Bees!
There’s disappointing news in the endangered species community this week, federal agencies have failed to protect the habitat of an endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee species from Illinois. Basically, an environmentalist group from Washington, DC filed a lawsuit against federal agencies not following the act protecting the habitat of the endangered bumblebee. Elyssa Cherney, describes the act in her article as “The lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council accused the Interior Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of violating parts of the Endangered Species Act. The act requires the agencies to identify and preserve habitats supporting species that are at risk.” But sadly, these agencies have not followed this act and Rebecca Riley, a legal director at the Natural Resources Defense Council says "If we are going to save these species from extinction, we need to save their habitats." Which is a profound statement because saving animals doesn’t just have to do with the species itself, it also has to do with everything that species needs, including a safe habitat. To show how depleted this species is now, Cherney says “Rusty patched bumblebees used to be a common sight in 28 states in the Midwest and Northeast, but their numbers have plummeted by 87 percent over the last two decades, according to the lawsuit and wildlife experts. Now, the bee lives in only 8 percent of its historical range, which includes parts of Illinois.” The government has 60 days to respond to this lawsuit and hopefully, save the bees.
One small bumblebee species going extinct doesn’t seem like a problem that is in dire need of a fix, but bees are actually more important than most people realize. According to Sustain, “Many domestic and imported fruits and vegetables require pollination. Examples include avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, celery, squash, etcetera. And there are also a number of valuable non-food products produced by the honey bee, such as beeswax used in cleaning and beauty products.” So without bees, even if it is just one species, these products would not be available to us. Sustain also says that “Due to their (bumble bees) size, shape and ability to vibrate vigorously they are more effective at pollinating certain crops.” which shows that the Rusty Patched Bumblebee is extremely important to save to pollinate certain crops, especially since three species of bumblebees are already extinct and two of them are critically endangered. If we lose bees, especially bumble bees, it will cause a chain reaction and humans will feel the effects of.
One small bumblebee species going extinct doesn’t seem like a problem that is in dire need of a fix, but bees are actually more important than most people realize. According to Sustain, “Many domestic and imported fruits and vegetables require pollination. Examples include avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, celery, squash, etcetera. And there are also a number of valuable non-food products produced by the honey bee, such as beeswax used in cleaning and beauty products.” So without bees, even if it is just one species, these products would not be available to us. Sustain also says that “Due to their (bumble bees) size, shape and ability to vibrate vigorously they are more effective at pollinating certain crops.” which shows that the Rusty Patched Bumblebee is extremely important to save to pollinate certain crops, especially since three species of bumblebees are already extinct and two of them are critically endangered. If we lose bees, especially bumble bees, it will cause a chain reaction and humans will feel the effects of.
Sources
“Feds Failed to Protect Habitat of Endangered Bee Found in Illinois, Lawsuit Says.” Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and Technology, Phys.org, phys.org/news/2019-01-feds-habitat-endangered-bee-illinois.html.
“Why Bees Are Important.” Sustain, www.sustainweb.org/foodfacts/bees_are_important/.
“Why Bees Are Important.” Sustain, www.sustainweb.org/foodfacts/bees_are_important/.