4 ms·
Smart for many reasons, the USA should do the same. Though because of lobbying and industry/gov revolving doors that seems highly unlikely to happen. Instead we
by notadoc 8y ago
Smart for many reasons, the USA should do the same. Though because of lobbying and industry/gov revolving doors that seems highly unlikely to happen. Instead we'll probably be told "the science is undecided" and that we must "debate" the "science" for a few decades, and then eventually someone will politicize bees and pesticides with some nonsensical focus group generated slogans like "entitled pollen queens" and "plant-helping juice" so that half the country suddenly hates bees and loves pesticides, insuring nothing ever gets done about the problem.
- tptacek 8y agoIn North America, honey bees aren't wildlife, they're livestock. Banning substances to protect them would be a little bit like banning substances to protect beef steers. You could imagine it being reasonable, but the bar for harm would be set pretty high --- especially since the people applying the pesticide are also in large part the people bearing the brunt of its impact on bees.
- bgorman 8y agoIn North America bees are mostly an agricultural tool. Honeybees are the only reliable way to polinate large numbers of crops effectively. Bees will be trucked around all over the country for an entire growing season - always heading where pollinating is needed. The threat isn't so much with our bees as it is with our ability to continue industrial agriculture.
- mistrial9 8y agoPlease understand that this shipping of bees, by truck, as pollinators is NEW, is and always has been CONTROVERSIAL. Industrial agriculture is rife with blunders on huge scale. (supporting references on request)
- bgorman 8y agoMy main source for this is my dad, who was a beekeeper in the 70's. It can't be that new of a practice.
- tptacek 8y agoCommercial beekepers lose hives over the winter --- always have. "Colony collapse disorder" is defined as an increase in the rate at which they lose colonies. Either way, the commercial response is the same: you buy new queens and split colonies. Has the price of new queens skyrocketed? Is there reason to believe livestock management techniques won't adapt?
- DFHippie 8y agoI was a beekeeper in North America. I've given up. Buying new nucs for your hives is expensive.
- firethief 8y agoNA does have native pollinators that are also suffering though.