We risk our own future by risking the future of pollinators, such as the honey bee. Climate change and man’s power over nature has resulted in a decline in many species of pollinators. Pollinators are vital to our food security because one third of all our crops are pollinated, many by the honey bee. If the honey bees were to be cleared off the Earth, many of our favorite foods would die without their help in pollination. These foods are represented by the sculptures in the clear resin bees flying around the globe. The honeycomb of black and yellow is a color combination of warning; used by man on street signs, and by nature to signify a poisonous or bad tasting prey. Some solutions to this warning are represented by words and illustrations in the honey of the comb. Individuals can help by: buying local, in particular products sold by local beekeepers; buying organic products that avoid using pesticides; planting pollinator friendly plants local to their region in their yards and community gardens; writing to their local governments to plant pollinator friendly native plants and stop using pesticides along roadsides; helping to educate and/or inspire others to get involved. These individual solutions can be scaled up throughout the whole hive of the world to create a more honey filled future for us all.
Rachel Carson, a Pittsburgh native, is known as one of the first environmentalist. Her book, Silent Spring (1962), questions modern science’s pursuit of control over all natural systems and warns of the dangers of misusing chemical pesticides. By challenging the notion that humans could obtain mastery over nature, her words ignited the environmental movement leading to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency. We know of man’s power to alter the nature of the world, and that power can be harnessed for good. Climate change is an everbranching issue with uncountable causes and consequences. But just as the bad can trickle down, the good can scale up. We have the power to make a difference with a systematic change. Just as bees work together in a hive to create honey, we must all work together on solutions to save our future.
