A Report on "Giant Brothels" on Community Radio - what level will they stoop to?!

Honey Bee on Winter Aconite.
Credit: Tie Guy II/ flickr
I was driving to work this morning and was fortunate to listen to a top-notch Making Contact report on the decline of bee colonies and the impact on farming. (Confession: I was late for work, so I was able to listen at a time I don't normally commute). The report so captivated me -- lots of compelling voices including a conversation with beekeeper Khalid, a Yemeni national immigrant to the US -- that I wanted to listen to the end, but needed to get to work.

The report aired on KKFI 90.1 FM, but could also be heard on the Making Contact website, so I finished listening to "Bees: The Threatened Link in Food Security" report later. I heard some astonishing facts such as two-thirds of US beehives are transported to California to pollinate almond plants during the growing season. And the reporter described the bee activity in the almond groves as a "giant brothel" with their ravenous intermingling.

It was a really strong report on the drastic decline of bees in the US, and aired perspectives on the reasons for the decline by a range of individuals including Khalid, who speculated that pollution was the cause. Others during the report pointed to the increase in pesticides as the cause, which was also discussed in a Harvest Public Media report titled "The studied life of bees: Assessing the sting of neonic pesticides" from earlier in 2011.

Reporting like this is one of the reasons why I donate to KKFI, which aired the report, and why I made sure to make a financial contribution today.

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