Bees added to US endangered species list for the first time

Seven types of the yellow-faced or masked bees once found in great numbers in Hawaii are under threat, federal officials say


A yellow-faced bee in Hawaii. They are at risk from habitat loss and non-native species.

Seven types of bees once found in abundance in Hawaii have become the first bees to be added to the US federal list of endangered and threatened species.
The listing decision, published on Friday in the Federal Register, classifies seven varieties of yellow-faced or masked bees as endangered, due to such factors as habitat loss, wildfires and the invasion of non-native plants and insects.
The bees, so named for yellow-to-white facial markings, once crowded Hawaii and Maui but recent surveys found their populations have plunged in the same fashion as other types of wild bees – and some commercial ones – elsewhere in the United States, federal wildlife managers said.

More at:  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/01/bees-added-to-us-endangered-species-list-for-the-first-time


No bees, no pollination, no us.   We really are making a fine job of looking after the planet aren't we.

Jesus. I'm not quite sure what it is about this issue that isn't being taken seriously??! I put something about this on FB a while back and the amount of people totally ignorant to it was astounding!

I think it might be the biggest problem the planet has.  Unless it is taken very seriously indeed it could see the end of us quite quickly.   They are doing research, but it's too little and might be too late.

         HABITAT LOSS AND DESTRUCTION remains one of the major environmental threats affecting this planet...

It is as obvious as the nose on one's face, that you cannot keep on removing habitat on a willy-nilly/ad hoc basis, day-in and day-out,  and simply expect the native flora and fauna to keep on moving on to new homes..

And yet, the denialists out there (in this case backed by the property development and agribusiness lobbies..) are just as big a problem with this issue, as the climate change and over-fishing denialists are in a couple of other high profile ongoing ecological disasters-in-the-making; (and while I'm at it, let's not forget industrial pollution, rogue hormones floating around in the food chains, or overuse and misuse of antibiotics --  nor the misguided minority zealots on the animal lib' and vegan fringes, who are more of a problem themselves, rather than part of the solution..).

The world is already grossly overpopulated with humankind, and it's only going to get much worse before it gets any better.        

Why isn't this a major issue in the media?

         MONEY talks...

And most of the world's governments are owned by the special interest groups that supply most of their political party funding --  mining and oil corporations, financiers, arms manufacturers, big pharma', agribusiness, property developers and building companies..

Who in turn, have also bought influence in mass media outlets, and have full time lobbyists working against getting the messages out there re: environmental threats, and often putting the interests of their advertisers and shareholders ahead of the common good.        

Corruption and greed. Always corruption and greed.

eddie wrote:Jesus. I'm not quite sure what it is about this issue that isn't being taken seriously??! I put something about this on FB a while back and the amount of people totally ignorant to it was astounding!

I know. People think fruit grows in Sainsburys. Destroy the bees and we're all fucked.

Plant bee friendly plants in your garden and hanging baskets. Yesterday I saw a Buddleia smothered in bees. They love Rose of Sharon too. People don't think about that when choosing plants.