Where are all the bees?

     Long time since I posted but I have been going through a lifestyle change in my eating patterns and in my thinking about the world.  In a recent article, I read that honeybees are in a dire situation this year and this has been of great concern to many farmers and beekeepers.  In a report by the UN, around 70 percent of our food is required to be pollinated in order to grow and bees account for about 75% of all pollination done within the food crops (according to the USDA).  So in reality bees are critical for just over half of our food production in the world.
     Why do I bring this up? Well there is a long history of bees mysteriously disappearing over the past century but since late 2006 we have seen a vast change in bee colonies.  Numerous reports of large amounts of colony population death became more common than earlier seasons.  Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD is essentially the severe die off of worker bees in a hive and thus no workers, no honey.  The EPA has given a broad outline of what they are doing and have observed in regards to CCD.
     What does this mean for us?  Well if one of the links in a chain is weakening what usually happens to that chain?: It breaks.  If the pollination capabilities of bees become so limited that our food growers have seen a major difference and essentially raising food prices in response, then we are greatly affected by this disease.
     What should we do?  Step 1: Educate ourselves. Learning about what corporations are doing to help solve the problem and what are government is doing in response to the news of this problem will make us aware of what is being done.  Step 2: Action.  One of the key pieces of evidence that is pointing towards a conclusion is the direct correlation of using pesticides and the death of worker bees.  We have to stop the aimless usage of harmful chemicals in and around our homes because there are far greater repercussions than just limiting a small number of ants in your kitchen.  Step 3: Support environmental efforts that promote beekeeping practices and support researchers in their fight to find a solution to the problem of the disappearing honeybee.
     So in past posts, I have talked about this problem before but I bring it up again because I am afraid for the future of organic and heirloom plants.  With the ever-present GMO hybrid plants out there, pollination is not required for the production of a harvest-worthy fruit or vegetable.  These 'corporations' have taken pollination out of the equation when it comes to food because they don't want us growing our own food.  They want us to buy food that came from their plants [that have patents on] and are essentially untested in humans.  Whether they are responding to the collapse of bee populations or they themselves are the root cause of the disappearance of bees, these corporations are ruining food and they are killing the human race.  We have to stand up for ourselves and what God gave us!  Our food should be natural and pure and not messed with in a laboratory.  If the bees die then so will our organic and heirloom plants.  We need bees in our gardens and on the farms that produce our food so we can produce viable seeds for future plantings and seasons.
     Many things in this crazy world upset me but one of the major stickers in my mind is the initiative these corporations have taken to control everything in our lives.  They have become the backbone of government agencies that control the industries and have essentially made the laws so that they will one day have control over all food production.  Well I am starting with a garden and I stand by organic growers in my region.  All of these local farmers know how important bees are so they are well aware of this situation.  Stand with me in buying organic local food this season and when the temperature hits the freezing mark in the fall, do your best to support organic growers in our country.

Peace,
Ryan