Last Friday, 20 May was World Bee Day – a UN observance adopted in 2017. This recognizes how crucial protecting bees is to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Modern agricultural practices which use pesticides, insecticides, clear natural habitats, alongside pollution and global heating, have devasted many bee populations placing them under severe threat. Greenpeace estimates US losses running at double the natural rate. As bees pollinate some 90% of human food crops, this is potentially disastrous for humans as well as the bees. Clearly, bee loss relates to SDGs 2, 3 and 15 as well 10, 11 and 12.
What is frustrating is that the resistance to fixing this – and it is fixable – seems only to be a resistance to change and an unwillingness to accept that for example the losses due to other pests will be far outweighed by the gains from saving bees.
Once again, hoping for some sanity to prevail.
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.