Posted June 8, 2012 by edpenn13 in Environment. Tagged: 2012, alternative, bees, car, dead, degradation, diesel, earth, eco, friendly, fuel, green, nature, planet, save, summit, the. Leave a Comment

Recent studies have shown that diesel fumes are related to the decline of honeybee colonies. The theory states that nano-particles emitted from diesel exhausts disrupt the navigation of bees. Thus making it impossible for them to return to their hive as they eventually die. Why is this important I hear you say? Well there is a much bigger picture to look at.

Bees produce billions for the world economy, £430 million a year in the United Kingdom alone. People do not realise just how much they aid employment by producing honey and pollinating crop fields. In return, they ask for nothing. I think they are the most underrated working class in the world. To realise that the modern mode of transport is killing them off is extremely worrying. Ten’s of thousand’s of beehives have been dropping every winter. Since 2007, the United States has seen a 35% drop in the number of hives.

This statistic is screaming at me to sell my diesel ‘eco-friendly’ Ford Fiesta and buy an electric car. Car companies have done a brilliant job of convincing the masses that diesel fueled cars should be bought due to their efficiency and minimal effect on the environment. Yet the fact remains, diesel is a non-renewable fuel that is harmful to all living things. Yes, diesel is better than petrol; You get more miles to the gallon and it does harm the environment less, but we are merely prolonging the inevitable.

How can we deal with this issue? I would love to tell you that scientists have just discovered a new renewable energy source as powerful as oil but we are not there yet. So all we can do is nudge people. Give people a reason to buy electric cars, a reason to cycle to work and a reason to roll the window down instead of hitting the AC switch.

My immediate plan would be to deny raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph. This is simply telling motorists that it is ok to drive faster, burn more fuel and pump more money into the pockets of oil companies. It also widens the gulf between the speeds of electric vehicles compared to fuel driven vehicles. One major reason why the public are buying fuel cars rather than electric is due to speed. Further on this, road tax on fueled vehicles should be vastly increased.

We cannot sugar coat this anymore. We have to stop finding ways of prolonging this unfortunate truth. Instead, begin to use fuels that are both renewable and do not harm the environment. If an event as small as a bee dying does not convince you that something must be done, I fear we have already lost the battle.