All we are saying, is give bees a chance!
Bees are on the way out. Due to global climate change, and an increase in harmful insecticide use by major corporations, the world's bee population is rapidly declining towards the point of no return. Within just five years, bees will become irreversibly scarce, and eventually die out completely. We need to work together as a species and take every possible opportunity to prevent the downfall of one of the most important animals on earth today.
Why should we care?
Bees carry so much cultural value. They are a symbol of life, warmth, and prosperity. These connotations are in fact strongly based in truth; bees are just as important, if not more integral to keeping the human race alive as livestock and animal farming.
Bees are the primary pollinators of our planet: they allow not only beautiful flowers to blossom, but delicious fruits and nutritious vegetables. These dedicated workers are constantly contributing towards creating food for us to eat. To put it simply, we could not live without them. Without bees, the wheels of global agriculture will grind to a halt, resulting in the destruction of most of the world's economy, and perhaps the downfall of mankind.
If bees die out, they are taking us with them.
How you can help:
There are many fun, cheap, easy changes you can make in your daily life to help save the bees. Here are the three that will help you make the biggest impact:
1. Lawns are lame! Plant some flowers!
One big contributor to the decline in bee population is the decrease of flowering plants, during the mass construction of residential buildings. Even when there are green spaces, they're just a boring shiny grass carpet. You can bring life back to the bees, and your neighbourhood, by planting some sweet smelling colourful flowers all over that precious green turf. It's a great pastime for relieving stress, and you can get your friends and family involved too! Make it a local movement! Healthier community, healthier bees, and healthier humans. It's a win-win all around.
2. Stop wasting your cash on weed killer and pesticide.
This really is a no-brainer. What do you think a product containing the word "killer" is going to do? When you spray noxious chemicals all over your garden, there is an invisible ecosystem genocide going on right under your nose. Why pay more to damage your garden? There's no such thing as a weed: just a plant in the wrong place at the wrong time. A dandelion or a few nettles in the cracks of your driveway are a tiny price to pay for hundreds of bees.
3. Spread the word!
The most powerful tool we have is word of mouth. If you really care about bees, get out there and make some noise. The more people that know about the catastrophic colony collapse happening all over the world, the easier it is to stop it. You could help organise public events to raise money and awareness for bees, and create articles and publications just like this one, but even just telling your friends can make a difference.
Zach Hill, Year 11
Images: India Bonnet and Alex Fowler