Bees+Are+Dying+-+What+Can+We+Do?


 * 1) ** Article: ** The article was published on CNN on March 20, 2017. Though it was not written within one month ago, it is nevertheless a pertinent issue today. Link: []
 * 2)  **Summary:** The article essentially describes the decline of bee populations as a result of the widespread pesticide use, climate change, the emergence of foreign pests, diseases, and [|habitat loss] . According to the article, the bee population is so low that many farmers around the world have been forced to hand-pollinate their produce, otherwise growing underdeveloped plants. While urban beekeeping has been on the rise, it is not a reliable solution because it is not a sustainable career. Beekeepers are compensated by the government in America, but this is not the case in most other countries. Thus, the most dependable solution would be to reform the practices that are leading to their demise. If this issue is ignored, the consequences are much greater than what they appear to be. Bees are a keystone species because their pollination sustains a host of crops, thus affecting humans and animals alike. In Europe alone, more than commercial 4000 vegetable varieties exist because bees pollinate them. Their decline can affect global economic patterns should the problem become dire enough to diminish the cash crop revenue many nations rely on. The lack of pollinated crops can even affect global food security as the population continues to rise. Evidently, the effects of bee population reduction are both vast and disastrous.
 * 3)  **Relevance to APES:** The course’s stated objective is “ to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required [...] to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them.” Given this objective, provided by College Board, it follows that students must be able to recognize global environmental issues and find ways to address them locally. Every initiative begins at the community level, and saving the bees is no exception . The intersection of the global issue with the local solution is a clear example of citizens and children alike being able to take part in the greater vision of a clean world.
 * 4) **My Perspective:** Though the decline of bees is a difficult one to tackle, it is not impossible. Because the main sources of damage are deeply rooted in agricultural practices and more, a wise short-term solution would be a pollution cleanup approach. For example, the governments in other nations can incentivize the people by giving a compensation for beekeeping, and the American government can raise this imbursement. Once the population has stabilized, laws can be passed to modify the agricultural practices that affect bees. In the long run, this is a more effective solution.
 * 5)  **Law:** Both of the following environmental laws relate directly to the issue at hand, as they detail the restrictions that both governmental agencies and corporations must adhere when engaging in such practices.

**Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Control Act of 1972** – Requires that all commercial pesticides be approved by the EPA for general or restricted use.
 * Endangered Species Act of 1973 **- Makes it illegal for Americans to import or trade in any product made from an endangered or threatened species unless it is used for an approved scientific purpose or to enhance the survival of the species. The next revision authorizes the National Marine Fisheries Service to identify and list endangered and threatened ocean species; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identifies and lists all other endangered and threatened species.