boutte
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A huge problem that doesn't get the attention it deserves has been traced to to pesticides and organically modified crops. Once again we find that we're just smart enough to be dangerous to ourselves and the environment. Hopefully we're smart enough to fix it
Mystery of the disappearing bees: Solved! | The Great Debate
But don't blame it all on pesticides. We might need to take a hard look at these GMO crops. Seems like these are causing more problems than they're solving.
Mystery of the disappearing bees: Solved! | The Great Debate
Thousands of scientific sleuths have been on this case for the last 15 years trying to determine why our honey bees are disappearing in such alarming numbers. “This is the biggest general threat to our food supply,” according to Kevin Hackett, the national program leader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s bee and pollination program.
Until recently, the evidence was inconclusive on the cause of the mysterious “colony collapse disorder” (CCD) that threatens the future of beekeeping worldwide. But three new studies point an accusing finger at a culprit that many have suspected all along, a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids.
But don't blame it all on pesticides. We might need to take a hard look at these GMO crops. Seems like these are causing more problems than they're solving.
But scientists believe that exposure to toxic pesticides is only one factor that has led to the decline of honey bees in recent years. The destruction and fragmentation of bee habitats, as a result of land development and the spread of monoculture agriculture, deprives pollinators of their diverse natural food supply. This has already led to the extinction of a number of wild bee species. The planting of genetically modified organism (GMO) crops – some of which now contain toxic insecticides within their genetic structure – may also be responsible for poisoning bees and weakening their immune systems.