August 20, 2013
Reading response 4 It’s a disturbing fact that most people do not realize how important honey bees are to humanity. The truth is they are in a worldwide decline by phenomenal numbers and that is something that people should pay more attention to. Honey bees are disappearing at an alarming rate and that will have a major impact on the lives of everyone. The disappearance of honey bees would not only mean less pollination of important plants to our society but also could lead to higher food cost. After reading and analyzing Ambrose Evans-Pritchard’s article titled Einstein was right – honey bee collapse threatens global food security, it is almost unbelievable that people don’t understand how much honey bees effect our lives. It’s not just about sweet things, honey, or flowers, but in the service honey bees provide as pollinators of farms and gardens. Most people do not understand the multiple crises facing the bee population that continue to empty the hives. In his discussion of the honey bee collapse, Pritchard notes that “Almost a third of global farm output depends on animal pollination, largely by honey bees” (Par.1). Without the help and pollination of honey bees, foods that have been common for so long would eventually cease to exist. Even if these foods such as berries, onions, cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and coffee to name a few, didn’t cease to exist, the prices of these products would eventually skyrocket due to the fact that they would be in high demand at this point. It is a known fact that honey bees are the only insects that help produce food for humans. Even a thirty percent colony collapse with honey bees would have a major impact on the lives of everyone, especially because shortages of food. Around the world bee keepers are in a state of panic as masses amount of bees are dying off. In an article reported by MSN.com, “More than 37 million honeybees were found dead in Elmwood, Ontario, according to
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