Posted on 06/21/2014 5:01:14 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
President Obama is hoping his latest executive action will create lots of buzz.
Obama signed a presidential memorandum on Friday ordering the federal government to develop a plan for protecting pollinators such as honey bees, butterflies, birds and bats in response to mounting concerns about the impact of dwindling populations on American crops.
"The problem is serious and requires immediate attention to ensure the sustainability of our food production systems, avoid additional economic impact on the agricultural sector, and protect the health of the environment," Obama said in the memo, which was sent to Cabinet secretaries and agency heads.
According to the White House, the number of bee colonies in the United States has declined from 6 million in 1947 to 2.5 million today. Some crops, including almonds, rely almost exclusively on pollination from honeybees, and honeybee pollination alone is responsible for $15 billion in value every year.
Although scientists can't fully explain why bee colonies are dying off, a combination of stressors, including the loss of their natural habitats and exposure to certain pesticides, is thought to be responsible.
Under the president's order, the government will establish a new task force tasked with developing a "coordinated research action plan" to help better understand and prevent the loss of pollinating species.
Government agencies will also be tasked with developing plans to enhance habitats for pollinating species on federal lands. And agencies will partner with local governments, farmers, and the business community in a bid to increase the quality and availability of available habitats for the species.
Additionally, the president has requested $50 million in his 2015 budget for the Department of Agriculture to help study and prevent pollinator loss.
"Given the breadth, severity, and persistence of pollinator losses, it is critical to expand federal efforts and take new steps to reverse pollinator losses and help restore populations to healthy levels," Obama said. "These steps should include the development of new public-private partnerships and increased citizen engagement."
...here it comes a ban on pesticides....closing down the petro-chemical-pesticide industry.
Meanwhile, the US southern border is being overrun, as is Iraq. But them bees and bats is OK.
Well, a story I can comment on with some level of personal knowledge:I’m a beekeeper.
The problems facing bees and beekeepers are primarily economic. Beekeeping has never been particularly profitable and with the increased hive mortality it’s driven out a lot more beekeepers. Add cheap imported honey, and it’s not a pretty picture.
Yeah, but about those aborted kids ....
Absent some really wretched bee malady, the bees will be fine. The problem with honeybees is primarily economic: it doesn’t pay enough when you factor in the increased hive losses. So beekeepers have been getting out of the trade. A related problem is loss of forage and access to areas where bees can get enough food.
Obama is rather bat-like (look at his head and ears). So does this mean he gets to hang around another four years?
Maybe he could send his well-armed civilian defense force to bodyguard them.
Control the Food, Control the People!
In the near future, my beehives will be illegal, as will growing ourf own food.
Rat B@stard!
870 days to go! Will America survive this?
Reading this convinces me no matter what problems bees and bats may have, this zero order will without question make it worse.
The Emperor signs yet another royal decree. Yea Yea I say.
Any plan they come up with will cost jobs and taxes. Nature will do it better and cheaper.
“Absent some really wretched bee malady, the bees will be fine.”
That is simply not accurate.
Varroa mites are a serious threat and in the 30 or so years they have been on the continent have wiped out 90% of feral bee colonies.
Moreover, domesticated bees are also threatened by varroa and often lose 33% of their hives per year.
I know some beekeepers.
The situation is serious....no bees = no pollination = no fruits and vegetables.
Or worse, Chinese imports.
Like I say, it’s an economics issue. I lose hives like everyone else does. But since I never kept bees in the good old days before varroa, it’s simply something I/we deal with. And the bees do seem to building a tolerance. Few of the beekeepers I know bother to treat. I’m actually the exception as I do treat for varroa. And still lose 20% plus over the winter.
We’re catching a fair number of swarms in my area and the feral bees seem to be doing better. The folks who do cut outs are busy. Truth be told I dont think the feral swarms are all that great of a thing. Honeybees are not native to the US and there are lots of other native bees, some usable as pollinators like the orchard bee.
Thanks for the ping!
One sure way to set back any and all progress in discovering the cause of the problem is to put the feral federal government in charge or be the coordinator of the research. It sounds more like an immune issue than other causes.
So _arak O_ama want us to save the Bs — I’ll do my part.
But wind machines are OK to chop up eagles and other birds? How about using the Obdumbos as organic fertilizer? That would be very green, a far better use than “leader” and moocher.
Yep!
He’s the half black Prince Charles.
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