Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?
Story at-a-glance
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Honey bees all around the world are dying in unprecedented
numbers—many hives literally disappearing without a trace—in a
mysterious phenomenon dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)
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Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? takes a fresh
look at the global bee crisis, from multiple angles, and offers
proactive life-affirming solutions
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Certain pesticides called nicotinoids have been identified as
having a particularly devastating impact on bee health and
survival by weakening the bee's immune system
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Monoculture—the practice of growing of just one type of crop on
a massive scale—is another major contributing factor
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Suggestions for actions you can take to help our honey bees are
included, as well as resources for educators
By Dr. Mercola
Honey bees are responsible for producing one-third of your fresh
fruits and vegetables, but they're disappearing at a startling rate.
Since the mid-2000s, honey bees all around the world, including
the US, have been dying in unprecedented numbers—many hives
literally disappearing without a trace—in a mysterious phenomenon
dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?,1
created by Taggart Siegel, takes a fresh look at the global bee
crisis, from multiple angles, and offers proactive life-affirming
solutions.
It also explores the ancient relationship between man and bees—a
relationship that, historically, was considered nothing less than
sacred. Returning to life in balance with nature is the ultimate
solution, and when it comes to bees, it's something we'll have
to do lest we risk perishing right along with them.
Some 130 different kinds of crops require honeybees to transport
pollen between flowers, prompting fertilization and jump-starting
the production of seed and fruit. As they buzz around in flight, the
bee's hair develops static electricity.
When a bee lands on a flower, this static charge attracts pollen
to the bee like a magnet. Honey bees from one hive can visit more
than 100,000 flowers in a single day. Without honey bees, farmers
would have to resort to pollinating their crops by hand, which is no
quick and easy task...
Honey Bees Are Crucial for Our Environment and Survival
In an interview with The Press, a daily newspaper in New
Zealand, Taggart Siegel revealed the inspiration behind the film:2
"I had no idea about the importance of honeybees until I
read an article in 2007 that bees were not only so crucial to
our environment, but that they were dying out on a mass scale...
The article had a quote attributed to Einstein which
scared me enough to get me to pick up my camera and dedicate the
next three years of my life to this film. The quote read, 'If
bees die out, man will only have four years of life left on
Earth.' Even though this quote has been since disputed, it had a
lasting effect on me, and the truth is that bees are so vital to
our planet that we can't afford to lose them."
Despite the somber topic, Queen of the Sun is not a
downer by any means. On the contrary, it's filled with the heart of
eclectic and passionate characters that inspire hope and gratitude
for these most important of agricultural workers.
For example, there's historian Yvon Achard, who recites poetry to
his bees and tickles them with his mustache, and Sara Mapelli, who
once danced with 12,000 bees on her body (she's the bee-covered
woman shown on the DVD cover).
What's Killing the Bees?
The collapse of bee colonies is probably multifactorial, rather
than a response to one individual type of toxic assault. That said,
certain pesticides called
nicotinoids have been identified as having a particularly
devastating impact on bee health and survival.
Bee colonies began disappearing in the US shortly after the EPA
allowed these new insecticides on the market. Even the EPA itself
admits that "pesticide poisoning" is a likely cause of CCD. Two
prominent examples, imidacloprid and clothianidin, are used as seed
treatments in hundreds of crops, and virtually all of today's
genetically engineered Bt corn is treated with neonicotinoids.
One of the observed effects of these insecticides is weakening of
the bee's immune system. Forager bees bring pesticide-laden pollen
back to the hive, where it's consumed by all of the bees. About six
months later, their immune systems fail, and they end up contracting
secondary infections from parasites, mites, viruses, fungi, and
bacteria.
Monoculture—the practice of growing of just one type of crop on
a massive scale—is another major contributing factor, as there is no
such thing as monoculture in nature. In the past, farms were highly
diversified, with all sorts of animals and vegetation cohabiting on
the land. Today, fields of corn and soy stretch for hundreds of
miles.
As it turns out, pests thrive in monoculture, so massive
quantities of pesticides are required to keep them in check.
Monoculture also cuts down on the variety of nutrition the bees get.
In some areas, bees simply cannot survive due to lack of food.
While experts are still trying to understand the complexities
involved in CCD, they do agree about one thing: if we allow this to
continue, our global food supply is at risk... And, as stated in the
film: ."
"Colony collapse disorder is the bill we're getting for
all the things we've done to the bees
"You could call it colony collapse disorder of the human
being too."
Reclaiming the Sacred Relationship with Bees
As stated in the film, the solution to this pervasive and
downright life threatening problem lies in renewing a culture that
operates in balance with nature. As stated by the filmmaker:3
"In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher and
social innovator, predicted that in 80 to 100 years honeybees
would collapse. His prediction has come true with Colony
Collapse Disorder where bees are disappearing in mass numbers
from their hives with no clear explanation.
...On a pilgrimage around the world, 10,000 years of
beekeeping is unveiled, highlighting how our historic and sacred
relationship with bees has been lost due to highly mechanized
industrial practices."
Supporting organic beekeepers is one way you can help turn the
tide and increase the number of healthy bee colonies, which are so
crucial to our food supply. Organic beekeepers take a far different
approach to beekeeping than large migratory operations. They have
fewer hives, and they don't truck their bees around for pollination.
They also don't feed their bees the sugar syrups and artificial
pollen substitutes typically used in large-scale commercial bee
operations. As stated by Michael Pollan, "Nothing is more
viscerally offensive than feeding the creators of honey
high-fructose corn syrup."
What You Can Do to Help Protect the Bees
Queen of the Sun has a section on their website4
devoted to things you can do to help protect our honey bees. Here
are some suggestions for actions you can take:
- Support organic farmers and shop at local farmer's markets
as often as possible. You can "vote with your fork" three times
a day.
- Cut the use of toxic
chemicals in your house and on your lawn, and use organic
pest control.
- Better yet, get rid of your lawn altogether and
plant a garden. Both flower and vegetable gardens provide
good honey bee habitats. It's also recommended to keep a small
basin of fresh water in your garden or backyard, as bees
actually do get thirsty!
- Become an amateur beekeeper. Having a hive in your garden
requires only about an hour of your time per week, benefits your
local ecosystem, and you can enjoy your own honey! As Queen
of the Sun shows, many city dwellers are becoming adept
smalltime beekeepers.
For educators, there's a free PDF,5
written by Waldorf teacher Lauren Johnson, which you can download
and use as your curriculum. It also contains a guide to creating
your own urban beehive tour. You can also host a screening of
Queen of the Sun. For more details and instructions, please see
the Queen of the Sun website.6
There you can also sign up for their newsletter for timely updates.
If you are interested in more information about bee preservation,
the following organizations are a good place to start.
- Pesticide Action Network Bee Campaign7
- The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees8
- American Beekeeping Federation9
- Help the Honey Bees10
© Copyright 1997-2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/queen-of-the-sun-documentary.aspx
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