Regarding the bees, well, perhaps things aren't as scary as some of us are thinking.
No doubt you have heard about the millions of disappearing bees across North America and Europe. There is no certain word on the cause or implications of colony collapse disorder, but maybe we can feel ok about them for now. More over>
If you talk to other beekeepers, most admit they have colonies die off every winter, but they don't always keep records on how many. A lot of the reports we're hearing are based on personal recollection rather than careful documentation. In other words, the scary figures you're hearing could be exaggerated.
If you are concerned, perhaps this summary (click here) will put your mind at ease a little. If that author is at all close to the mark, it may be a cycle we just haven't come to understand, perhaps like whales beaching themselves, or one of other not-the-end-of-the-hive-world possibilities, and it involves just one of 60,000 species of bees.
IN fact, according to that University of California entomologist, it may simply be part of a phenomenon that has been documented with different names since the 1890's. So, hopefully, it is one less thing to worry about on this Friday.
cross-posted from http://www.organicamerican.com