Mind Your Beeswax

"This is your brain, and this is your brain on drugs."

Remember the anti-drug video? It was most effective in its poetic simplicity by eliminating the Chicken-Little scare tactics. The egg and brain visual was so compelling that many addicts went cold-turkey!

Simplicity's the key in making people think.

Never underestimate the power of stupidity. It's a real thing with us humans. Sometimes I wonder how much longer we can go on with a lazy brain and resulting inaction.

"Save the Planet," "Climate Change," "Go Green!" They sound simple, right? Well, not really. They're seen as buzz words, buzz kill, and carry with it the excitement level of an old turkey buzzard. Despite the best intentions, it's not working, people!

Truly, Climate Change is a hard thing to grasp, but it is a serious and real issue.

We're all experts thanks to electronic data dumps. A cause that would benefit living beings is argued, debated, decried, and "partisanized." (pardon the neologism!) We all do a disservice by not changing our patterns in dealing with serious issues by standing on two sides.We've become intellectually lazy and this in turn has clogged our action potential.

"Save the planet," is another misunderstood sentence. I just don't get how clueless humans want to save while continuing to trash the planet. Sanctimonious stupid is also a thing, for Earth is a no-nonsense mother.

Remember the dinosaurs acting up? She probably tolerated much, until those recalcitrant creatures refused to toe the line. Mother Earth simply ushered in the Ice Age and took a long nap.

So, if anyone needs saving, it is us!

All creatures are interdependent in the web of life. Yet, we cannot see threads in the web breaking because there are several others holding up the web.

"Save ourselves!" would be a better motto. We humans listen better when it is about ourselves.

Someone came up with a National Bee Day. I'd say it was a thinking soul, amen! They become rarer every minute of the day. Now, if the brain was a free app, there would be a rush to use it, but I digress. Many only understand the bee's sting. Some raise a hue and cry about hives, allergies, shock, and annoyance. Why care about the bee when can all be about me?

Circling back to us seems more effective. It's not just about saving the bees. You see, without them, there will be food scarcity. And with that comes starvation for us; you and me. Yes, me!

Every third mouthful we eat is pollinated by these hardworking creatures.

Pesticides, pollution in water, air, and ground cause hive collapse. As we continue to overpopulate, overuse, and we overwork everything around us. There's an inverse correlation between human overpopulation and bee death. We push our agri-farms with pesticides and fertilizers to increase crop production for our ever-growing needs. According to UCLA's apiculturist Eric Mussen, biologists have discovered "pesticide cocktail" of over 150 different chemical residues in bee pollen. This does not affect only the bees people, it affects us.

Those high-rise luxe buildings, those mega mansions, those trees we clear for our beautiful habitats, they're not cheap. We raze down green habitats as well as the creatures that reside in them. But hey, it'll not affect us in our climate controlled bubble with a penthouse view.

Let me break my own bad news. I'm not invulnerable. If one had space, "penthouse" for bee hives would be a better idea. An old barn loft could help with that. There's a strong link between several creatures and the viruses harmful to humans. These detrimental viruses do not harm the creatures that consume them. Without these consumers, we have to fend off new diseases. Potential cures might have existed, but with razing down forests, we are endangering ourselves further. To put it simply, it's like having dragonflies in the garden. With their monstrous appetite, they munch on mosquitoes and other insects that are harmful to humans.

Even in this oversharing climate, pesticide companies will not share the data on hive collapses. Bee pollen now contains traces of multiple pesticides that go on to the hive leading to their collapse. The food pollinated by the bees also carry trace pesticides. How can that not affect the consumers?

Apart from the other toxicities in pesticides, three neonicotinoids target the insect nervous systems. Not only do they accumulate in individual bees they infiltrate entire colonies including the honey. The infant larvae are affected as their food source is tainted, and they slowly become weaker. The stronger ones overwork, and the over-all effect is the bee colony collapse. Contrast these bees with the ones in a wild habitat, and there is a huge difference in survival. Wild habitats of course, are becoming rarer, and the increase in bee colony collapse is plain to see...that is, if one wants to see it.

Are there innovative ways to farm then?

Sometimes innovation is going back to the old ways. We need to restore ecological agriculture. That includes stabilizing human food consumption, preservation of wild habitats, and yes, protecting the bees. By avoiding large monocrops, we preserve ecosystem diversity and protect helpful insects.

Think about the Amazon forest with its rare plants, some medicinal, and all the special creatures inhabiting them. Now think about the clearing of these forests to meet the demand of a monocrop of soyabeans for human consumption. This is just unfeasible in the long haul.

Natural composting increases soil nutrients, it avoids toxic chemicals that suffocate the bees. In addition, ecological agriculture prevents wind and soil erosion, and mainly avoids pesticides and insecticides. With increased bee population and their good health, there is increased pollination with higher crop yields. Some countries have banned genetically modified crops that stifle out native plants that sustain bees.

Several countries in Asia, Europe, and South America are going back to ecological agriculture. Bhutan in particular, promotes organic farming only. It has banned all other kinds of farming. Regarding the bee population decline, there's a silver lining. European Commission's two year ban on certain pesticides affecting the bees will simultaneously study the recovery rate of bees. The long term ban on such pesticides is also on the table.

Despite warnings, the EPA in the US has turned a blind eye on the neonicotinoid pesticides to allow their use. This comes despite US Department of Agriculture's warning on their use and the imminent bee hive collapse.

The Monsanto Protection Act of 2014 actually gives protection to the biotech companies by providing them immunity in federal US courts from damages caused by their commercial compounds to people and environment. This was written by their powerful lobbyists. US can and should do better, leading by example. If we were thinking individuals, these lobbyists would face some censure.

Everyone can pitch in to cultivate their" beesness." At home, one can ignore the well-manicured lawn to allow a wilder habitat. It's a good idea to do away with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Planting native plants help local bees do their thing, and even filling water in a bird bath with pebbles provides them hydration. While you're at it, encourage local apiarists with a purchase of local honey.

Now why would we have to put in this much effort? I'll let you in on this secret.It takes greater effort to maintain the lawn versus letting your wildflower and dandelion take root.

Bees are food pollinators. Honeybees alone contribute to over $15 billion in agriculture.

According to a 2010 study*, without bees, we'd lose 100% almonds, 90% apples, onions, blueberries, cucumbers, and carrots to name a few.

All this talk about the bees suddenly put the spotlight on me.I cannot do without almond milk and apple-blueberry pie, without soupe d'oignon, carrot juice and cucumber tzaziki, So yes, let's save ourselves by saving the bees.

*Source: Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, Renee Johnson, Congressional Research Service 2010.