I have just finished watching the documentary "Vanishing of the Bees" which discusses the rapidly decreasing bee population due to "Collapse Colony Disorder." The tag line is: a film for anyone who likes to eat. I couldn't agree more!
I have never been more frustrated with our country's government's approach to farming, use of pesticides, misuse of research, and general lack of forethought. Yes, the beekeeping industry has a bias with this film: have better practices, stop killing our bees. Else, we might not have food in 10 years. Seems fair enough.
The film was both foreboding and optimistic. In summary, if we don't stop the use of pesticides until further non-biased research is done, the bee population will die and so will our access to fruits and vegetables (bees are the primary pollinator of crops). However, the rise of organic, holistic farming is gaining traction, and it is possible that we the people of the United States of America could change the course of our future without Big (or in this case Wimpy Cowardly) Government stepping in.
What amazed me most about the film is that this problem was not discovered, or acted upon, in America. France has dealt with this ten years prior. Their cautionary government stopped the sale of the systemic pesticide Gaucho due to the voice of their beekeepers and citizens. The result? Bee populations in once toxic environments started to recover in a year. Wow. And we're not following suit because....?
....because the EPA can't "prove" anything. 1) stop paying the pesticide makers to do the research. 2) what kind of proof are you looking for? I enjoyed Michael Pollen's take on this. He says (and I paraphrase) that there are multiple kinds of "proof" out there other than proof from scientists in a lab. Try talking to the people who live day in and day out with these populations. How about looking historically as to the interpretation of bee behaviors. Yes, our society is more modern and more high tech, but it seems like all the progress in agriculture (machines, chemicals, etc) is starting to slow us down.
I should mention that pesticides were originally created from the same the chemicals used in chemical warfare. Not quite the reuse/recycle mentality we were hoping for, huh?
So there's my speech. Now I want to plant a huge garden and go live on a farm or at least volunteer with an organic community farm. Submitted: volunteer online form to Grow Pittsburgh.
