RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Recently, the world has wondered about the devastating consequences of the death of 500 million bees in Brazil and how it could impact our food chain.
Pesticides and a whole range of harmful habits we have been adopting for decades are beginning to suggest that we are destroying an ecosystem that works like a Swiss watch to maintain a vital balance.
Scientists say bees have become the most important animal on the planet and, so much so that the future of humankind is at stake should the bee population continue to decline, which unfortunately is becoming a reality.
Dr. George McGavin is an entomologist, academic and explorer who has spent over 25 years teaching Oxford students who are now at the forefront of preserving and studying the insect’s behaviors and habits.
The Earthwatch Institute, an international environmental charity with the goal of working for the planet’s well-being, told the Royal Geographical Society that bees are now the most important living creature on the planet.
Dr. McGavin emphasizes the importance of bees in the global ecosystem for their pollinating function; he explains, “The critical symbiosis between insects, particularly bees and flowering plants has resulted in a rich diversity of life on Earth.
He adds, “Bees are essential to our survival, without the bees in the world, we would be forced to change our eating habits dramatically, we would have to live without flowers, without fruits or vegetables”.
Bees are starting to top the lists of endangered animals because their population has been declining at alarming rates in recent years, so quickly, that “we are not even aware of the issues that this entails”.
Dr. McGavin believes that solutions may lie in small daily actions such as avoiding the use of pesticides in our orchards or buying organic food.
Never underestimate a species no matter how small, the work it can do can be of colossal proportions and irreversible repercussions.
When are we going to start heeding the signs?
Source: Clarín