> a segment of the population who knows nothing 
> about science but has fervent almost religious 
> beliefs that global warming and technology is
> killing the planet and fast.

Hi Brian and All

People that are wrong about one issue are not necessarily wrong about another.  In the case of global warming, the UN organisation IPCC has made efforts like never before to gain a scientific consensus in order to induce action from governments worldwide.  Those folk that come to your farmer's market worried about the planet's climate are not 'a growing fringe', they are mainstream, completely aligned with the scientific mainstream.

You can read about this unparalleled international scientific (if not political) consensus here:

http://www.ipcc.ch/

The IPCC's insistence on only accepting repeated peer-reviewed work has left it open to criticisms that it is too conservative and is *underestimating* the crisis facing the planet.  Its reports are bad enough as they stand: if we continue with 'business as usual' the world will be facing something between a mean global temperature rise of between 1.5 and 6C by the end of the century.  Most observers consider that the lower estimates are unlikely to be correct and some believe that we could go beyong the 6C.  Mean temperature rises mask the fact that the land masses will heat much more and the oceans much less.  A temperature rise of say 6C over large parts of N America would leave much of the arable land desert.

For the most accessible report on what is happening to the planet's climate, I'd recommend the summary for policy makers:

http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/Report/AR4WG1_Pub_SPM-v2.pdf

You don't have to believe this if you don't want to, but unfortunately this *is* the scientific orthodoxy.

And beekeeping?  My opinion (yes, its just opinion) is that climate change has already claimed many American bee colonies.  CCD doesn't appear to have one cause - it is probably a combination of stresses and amongst these stresses the record drought and high temperatures in 2006 will probably have played a role in weakening colonies, preventing late season brood raising, and possibly stimulating unsafe water collection.  El Nino is now turning into La Nina, so the worst may be over this time, but it will be back with a vengence.

best wishes

Gavin

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