E N V I R O N M E N T

First the Eagles disappeared now the Honeybees – What’s next? – Are cell phones to be blamed?
Khushwant Singh

ONLY a few years ago worries about disappearing Eagles form the sky caused concern among the people of India and in particular of Punjab and Haryana region. Now a similar concern of disappearing Honeybees is worrying agriculturists, scientists and environmentalists all over the world, in particular North America.

The main cause for the disappearing of the eagles was the dairy farmers were injecting their livestock with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug called dichofenanc to which the vultures got exposed through feeding on carcasses of such animals. Loss of habit, viral disease, livestock management practices and use of pesticides could be other reasons for their disappearance.

Honeybees are vanishing at an alarming rate from twenty four USA states, threatening the production of numerous crops. Beekeepers estimate more than a quarter of the country’s 2.4 billion colonies has been affected. Following the U.S. honeybee disappearing trend, now Canada’s east cost Niagra Region is also feeling the pinch after loosing almost 90 percent of Honeybees in some commercial colonies, whereas a typical winter loss is between 10 to 20 percent.

Researchers term this disappearing phenomenon as Colony Collapse Disorder in which bees disappear and their hives collapse. A beekeeper from the San Luis Valley, U.S. reported, he started the winter with 6,000 beehives and emerged with only 1,000. Colony Collapse Disorder phenomenon is worrying crop growers particularly up to the May pollination period. Bees pollinate more than $14bn worth of US seeds and crops each year, mostly fruits, vegetables and nuts. In Canada bee pollination is estimated to be valued at $1bn.

Researchers say the bees are presumably dying in the fields after they leave their hives, perhaps becoming exhausted or simply disoriented and eventually falling victim to the cold or fatigue. The real question is why they leave their hives or don’t return back if they have to leave? Bees are highly social insects. They don't leave their babies and the queen for ever. Earlier the investigators have been exploring a range of possibilities to explain the Colony Collapse Disorder phenomenon which include studying effects of dry weather, pesticides, viruses, fungus or poor bee nutrition, toxins, global warming etc.

Recently a German study shows that radiation from cell phones can disrupt bees' navigation systems. That keeps the bees from returning to their hives. In some cases, 70 percent of bees exposed to radiation failed to find their way back to the hive after reaching for pollen and nectar, according to the research by Landau University of Koblenz. Link to study (in German). According to the study, radiation from cell phones disorients the bees and destroys their ability to communicate. "When bees are exposed to signals from cell phones, they can't find their way. They get no nutrition and consequently die," said Dr. George l. Carlo, chairman of the Safewireless Initiative.

Scientists say it's too soon to put the blame on anyone thing. Regardless of whatever is causing the Colony Collapse Disorder phenomenon, the epidemic could trigger a big rise in food prices for consumers since honeybees are used to pollinate agricultural crops...

With the population of vultures, the most common and widely accepted scavengers in South Asia are on the verge of extinction. The ornithologists are now trying their captive breeding as best solution to safeguard the specie.  Vultures were listed as critically endangered specie in 2000 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Vultures possess efficient digestive system capable of breaking bones in the stomach and have excellent feeding potential as well as feeding rate. In Punjab, four resident species of vultures, including Black or King Vulture (Sarcogyps Calvus), Indian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Indian White backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Egyptian or White Scavenger Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) have almost disappeared from the agro-ecosystem.

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