They are concern, important and are cropping up. Hence this category.
Articles (note BEES link to further ones on this blog in 'Labels' below)
Guardian - Why bees are the most invaluable species
Info
PR from DEFRA (E&EO):
BEEKEEPERS BUZZING AS MORE REGISTER ON NATIONAL DATABASE
The number of beekeepers has grown over the last year, according to the National Bee Unit, which runs BeeBase, the national beekeepers’ database.
More than 1,500 new beekeepers have registered on BeeBase this year and much of this has been attributed to the increased publicity on bee health, leading to more people donning bee suits and picking up smokers for the first time.
Bee health Minister Lord Davies [no, really - Ed] said:
“This is great news – more beekeepers are registering on BeeBase. This entitles them to the free inspection service offered by the National Bee Unit and ensures that they are able to keep up to date on disease developments.
“It is encouraging that more people appear to be taking up beekeeping and taking up bee health training opportunities. By working with all beekeepers we can collaborate to improve bee health.”
The BeeBase database was constructed in 1991 and made live in 1992. It holds data on all the inspections made by staff of the NBU as well as laboratory samples submitted by beekeepers. BeeBase allows beekeepers to access their own apiary, diagnostic histories and details over the web. It also provides information on the functional activities of the NBU, legislation, pests and diseases including their recognition and control, interactive maps, current research areas, publications, advisory leaflets and key contacts. The database also allows beekeepers to request a free apiary visit from a local inspector who will provide help and advice.
More information on the National Been Unit is available at www.nationalbeeunit.com,
(won't work - try this: http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/) and the Government’s Healthy Bees plan can be found here.
Showing posts with label BEES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BEES. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Green...shoot...foot
Let's get this straight.
The latest leaked (maybe this should be 'whattheyaretellingustheywillbesaying'news'@sky.com/bbc.co.uk) big budget idea is to accommodate the growing population being encouraged (how is that working out, as one doubts these folk will consume much less) is... build more council homes. Concrete. Driveways. Water for washing cars and running off to drains. Lots of extra A+, but still energy sucking devices. And as a bit of free feedback to help that multimillion £ research, I suspects bees don't thrive when the greenery is paved over. Just a thought.
It's many things (lots of lovely voters). But let's give up any pretence of it being green. And remind me, what are the fuel consequences of grinding around all (school zones for sure worthy) urban areas at 20mph?
Metaefficient - NEW - City Of Green Rings To Be Built In Korea - if you must build, maybe this is a way to do it and keep the green spaces.
The latest leaked (maybe this should be 'whattheyaretellingustheywillbesaying'news'@sky.com/bbc.co.uk) big budget idea is to accommodate the growing population being encouraged (how is that working out, as one doubts these folk will consume much less) is... build more council homes. Concrete. Driveways. Water for washing cars and running off to drains. Lots of extra A+, but still energy sucking devices. And as a bit of free feedback to help that multimillion £ research, I suspects bees don't thrive when the greenery is paved over. Just a thought.
It's many things (lots of lovely voters). But let's give up any pretence of it being green. And remind me, what are the fuel consequences of grinding around all (school zones for sure worthy) urban areas at 20mph?
Metaefficient - NEW - City Of Green Rings To Be Built In Korea - if you must build, maybe this is a way to do it and keep the green spaces.
Monday, September 29, 2008
More on bees ...
... and the potential effects of colony collapse disorder from Haaretz, an Israeli publication house.
"Bear in mind that the bee problem has implications not only for fruits and vegetables, but also for beef. Without bees there is no seed for cattle grazing, no alfalfa and no clover," says Shai Spector, head of the Israeli honey producers association. "It's a chain. Costs will skyrocket; chickens and cows will disappear. You can eat bread, but a body cannot be sustained on bread alone. A war will break out over food, with the problems already in place today."
All very worrying, especially at a time of increasing costs in most basic foodstuffs.
"Bear in mind that the bee problem has implications not only for fruits and vegetables, but also for beef. Without bees there is no seed for cattle grazing, no alfalfa and no clover," says Shai Spector, head of the Israeli honey producers association. "It's a chain. Costs will skyrocket; chickens and cows will disappear. You can eat bread, but a body cannot be sustained on bread alone. A war will break out over food, with the problems already in place today."
All very worrying, especially at a time of increasing costs in most basic foodstuffs.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
2 B or nt 2 B?
Texting is doing for our bees?
Electronic smog 'is disrupting nature on a massive scale'
Worth noting that a lot of what 'we' do/demand/expect in our modern lifestyles can adversely affect nature.
Now, the odds of many, especially vocal eco-types (esp. yoof), giving up their moblys...?
Electronic smog 'is disrupting nature on a massive scale'
Worth noting that a lot of what 'we' do/demand/expect in our modern lifestyles can adversely affect nature.
Now, the odds of many, especially vocal eco-types (esp. yoof), giving up their moblys...?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Oh, the buzzing of the bees
... in the cigarette trees......(From 'The Big Rock Candy Mountain'). Maybe a sound that you will not hear that much in the future, and that is a cause for great concern, as our little friends, the bees, in their many species, appear to be in almost terminal decline. Full report from the Indy.
So what? I hear many of you ask. Well, without bees, a lot of our food crops will not be pollinated, and yields will drop dramatically. So they are, kind of, errrrm, rather important to humanity.
The article explains how CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder), which has devastated parts of the USA, has since hit Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece hard too. Now it seems to be spreading into the UK. And the cause of CCD? There is some research which now points the finger at mobile phones. The suggestion is that mobile phone signals somehow interfere with the bees navigation systems; they are unable to find their way back home, and they die.
Yet another serious enviro issue to worry about. And that's NOT tongue in cheek!
Bee-minus?
NEW - (Junkk Male) I was not aware of it at the time or I'd have picthed in, but here's a response from No10 to a petition on this topic.
So what? I hear many of you ask. Well, without bees, a lot of our food crops will not be pollinated, and yields will drop dramatically. So they are, kind of, errrrm, rather important to humanity.
The article explains how CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder), which has devastated parts of the USA, has since hit Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece hard too. Now it seems to be spreading into the UK. And the cause of CCD? There is some research which now points the finger at mobile phones. The suggestion is that mobile phone signals somehow interfere with the bees navigation systems; they are unable to find their way back home, and they die.
Yet another serious enviro issue to worry about. And that's NOT tongue in cheek!
Bee-minus?
NEW - (Junkk Male) I was not aware of it at the time or I'd have picthed in, but here's a response from No10 to a petition on this topic.
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