Tuesday, January 8, 2008

"Colony Collapse Disorder" one of 2007's "Green" Headlines

According to The Providence Sunday Journal (Providence, Rhode Island), Sunday, January 6, 2008, "Colony collapse disorder" was one of the top "green" stories of 2007 listed by the online journal, Grist.org.

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is the name of the mysterious phenomenon that describes the massive die-off affecting an entire beehive or bee colony. This collapse of colonies has been extremely worrisome to beekeepers and bee researchers alike since it was first noticed in North America in late 2006.

Theories of the cause, or causes, of CCD are many but none is yet definitive. Some include malnutrition, diseases and parasites, pesticides, and genetically modified crops. There are those who theorize that beekeeping practices can be a major contributing factor but, as of yet, no one knows for certain.

There are believed to be more than 100 insect-pollinated crops grown in the United States. Some bumble bee species and certain species of butterflies, also among nature's pollinators, are thought to be facing challenges similar to colony collapse disorder.

The news of these disappearing pollinators seems to stress how imperative it is now to evaluate, and possibly to reconsider, our home gardening and landscaping maintenance, public park and garden management, as well as the intensive farming practices of corporate agriculture.

(Photo: Beekeepers inspect hives in Richmond, RI, Spring 2007. The Providence Journal/Kris Craig.)

Labels: , , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home