The previous post concerns me.  I am tired of partisanship.  

Here is my take on the whole bee die-off  topic.  Please sit down.
---

I am very concerned about pretty much everything I read or hear on the topic of bee die-offs recently.

The topic has become a football and it seems objectivity is rare.

I find it especially sad when people who know something is an obvious lie or half truth repeat it it fail to discredit it simply because it is pushing in a direction they personally favour.  That used to be called intellectual dishonesty or lack of personal integrity.  Those words seem to have fallen out of favour about the same time as we stopped hearing the word, "decadence".

I don't know about the rest of the members of this list, but I see flaws in every case that is made pro or con neonics, and I have been watching neonics since before most were even aware they were coming. 

Some of the flaws are trivial and do not affect the conclusions.  Others are so fundamental that they totally negate the case under consideration and serve to muddy the water by confusing and polluting the minds of any who try to understand the 'logic'. 

I have watched a number of media presentations and as far as I can tell, some of the producers are on a mission and select data or hearsay and opinion to produce a popular science fiction presentation that passes for reality for people who don't know better. (Harry Potter is not fiction to a surprising number of people, or, apparently, Murphy Brown)

Others are honestly trying to understand what the fuss is about, but have a really hard time figuring out who is spinning them.  The fact is that everybody is, and that is unusual in reporting.  There is usually someone to consult who is not in on the fix and wants to spill the beans, so they have no point of reference.

After all, CCD and mass die-offs is a big business.  Not bigger than the chemical companies, but big nonetheless and many are making out very nicely on the money being thrown at what IMO is a media event more than a real crisis.

We hear that it is a world-wide die-off.  Is that true?  How big is that "world"?   Is it mostly English-speaking and online?

We hear it is unprecedented?  Is that true?  How far back do we need to look?  Apparently not as far as almost very decade or two in the past century?

We hear that is neonics went away all would be peace and love.  Is that true?  We'd just stop protecting crops, right? 

Before CCD, the ARS was about to be reduced to a lemonade stand, Beekeepers were lepers and being driven out of their historical yards and banned from urban areas.

CCD has been a blessing to everyone these days, at least those who "count".
The politicians get to ride in on a white horse.
Scientists get to eat again.
Beekeepers are suddenly heroes and victims, not pariahs
The media has a feast that never ends.

Everybody wins, right?

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm