Hello All

Richard Yarnell is quite right when he says:

>Loss of range and competition with us is what's harming most dwindling
species.  Surely the same will hold true for the insect world.


In my opinion, Mankind is in a class of its own when it comes to a
destructive approach to things.

The fundamental urge in all species is the desire to maintain the existence
of the species.

This urge is in man also. But look at how he goes about it. About 200 years
ago, man got a handle on technology and said 'Yipee, we can now ensure that
we do not have to die from diseases so he began a process of what I might
term 'Death Control'. And without a corresponding 'Birth Control' the most
dim witted member of this intelligent species should have been able to see
that this would cause run away population growth. Not only that, but man was
from then on allowing to live,those members who were targeted by disease, in
fulfillment of nature's policy of eliminating the weak. What surprises me is
that we have got away with it for so long. But I do believe that the invoice
is on its way from nature.

Thus Man's urge to preserve himself on the planet had an effect directly
opposite to what was intended. He interfered with a natural balancing system
by which all of nature is controlled. So the intelligent species acted
unintelligently. I daresay that few people would not go for a cure for a
disease if offered, but the terrible equation was not seen and is still not
seen. The cure was good for the individual but bad for the species.

Bees and all other species act differently. They consider the good of the
species first and if the individual must die in upholding that policy
(stinging or disease for example) then so be it.

Sign is on, the bees have been here for 40 million years. And Mankind after
about 1 million years or so has in my opinion very little time left. If that
is intelligence I would sure hate to see stupidity.

But Mother Earth, after heaving a sigh of relief at our demise, will then
repair the damage. And then the same thing will probably happen all over again!

Beats me for sure!



Sincerely

Tom Barrett
49 South Park
Foxrock
Dublin 18
Ireland