Yet another problem created by the human species. Honey bees that have survived and pollinated our plants are disappearing and haven been for nearly 30 years! Scientists predict that in the U.S. alone by the year 2035, there will be no more honey bees if we can't find out how to stop their dying en mass at their current rate. Honey bees makes possible 30% of all the food we eat. If we can't find a way to stop CCD (colony collapse disease), our grandchildren and all the children thereafter will never know what a fruit tastes like, may never see many of the flowers and trees we enjoy today.
The scientists around the world don't know the exact causes of CCD. But I can put forward a very probable and likely cause--human pollution of the environment, our huge numbers forcing farmers to expand food production in quantities to feed the ever-growing population. In some areas of the world, there are no more bees--where bees have become extinct due to heavy uses of chemicals to produce more food.
Some of the proposals to help solve this problem involve genetic engineering to produce more hearty and disease-resistant bees. From my point of view, that may just be a short-term fix for this huge problem. Genetically engineered bees could cause even more unseen and possible more serious problems for human food production. One such huge failure was the creation of the Africanized Honey Bees.
This huge and serious problem I feel is a direct result of human activity and our insatiable appetite for ever more of everything. In trying to fill this demand, famers, ranchers, manufacturers, corporations, and governments will do anything and everything they can--without doing extensive research in the possible consequences of their actions. It seems that people are only interested in what works "right now" with no thought of what the end result could be. Reference: DDT and other chemicals used in the production of food.
We humans seem to do things just because we can; with no thought of what the long-term consequences may be. Our attitude seems to be: If it causes a problem down the road, we'll work on the problem at that time.
Is it any wonder that my low opinion of human endeavors seem to drop ever lower? All of the hallmarks of our "high quality of life" today have caused, are causing, and will continue to cause all of the problems we have today. We are not satisfied with hastening severe climate changes, we're attacking our very survival from all fronts: we're destroying our oxygen-producing forests around the world, we're killing all of our wildlife by destroying the environment they need to survive, we're not slowing down in pollution of the air we breathe or the water we drink. It seems that humans are commiting mass suicide just by the nature of our wants and desires and our lifestyles.
Presidential candidate Obama proposes establishing $150B over 10 years dedicated toward the problem of global warming/climate change. I say, ONLY $150B? Bush spent IN EXCESS of $800B in just a few years on the war in Iraq!!!!!! Over $800B with no beneficial result whatsoever and no honorable end in sight!!!!!!!!!
C'mon, people of the U.S., wake up and look at what we're doing! Don't count on the politicians to solve our numerous and serious problems. Politicians do nothing that doesn't benefit themselves. The american public needs to become more active and vocal in getting their political representatives off their butts and actually earning their pay.
Our superficially 2-party system is a fallacy; we actually have just a 1-party system. Democrats say that Republicans cater to the wealthy and the corporations. Republicans say that Democrats create too many welfare programs. In reality and actuality, each party depends on the other party to do their part to keep the money pouring in. The Republicans' job is to keep the wealthy happy enough to contribute hugely to their campaigns to remain in office. The Democrats' job is to do just enough "welfare work" to keep the working class and poor happy enough to go on working. Neither R nor D really care enough to do what's right for humanity. Their job is to keep the money pouring in today and damn the future! If their inaction today creates serious problems in the future, then, in their minds, "let the future politicians" solve those problems.
All of the billions of words mouthed by the candidates, the parties, the media, the voters during each election year...all of those words mean absolutely nothing! Nothing they promise ever comes to fruition. They may make teeny tiny dents in their promises but that's as far as it ever goes except in those instances where the american public really gets pissed off on a particular issue. Then the politicians respond with just enough action to placate the public...but only temporarily. The politicians never actually really solve any problems.
I am so disappointed in humans and human nature. I am especially disappointed in americans. What they say and what they actually do are so vastly different.
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