonicotinoids. Not only are bees affected by synthetic pesticides, but also frogs. One of the world's most commonly used synthetic pesticides, atrazine, is also the most common contaminant of water bodies. According to the United States Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, this pesticide can affect the endocrine system in most amphibians such as frogs. When adult male amphibians were exposed to this pesticide, they were feminized. This means they have lost their masculine traits.[8] Birds are also harmed by the use of synthetic pesticides. The main synthetic pesticide that harms them is neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are responsible for population declines in approximately 14 different bird species.[9] Dutch scientists found that in areas where water was contaminated with imidacloprid, a common neonicotinoid pesticide, there was an average decline of 3.5 percent each year. In India, many birds such as the Indian warbler, falcon duck, black-tailed godwit and spoon-billed sandpiper are all endangered due to increased use of pesticides. The increased use of synthetic pesticides has also had negative effects on bats. . Most species of bats in TamilNadu are in danger due to pesticides used on insects, which are their main food source. Across India, bats are endangered because they ingest toxic pesticides used on insects when they eat insects. For this reason, the world population of bats, which in 1936 amounted to 8.7 million, dropped to 700,000 in 1991. Finally, synthetic pesticides also have negative effects on dogs and cats. Dogs and cats are exposed to pesticides when they walk on soil that has been treated by the pesticide. It gets on their fur, and when they lick it, the pesticides get into them. They have various effects on dogs and cats such as vomiting, diarrhea, depression, increased heart rate, anorexia, breathing problems and many other side effects. Synthetic pesticides affect the food chain Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide mainly used in India. This pesticide can contaminate water sources, which means it can easily enter the food chain. Exposure to chlorpyrifos can cause nervous system damage, headaches, dizziness, diarrhea and even paralysis. Because it can take years for this pesticide to break down, it can contaminate nearby water sources and affect any animals that consume water from this source and other animals that consume animals exposed to this chemical. Furthermore, synthetic pesticides applied to crops grown for food can enter humans simply by consuming them. According to the United States Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, in Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern India, over a thousand deaths were caused by pesticides. are reported annually. Not only are people dying from synthetic pesticides in India, but across the world, the UN has reported that 200,000 people die every year due to synthetic pesticide poisoning and illnesses caused by foods containing synthetic pesticides. There are also indirect effects on other animals because as animals lower down the food chain die from synthetic pesticides, animals higher up the food chain have a decrease in their food availability which results in a decrease in their population. Synthetic pesticides have caused the extinction of some species Mainly due to synthetic pesticides, at least 14 bird species in India are on the verge of extinction, including the white-rumped vulture, Indian vulture, vulture red-headed duck and pink-headed duck. , the white-bellied heron, the sociable lapwing, the Christmas frigatebird and Jerdon's lapwing. Not only in India are species becoming extinct, but also in other countries like the United States, where 97% of the species listed in the Endangered Species Act are affected by synthetic pesticides. These species have become extinct and many others are on the verge of extinction or are in danger of extinction due to accidentally ingesting synthetic pesticides by directly eating crops treated with them and facing side effects or a decrease in their food supply due to synthetic pesticides killing the species that serve as their food. The Merits of Organic Farming First, the definition of what exactly organic farming needs to be defined for. Organic farming is a methodology that does not involve the use of synthetic chemicals or pesticides. The resulting benefits are numerous and solve the problems raised by the use of synthetic pesticides. In organic farming, farmers do not use synthetic pesticides or herbicides to eliminate weeds and pests. Instead, the farmer does it manually or relies on animals to eat the.