Honeybees: Man’s Downfall
May 3rd, 2007
So this is how it will end: not with a bang, but with a lack of buzzing. America’s honeybees are dying off in record numbers, with almost a quarter of the domestic hives falling victim to the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder, and no one can say why. The Disorder causes entire hives to simply disappear, leaving only queens and larvae to die.
Bees are responsible for pollinating almost a third of all consumable plants, both by man and livestock, and a total collapse of the bee industry would severely limit America’s ability to feed itself. The USDA, part of a multinational group fighting the disorder, has gone so far as to declare CCD “the biggest general threat to our food supply.”
While American hives have fought die-offs before, the scale of this latest disease reminds us how tenuous our modern environment actually is. In this complicated world, the humble honeybee can be more important than all the latest technological advances put together.
Link via CNN
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