Search This Blog

Monday, March 12, 2007

Bees On The Run

picture: bluebison.net
I have been following Climate Change for about 30 years. I recall that about that time, I was having discussion with a fellow who believed in the soon-to-come end of the world. We mentioned climate change- it did not go by that name then. I forget the name we used; maybe just natural disasters-as a possible scenario. (He was right, actually, but had the wrong imagery: his young wife suffered a debilitating stroke, recovery was long, and at the end of recovery, she took off, leaving him with the 2 kids. You might say it was an end of the world.)

Now Climate Change is politicized, and it is politicized a la USA Politics, which is pretty crappy. How nice. I read a Yameenee (righty) complaining about a Shamalee (lefty): some guy upset about Al Gore pretending to be Mother Theresa while driving an SUV. I wrote and said it was a Righty upset because a Lefty beat him to a scam. In essence, there's money in the Environment. Al Gore beat me to it! Blast!

However, we all agree its a good scam, and now we should argue about it and politicize, thereby effectively insuring that nothing will be done for at least one more generation. Observe how or Energy Independence Policy has flourished: we move Daylight Savings ahead 3 whole weeks! About 6 years ago, I read a book on pollinators: bees, wasps, ants, birds - the guys that get out there and move the pollen around from stamen to pistil, or whatever. I forget the name of the book. It probably was Pollinators, which would make sense. I'm sure a lot of you also read it. Anyway, it was a Liberal type book. It had to be, because it took a Liberal posish; i.e., that many groups of pollinators were under pressure and diminishing in numbers. If we lost our pollinators, we may as well kiss the food on the table good-bye. Definitely Liberal trash. So, today we see:  

Vanishing bees threaten US crops 
 By Matt Wells BBC News, Florida, USA 

 It is officially called Colony Collapse Disorder, but a more pithy way of describing it would be Vanishing Bee Syndrome. Bees are driven around Florida to help pollinate early cropsAll over America, beekeepers are opening up their hives in preparation for the spring pollination season, only to find that their bees are dead or have disappeared. ... "There's a lot of Congressmen have called...wanting to know what's going on. It's serious.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6438373.stm

This has been going on for a couple of years. ( I think it's been longer. I seem to remember an NPR special on bee keepers years ago, where some Chicken Little was crying about "crashing" populations, or some such balderdash.) It is a matter of days before a congress person calls for a "Manhattan Project" to save the bees. Perhaps moving Daylight Savings Time ahead another week will help?

Now, the question is whether we shall politicize this? I think we should. Politics is an essential art of mankind. We in the USA have really developed an interesting variant of Politics. It is a Politics of Blatant Cynicism that rewards people with no definite stand on an issue. Thus, by Darwinian selection, we breed more and more moral, scientific, religious, political, educational NUMBSKULLS running for office and succeeding. (IF you want me to prove it, I shall hold up a Hilary picture and say Gotcha! Hilary is hated for being a real person with real stands on issue and real...huevos! That's why we all hate her, right gumbahs?)

When a disaster happens, these ninnies are forced into a situation where they must make a decision. Since they have no true beliefs, it is a coin toss whether things will be good or bad. Sometimes they have an eminence grise in the form of a Svengali-type Vice President-or a Wormtongue-who will direct the course of events for them.
Don't forget! Write your Representatives and let them know: POLITICIZE BEES ! LET'S WHINE ABOUT IT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

unless, or until, the western culture dominating our planet realizes that the planet is a living organism, we're f**ked.

we've probably already reached the point of no return. we've murdered countless species...for what? SUVs, hair-dryers, scented toilet paper?

a friend recently told me that we were SUPPOSED to "advance." that this was ordained. that "it's better than living like monkeys." i was quick to remind her that my recent ancestors were not monkeys - but iroquois. they honored the planet, loved her, and walked carefully upon her.

when the white people came, they learned about democracy from my people. your constitution closely follows my ancestors' system. Very OLD laws, that endured millenia.

it's too bad that so many of your ancestors took exception to our laws about consensus. our planet might probably be healthier if they had adopted our entire system. it takes a long time to reach consensus. long enough for hotheads and evil men with agendas to melt away.

Montag said...

I like the way you put this: that evil has no true staying power, that it will melt away...if we can but take the time to resist while we attempt to reach consensus.

Interesting thought.