Honey Bee Extinction
Chace Jensen
Dr. Butler
ENGL 1103
16 January 2012
A Small Extinction, A Big Problem Albert Einstein once said, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man” (“Einstein Once Said…”). After careful thought on this matter, this can be a scary concept to process. Millions of years have passed with the honey bee gracing the earth, and in fact, the honeybee is the only insect that aids in the production of food that is consumed by the human race (“20 Amazing Honey Bee Facts!”). Imagine going to a grocery store and there being no almonds to buy, a scarce supply of apples to choose from, and a very limited amount of blueberries. One could try going to one’s local farmers market, but with the disappearance of honey bees, private farmers and vendors would also take a devastating hit. The culprit of this devastating scenario is known as colony collapse disorder. Colony collapse disorder, also known as CCD, is when healthy worker bees disappear from the hive leaving behind honey and immature bees to care for the queen (Weise 1). Judging for the information at hand, I believe CCD is affecting a majority of the honey bee hives that we rely on for this nation’s crop production. Many Americans know little, if anything, about how serious the situation has become. With honey bee hives vanishing more and more each year, people may begin to ask themselves a multitude of questions such as: How could this mysterious disappearance of honey bees affect the way that I eat? Is the problem so serious to the point that it may be detrimental to the survival of the human race? If so, what are some things causing this? And what are some things I can do to possibly help prevent the extinction of the honey bee? An in-depth look into the underlying causes of this epidemic will tell us more about how we can help and what this means for the future of our
Dr. Butler
ENGL 1103
16 January 2012
A Small Extinction, A Big Problem Albert Einstein once said, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man” (“Einstein Once Said…”). After careful thought on this matter, this can be a scary concept to process. Millions of years have passed with the honey bee gracing the earth, and in fact, the honeybee is the only insect that aids in the production of food that is consumed by the human race (“20 Amazing Honey Bee Facts!”). Imagine going to a grocery store and there being no almonds to buy, a scarce supply of apples to choose from, and a very limited amount of blueberries. One could try going to one’s local farmers market, but with the disappearance of honey bees, private farmers and vendors would also take a devastating hit. The culprit of this devastating scenario is known as colony collapse disorder. Colony collapse disorder, also known as CCD, is when healthy worker bees disappear from the hive leaving behind honey and immature bees to care for the queen (Weise 1). Judging for the information at hand, I believe CCD is affecting a majority of the honey bee hives that we rely on for this nation’s crop production. Many Americans know little, if anything, about how serious the situation has become. With honey bee hives vanishing more and more each year, people may begin to ask themselves a multitude of questions such as: How could this mysterious disappearance of honey bees affect the way that I eat? Is the problem so serious to the point that it may be detrimental to the survival of the human race? If so, what are some things causing this? And what are some things I can do to possibly help prevent the extinction of the honey bee? An in-depth look into the underlying causes of this epidemic will tell us more about how we can help and what this means for the future of our