Hi all

Having been involved in beekeeping during the past 5 decades, I have seen a lot come and go. Many brilliant ideas crashed and burned. Nobody would rather see a return to robust bee health than I, and would gladly bring it about using some "natural" approach. I abhor the idea of putting anything into the hives except smoke and a hive tool, especially during a honey flow. 

Be that as it may (my favorite expression) -- if the cause of widespread bee decline is viruses, and we need some form of anti-viral remedy, who is going to fund the research? Only large corporations have the funds and facilities to do this, and they will only do it if they see the possibilty of recovering their investment and making a profit. 

I am cynical as the next person. When I see big oil talking about their environmental concerns, or google fretting over privacy issues, I want to puke. But the fact remains, I support modern medicine, science, and industry as the best hope for the future of humankind. In this future, I want to see natural areas, wildlife, beekeeping, migratory birds, all of it. 

As a parent, I want the world to be different for my kids, not the same as it was when I was a kid. By its very nature, evolution does not have a direction. Where we came from influences where we go next, but nobody knows what will be. One thing is certain, the best outcome will be the result of cooperation and understanding each other.

Pete

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