Article full text attached.
Paywalls aren't walls.
And the author does NOT get it right. Let's just admit that the media comes
out the door in the morning with a "narrative arc", and goes looking for
snippets and quotes that they can use to support that pre-conceived
narrative, regardless of the actual facts of the situation. The best answer
to any/all media other than the local high school newspaper is "There is no
story here".
First, "save the bees" was extremely alluring to many people's imaginations.
For the first time, a charismatic megafauna said to be "in danger" was
something one could buy via mail order, and keep in one's own back yard or
on one's roof! In contrast, back in the 1970s, everyone wanted to "Save The
Whales", and I had only the one guest bathroom, with one bathtub, so I could
only save that one whale...
Second, even a completely untrained/unskilled person who gets a hive of bees
becomes at least slightly more aware of the environment around them than
someone who does not. At minimum, they start learning about flowers and
blooming, and maybe pesticides. That's a net win, as an educated voter is
the best environmentalist.
Third, if "Saving The Bees" actually works out on an individual basis, and
another successful hobby beekeeper is created, they likely pat themselves on
the back, and become lax in other areas. The easiest example here is the
person who loudly proclaims "No Plastic Straws! Save the Turtles!" from the
seat of their 8 mile per gallon SUV pulled up at the drive-through window of
a fast-food joint. Eschewing plastic straws does not give license to drive
the SUV.
I do not keep bees to save the bees, and I do not keep bees to save the
world. I keep bees to save the world from what I'd be if I didn't keep
bees.
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