If Bees Die, What Happens To The Food Supply?

From: Survival Joe 

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New Report Shows Honey Bee Population Still Declining Rapidly

In a new report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has revealed that honeybee losses in the U.S. totaled 23.2% last winter.

The report was produced by the U.S.D.A. in partnership with the Bee Informed Partnership and showed that the death rate of bees from October 2013 to April of 2014 was better than the 30.5% from 2012 to 2013… but worse than the 21.9% losses from 2011 to 2012.

The rate of bee population decline is shocking. Over the past 8 years, bee populations have declined on average 29.6% every year.

The losses have been so substantial that the U.S. government has declared the current rate of bee loss to be “economically unsustainable.”

The evidence suggests bee population decline is a result of colony collapse disorder where worker bees of American and European honey bee populations disappear without notice.

Over the past few years scientists and consumer advocate groups have begun to investigate the exact cause of colony collapse.

What they have found is the use of chemical pesticides is one of the main reasons — if not the main reason — for mass honeybee deaths.

However, when confronted with the growing mountain of evidence that their products are responsible for the decline in the bee population, companies like Monsanto, Bayer, DuPont and Syngenta reply that the real reason for honey bee losses come from natural causes like pathogens and mites.

Unfortunately, their claims just don’t match up. As the use of neonicotonoids (pesticides) increases, bee populations decrease. There’s no way around this clear connection.

“With the damning evidence mounting, pesticide companies can no longer spin their way out of this crisis,” said Michele Simon, a public health lawyer who specializes in food issues.

As bee populations decrease, the ability for humans to grow and harvest staple crops decreases as well.

As Yale University pointed out:

“One of every three bites of food eaten worldwide depends on pollinators, especially bees, for a successful harvest. And in the past several months, a scramble in California’s almond groves has given the world a taste of what may lie in store for food production if the widespread — and still puzzling — decimation of bee colonies continues.”

This is really bad news, especially considering the fact that the especially cold winter America saw this year has decimated surviving bee populations.

Bees And Monarch Butterflies Dying Out--Could Have Devastating Effects On Life As It Exists!

Survival Joe | Food • Gardening • News

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Monarch Butterflies Dying Fast – What It Means for Life on Earth

At one time, Monarch butterflies were one of America’s most common insects with millions upon millions making their habitat in the United State’s open plains.

In fact, at one point they were so prominent that nearly 25 million Monarch butterflies would migrate thousands of miles across North America and spend their time in Central Mexican forests where they covered nearly every visible inch for 45 square acres.

Today, they only cover 1.5 square acres.

Over the past 50 years, the decline of Monarch butterflies has been rapid and devastatingly high.

In California, the population of these animals is down 80%. And many independent studies have shown that the Monarch is nearing extinction unless something is done to alter their present population levels.

There are two reasons this is so tragic.

The first is because Monarch butterflies are one of nature’s most efficient pollinators. Many flowers and many American crops depend on the Monarch for reproduction. Without these butterflies it will become increasingly difficult to bring food to market.

The second reason isn’t just the fact these beautiful butterflies are disappearing, the problem is what their disappearance tells us about the world we’re living in.

As reported by USA Today:

“Monarchs are pollinators, which makes them important for plant reproduction. They also share habitat with small birds and animals, which feed larger birds and animals, Taylor said. Monarchs reflect ecosystem health and biodiversity.

‘Monarchs are symbolic of what’s happening on a larger scale,’ [founder and director of Monarch Watch, Chip] Taylor said. ‘You eliminate monarchs, and you eliminate everything else that shares that habitat.’”

If Monarchs disappear, it means other animals will, too. And when they begin to die off, it’s an indication that the health of planet earth is declining.

Monarch butterflies are disappearing in rapid numbers because of the increased use of herbicides and pesticides as well as the elimination of Milkweed which is the only plant the Monarch uses for reproduction.

As Milkweed is eliminated, so is the ability of the Monarch to reproduce.

The more Monarchs we lose, the more plants that we depend on for food will die off as well.

Therefore, the more plants we lose, the harder it’s going to be for humans to survive.

And so the story goes.

This is frightening for a few reasons…

For one, it shows that the same chemicals we’re using on our crops are killing the animals we depend on to pollinate these plants.

Correspondingly, it shows us just how harmful these chemicals can be to all life forms. And worse yet, it shows us how our attempt at controlling the environment is actually far more detrimental to the well-being of the planet than we could’ve ever imagined.