Bumped into an interesting story today. According to Fox News, the Plexus Institute, and PHYSORG.com, honey bees are dying off at an alarming rate. The concern? Better than one-third of the human diet relies upon plants pollinated by insects — 80% of those insects are honey bees. Over the last few months, 27 states have reported anywhere from 25-80% of bee colonies have been dying, and scientists are baffled.
The problem has no known cause, but the severity of the situation has garnered the name, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Speculation for the causes ranges from bee malnutrition due to genetically engineered crops, all the way to cellular towers causing significant interference with honey bee navigation. At this point, everything remains speculation, but several think-tanks and scientists are forming hasty teams to research and further identify the problem.
From my perspective, this story may seem minor but it could be more substantial. With the potential to lose billions of dollars worth of crops, prices and demand for certain agricultural products may rise dramatically. Beyond that, it makes one wonder what may be next.