A question I find myself asking more often than I would like is: if someone knows better, why don’t they do better? I think it’s safe to say that we all learned at the age of 10 or something that butterflies and bees are the tiny animals that help pollinate our flowers. Scientists and environmentalists have noticed dwindling numbers of bees and butterflies which have been left without enough and in some areas, without any protection against this issue. Not only does the lack of protection mean fewer flower bouquets available at your local Trader Joe’s, but it also leads to the crumbling of plant life, entire ecosystems, and agriculture.
Lack of Protection?
A lot of different animals like elephants, lions, aquatic life, and many others have literal laws in place, such as The Endangered Species Act, to protect them from being hunted by poachers and corporations from building in areas where those animals live. Unfortunately, bees and butterflies are not afforded the same protections. Different agencies and conservation groups simply do not do the work to protect them because there isn’t much they can do as many state statutes do not consider insects as wildlife.
Why are they Disappearing?
There are many reasons behind why these integral insects are slowly going extinct, the first being climate change. According to the U.S. National Park Service, “The changing climate impacts pollinators by shifting growing and blooming seasons and potentially weakening the plant populations that pollinators depend on. Additionally, warmer temperatures have altered migration patterns, affecting pollinator species like butterflies.” While bees and butterflies help pollinate different plants, the plants reward them by providing nectar. This important resource is also threatened in conjunction with another reason why butterflies and bees are disappearing. Farmers often use fungicides and pesticides to keep invasive insects from destroying their crops-but these chemicals have harmful effects on butterflies and bees. Xerces Society goes on to say, “Their [pesticides’] effects include removing important floral resources, causing subtle yet concerning effects on reproduction, navigation and memory and high-profile incidents when pesticides kill bees. Exposure to pesticides can also compound the effects of other stressors on pollinator populations, such as loss of habitat and exposure to pathogens and diseases.”
Why should I care?
1. Because you’re not a jerk! :)
2. An article by Clemson University says,
The greatest economic impact of honey bees is through pollination of agricultural crops. Production of about one third of the human diet requires insect pollination, and honey bees perform the majority of pollination for these cultivated crops. Globally, three out of four species of cultivated crops are animal pollinated, and honey bees are able to pollinate most of these crops. In the United States, honey bees contribute an estimated $20 billion to the value of U.S. crop production annually. Some crops such as almonds, blueberries, and cherries rely almost entirely on honey bee pollination. By enabling the production of such an array of crops, honey bees have diversified the human diet, which provides high quality nutrition that promotes human health and longevity.
3. Humans rely on pollinated plants for common medicines we use.
What can I do?
1. If you didn’t know all this information before, now you do. Since we all know better, let’s do better!
2. Fill out this form that will tell Congress to pass the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act which will provide $1.4 billion to struggling species such as bees and butterflies to get the help they need.
3. Donate to different charities like the ones that you can find here and here that support bees and butterflies, respectively.
4. Let’s start a bee and butterfly conservation club?!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.