In her article 6 Misconceptions About Saving the Bees, Kaitlin Stack Whitney gives the readers more knowledge on why we absolutely need the bees, and how they not only help the humans, but the environment and planet as well. Whitney is a professor at RIT College of Science, living in Rochester, New York. Whitney has her Bachelor of Science and PhD in Zoology, Before she arrived at RIT, Dr. Whitney worked for the US Department of Agriculture’s Farmer to Farmer Program in Eastern Europe and Washington DC, as well as the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of International & Tribal Affairs and Office of Pesticide Programs. She is very credible for topics pertaining to the environment and animals, including the bees. A lot of people don’t really take care of the bees, or don’t know their purpose and how beneficial they are. Whitney explains many different topic that pertain to the bees and what is causing the bees to be dying at such an alarming rate, and clears up the falsely advertised message of “saving the bees”. 6 Misconceptions About Saving the Bees is a very helpful read, especially to those who are really concerned about the bees and our planet, and also to those who are being led astray with incorrect opinions, or statements from other trusted sources.
Whitney starts off with “Bees are the only pollinator” which is the first misconception. She explains that aside from honeybees there are over 100,000 invertebrate species that pollinate our plants, like flies, and moths for example. Adding to that she states, that there are also 1,000 vertebrate species that pollinate as well, like birds and bats. Whitney argues that “what they all have in common is their role in plant reproduction, transferring pollen grains to floral ovaries for fertilization, and that not all plants require pollination, but it’s estimated that three-quarters of the global food supply depends on it. She also addresses that “if people want to save pollinators and save the global food supply, we need to understand the contributions of all of the pollinators, and not just the honeybees.” (2015: section 1) This means if we really want to “save the bees” and make a change then there is a lot more to look into than just starting with the honeybees. Whitney briefly explains Colony Collapse Disorder, as “when the majority of worker bees disappear, leaving behind the rest of the hive” (2015: section 2) These symptoms of CCD have only been found in honeybees so far, but other bees like the bumblebees are also declining but it is unknown. In summary, Whitney explains how we have multiple pollinators, and that Colony Collapse Disorder is a main problem within the bees.
Whitney aims that 6 Misconceptions About Saving the Bees is for planet-activists and others wanting to know the truth about saving the bees, and why there is a rapid decline in bees and other pollinators. She approaches the audience with an odd style, she states something that isn’t entirely true, and goes into detail about everything else that is true about that. She uses factual evidence, and also brings up very good points about the pesticide issue not just within the bees but pollinators in general. She encourages people to be aware about not only half the evidence but gain full knowledge before people just go out and say “Save the bees!” which is the whole purpose of this article. “Neonicotinoids are related to nicotine, they block a neural pathway, mostly found in insects and cause paralysis and death.” Many people think that Neonicotinoids are the only cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, but Whitney goes into detail on how they are just one of many. Whitney (2015: section 3) claims “This is not to say that neonicotinoids do not have adverse effects on pollinators nor that they haven’t been linked to colony collapse disorder, but there are many other factors that are thought to be contributing to honey bee declines that banning neonicotinoids will not solve. These include pathogens, extreme winter weather, diseases, and diet quality. “Neonicotinoids are just one class of insecticide. There are herbicides, fungicides, acaricides, miticides, rodenticides, and more. Even antibacterial soap or antibiotics can be thought of as pesticides.” Whitney provides the audience with factual evidence, and proper knowledge of the pesticide, in a professional manner. Whitney’s audience are those people who want to make an impact to better our planet, and want to know the factual evidence of the honey bee epidemic. She writes with extreme seriousness, and professionalism, and very confident in what she is writing about, she also doesn’t care about previous statements, because she thinks very highly of her self knowledge, writing this argument with no hesitation to the reader.
I agree that there are many different things that go into saving the bees, that includes what is toxic to them and what other pollinators are on the earth. Bees are super important to pollination, but they are not the only species we should be worried about and helping. For example, Whitney (2015: section 6) uses sympathy for the bees and claims she is all in for “saving the bees!” but wants to make it well known that just focusing on the honeybees instead of the other major pollinators isn’t what she is about. She argues that the majority of the wild pollinators are being overlooked because of the huge “Save the Bees!” movement, she wants to make the readers aware that they are very special and needed as well. Bees have been around since we’ve been around and most people are thankful for them and what they contribute to the Earth. But some people have no sense for bees and other pollinators, that’s why it is really great we have scientists like Whitney to spread the awareness and support to not only the Honey bees but the other insects and pollinators as well.