> On 21 Sep 2014, at 22:44, William Bartlett wrote: >I think we would be foolish to think that the only insects that we are losing are the honey bees<

Let's not forget we are also losing the birds that feed on insects - whose birdsong used to delight us in spring.  

And while at it, the wildflowers that used to brighten road verges - now strips of monotonous green.  And the amphibians, whose croaks and scurries when we looked at a pond reminded us of the huge diversity of wildlife we had inherited.  

A heritage we are in danger of not passing on to our grandchildren.  

Most wildlife does not have economic value.  Honeybees do.  So we are able to resist loss. I believe beekeepers should accept responsibility to speak up on the degradation of the planet in the cause of making the rich richer.     

A lost cause?  Not quite yet.  Society will soon have to face that the finite limits of the planet mean that goals of ever increasing prosperity for an ever increasing population , plus increasing levels of comfort at the cost of increasing global energy consumption, will cause climate change and sea level rise that will really knock us back.  Society will need to find a new relationship between humans and physics and biology.  Beekeepers - well, some beekeepers - have long taught that  beekeeping achieves a win-win-win relationship - bees / flowers / beekeepers all win.  Models such as that need promoting.  Do we do enough to assert that? 

An exciting future!

Robin 
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