Letter to the president

Wyatt French

Dear future President,

It has come to my attention that a very important issue has appeared in our nation. That problem is that bees are dying and many people haven’t a clue about it. A question many Americans might have is, “Why should I care if the bees go extinct?” According to the USDA, around 35% of the world’s food crops are attributed to bees and other pollinators. Right there alone, more than a third of the world’s food supply from crops is gone if bees go extinct.

A recent study by the Bee Informed Partnership showed that beekeepers in the United States lost 44 percent of their honey bee colonies in a one year span. This marks the second year that summer losses rival winter losses of honey bee colonies. This would be like if, one day you went to the dinner table and had an average meal. After one year the amount of food you eat decreased by 44 percent. Every year after that the same thing happened and eventually you're left with almost no food at all. No one questions why this happens and therefore no one tries to change it. There goes all the energy you relied on to do daily activities. Much like if the bees go extinct there go all the benefits of having bees in this world.

An expert in colony collapse disorder or CCD, Dr. Reese Halter, says that 2.4 million commercial hives have recorded the highest number of death rates ever. In his interview with the Huffington Post, he claims, “If a bee comes into contact with neonics, they lose their mind and shake to death.” Neonics are in pesticides and kill the soil and water organisms. The EPA has acknowledged that neonics might cause problems for the environment but haven't banned them. Halter has been studying CCD since 2006 when it was first introduced. This shows that the American Government has knowledge of the deadly impact of these products, but has no intention on making a change to help stop the epidemic of bees dying. You, as the president of the United States of America, must make neonics illegal to sell and distribute, and make it known that the bee population is declining. Make it known to all the people of America and the world that bees are precious to our society and are needed to continue life as we know it.

We as Americans have a duty to one another to take responsibility to do our part to ensure that bees do not go extinct. Perhaps we should boycott pesticides that have neonics and buy a different brand, or we could plant bee-friendly flowers in a garden to help them produce more honey, which in turn fuels them and allows them to get back out and spread more pollen. Do your part and let’s make a difference as a nation. Together as one, let’s make sure that bees never leave this earth.