“ You are, what you eat “ - Hungarian-Polish proverb
Bees are dying. By the millions. And humans too…
Our home, this beautiful planet is crumbling under our management. Wars, famine, poverty, and the destruction of our livelihood together with the shrinking of available clean, drinkable water and healthy, good food. This is not good for either the bees nor us, humans. The reasons why we allow this to happen unfortunately are of a more complex matter which I won't go into details of right now. However, I would like to approach this subject solely by checking out what are the reasons which affect bees and humans alike making both species seriously unhealthy.
What are the reasons?
Since modern agriculture changed to monoculture thus reducing the crop variety on farms -which goes against the basic principles of sustainability. This and modern methods of ploughing, has eroded the top layers of the soil and lowered the amount of nutrients and minerals that are needed to grow healthy plants. The result is our crops are more sensitive to pests and diseases and less nutritious. To manage these losses man has applied the wide use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and finally he introduced GMO crops. In the long run this method will definitely lead to a catastrophe. Bees are the early warning markers, as were the canaries of the coal-mine.
If it is not healthy for bees, why do we think it is healthy for humans?
Until the beginning of the 20th century farmers mainly used inorganic and natural insecticides, which later became less effective. Around the 1950’s these had been replaced by hydrocarbons, methylcarbamates and pyrethroids, just to name few. These were not as harmful to bees nor humans, but as agriculture changed its ways for the worse (mono-crop lands) and insects developed resistance, their effectiveness decreased. ( I would like to point out that these were not as harmful, but they were indeed bad for bees especially after Roundup ( herbicide ) appeared in 1974 ). This situation generated a need for stronger plant protection products. Research revealed the high effectiveness of a new generation of pesticides, Neonicotinoids. Presently these are the most commonly used poisons, with which we “ protect ” our crops with. From gardening to industrial farming since the early 1990s from their development and their worldwide acceptance in the beginning of the 2000s. Strange coincidence emerged - the first reports started to surface about CCD (colony collapse disorder) around the globe in 2006, almost simultaneously. Since it was developed and first implemented in the USA, the American bee colonies and other natural pollinators suffered the biggest losses, decimating their numbers. Right now almost a dozen, if not more, different species of bees and other pollinators are on the endangered species list in the USA. When the Varroa mite arrived, that was the last straw for bees and CCD was born on a grand scale.
What is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?
“ Colony collapse disorder ( CCD ) is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen , plenty of food and a few nursery bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture , and were known by various names (disappearing disease, spring dwindle, May disease, autumn collapse, and fall dwindle disease), the syndrome was renamed colony collapse disorder in late 2006 in conjunction with a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of the Western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) colonies in North America. European beekeepers observed similar phenomena in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Switzerland and Germany, albeit to a lesser degree, whilst Northern Ireland received reports of a decline greater than 50%. “ Source: Wikipedia
What are the symptoms? - Impaired memory and learning abilities and smell - Disorientation and loss of memory. - Loss of larvae development and nursing, there is also a decrease in egg laying rate of the queen - Reduction of activity, disorganization of work - Increased vulnerability to parasites - Weakening of the colony, and impaired wintering in the hive
Overall, these symptoms weaken the colony and in some cases result in the complete collapse of it especially when attacked by Varroa mites. These mites feed on the bee's blood, weakening them even further whilst also giving them other harmful bacteria, and viruses etc.
How does neonicotinoids and glyphosate work?
Neonicotinoid compounds are structurally and functionally similar to nicotine. The primary modes of action of these pesticides is to both damage the insects nervous system and mid-gut. Furthermore, various studies proved that neonicotinoids impair the smell, memory and learning ability of bees. Moreover, physiological effects such as breathing or development of pharyngeal glands which is active in honey bees during the foraging season are also impaired. Apart from neurological signs neonicotinoids and glyphosate also reduce bee's resistance to diseases and pests. Therefore we can clearly state that while certain corporations try to shift the blame for CCD onto - for example - the varroa mite, this is not entirely true, since it is merely a symptom of a weaker immune system and reduced hygiene instinct, thanks to pesticide poisoning. As for glyphosate, it is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it will kill most plants. It prevents the plants from making certain proteins that are needed for plant growth. Glyphosate stops a specific enzyme pathway, the Shikimic acid pathway which is necessary for plants and some microorganisms. Unfortunately this kills the bio-flora in the bee's and human's guts as well.
Those who have been keeping bees for decades, probably still remember that bees could easily deal with the same varroa mite level as now, and yet still survive and thrive.
The above reasons coupled with these other following factors; pollution, habitat loss, poor quality pollen and stress, related to the overworking of bees, especially in the pollinating services industry. All these problems have profound effects on these amazing creatures.
How do bees get poisoned?
To be efficient in eliminating pests and pathogenic micro-organisms pesticides must stay on plants for a sufficient amount of time. This results in the pollution of the nectar, pollen, honeydew and even water, which is the main cause of pesticide poisoning in bees. Here we have to mention GMO’s and the reasons why they are so bad is because either the seeds are coated with pesticides, or they are genetically modified to produce pesticides. In either case you can't wash it off, but will consume it.
And now here is the problem with humans. We think that we are the exception. But are we? Really?
What if we translate these symptoms and check the time line?
Let's start with a list of symptoms of pesticide poisoning in humans. 1. Headache, fatigue, dizziness, nerve damage 2. Loss of appetite with nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea 3. Reduced sperm count, sterility and miscarriage 4. Development of allergies 5. Birth defects 6. Others like the ability to produce cancer or assist carcinogenic chemicals, genetic changes and induce tumor growth
You have probably realised that these symptoms are more or less the same as in bees. Now, we need to compare what this really means. But before we do we need to see the exact timeline. Then we will go onto the symptoms. I won't comment on it since it is self explanatory.
1. Headache, fatigue, dizziness, nerve and brain damage.
In bees we call this impaired memory and learning abilities, disorientation and loss of memory. We are humans, so we gave a fancy name for this. We call it Alzheimer. Autism is also on the rise which is a learning and emotional disability. Please, take a look at the graph from development in the 1990s to 2000 the full launch there is a steady rise and a huge increase. But it is probably a " coincidence ".
I’m going to use mainly the results of the U.S. population since they started the implementation of pesticides there and the exposure of GMOs and pesticides are the highest. We can get a general idea how things will work out everywhere else if we allow our governments to use GMOs and pesticides on a comparable scale as in the USA.
Since the U.S. government is not going to regulate GMOs or pesticide usage – on the contrary they have even tried to force it on to other nations in the form of the trade deals - TTIP or TTP. I think we can believe the accuracy of these numbers stated. Since the level of poisoning is not as high, but constant, and the most vulnerable are people over 80, so it follows that more people that reach old age, the more will have Alzheimer's. Don't forget baby boom.
2. Loss of appetite with nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea
As we established previously, the pesticides act on the mid-gut of the insects so it shouldn’t be assumed to work differently in humans, and it does this by destroying the bacteria of the gut in bees and humans alike. In bees, if it is a low dosage, it results in less activity, less appetite etc., but in high dosages the results are, diarrhea, undue stress or nosema and then finally death. Sometimes I wonder if these disorders experienced in bees and very similar to man might have originated from this poisoning. Taking notes from people in different professions i.e - those who work in the catering industry will tell you – that while customers are ordering food from restaurants they are asking to substitute certain ingredients because of all sorts of sensitivities, some being far more unpleasant than others to replace them. Take for instance gluten, and then there is diary etc. Along with wheat and oats, pesticide is used to desiccate a wide range of crops including lentils, peas, non-GMO soybeans, corn, flax, rye, triticale, buckwheat, millet, canola, sugar beets, and potatoes and one very important crop which is most critical for bees, sunflowers. But more on this one later.
3. Reduced sperm count, sterility and miscarriage in humans
The sperm count in healthy males dropped significantly – around 60% approximately - in the past almost 4 decades. In bees, the queen egg laying rate drops significantly whilst the nursing of the young uns becomes inadequate.
In 2010 UC Berkeley study showed that even at low levels, the herbicide atrazine decreased male fertility in frogs. Tyrone B. Hayes and colleagues raised 40 male frogs from larvae until sexual maturity. The frogs were swimming in water that contained a pesticide called atrazine. The atrazine level in the water was below what the EPA considers safe for drinking water. They also studied a control group of 40 frogs who were not exposed to the pesticide in their water. When the study was completed, 10% of the frogs exposed to the atrazine had matured as females instead of males. While they still had male genes, they developed female anatomy, including ovaries. These male-turned-female frogs produced eggs and were capable of mating with male frogs. The frogs that were exposed to atrazine also had lower testosterone levels, lower fertility levels and showed less interest in mating. This raise a very important question. Does pesticide poisoning responsible for the higher percentage of homosexuals in society? Or is this a coincidence?
What a strange coincidence that our favourite evil company launched its flagship product Roundup in 1974, and then to top it off in 1990's Bayer started developing the neonicotinoids. After then infertility accelerated resulting in an additional 32.2% less sperm in healthy males. We can be quite sure that from 2000 when they started to use them worldwide within a decade a minimum 20% was the drop, but this percentage is an optimistic estimate, might be even higher. I'm just wondering how much more this can decline.
This graph shows the test results conducted in France around 2006. We can almost conclude that Roundup and neonicotinoids hand in hand are definitely responsible for the sharp decline of sperm count.
There was another test was conducted at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Epidemiologist Irva Hertz-Picciotto proved that pesticide usage raise the risk of miscarriages high as 40%. She and her colleagues checked 10 counties, most of them in California's Central Valley, using a state-wide database of pesticide applications that listed the specific chemicals applied, the date, and the location within 1 square mile, for 1984. They combined those data with state health records of 73 women in the same area who had a miscarriage or whose child died within 24 hours after birth, and 611 controls who gave birth to healthy babies.
Women who lived within 2 miles of a place where halogenated hydrocarbon based pesticides were used during the first 2 months of their pregnancy--when fetal organs are formed--were more than twice as likely to have a miscarriage caused by fetal defects. Other common classes of pesticides organophosphates and carbamates raised the risk by about 40%. Strengthening the case, the risk was higher if women lived within 1 mile of the farm where the chemicals were applied. And imagine this is based on the data, before the neonicotinoids arrived. And neonicotinoids are the strongest ever created pesticides. Let this sink in!
Presently massive bee deaths occur and humans are less fertile and sick as never seen before. Let's take a look what happens with bees. I will reiterate, the queen egg laying rate drops significantly and also nursing of the young uns. Hence less bees, weaker colony. Just like our various societies.
4. Development of allergies
We don't have enough data to see that bees can have allergies, but for our little story this is not important, there are plenty of proof that pesticides are harming them as we have seen from the list of symptoms previously mentioned.. In humans there is an important difference.
This is Not for the faint hearted, so brace yourself for impact.
As we learnt pesticides can have an effect on the respiratory system of bees, which makes them weaker. In humans this can lead to various breathing problems and allergies or allergy asthma, and one very important allergy in particular which is rising quickly and already affect millions is gluten intolerance or celiac disease. It is a weird name, but has nothing to do with gluten. Humanity eating bread for thousands of years but all of a sudden we have a problem? What if this is not gluten intolerance? Remember, what we said about bees?
Pesticide effects their mid-gut. And this poison affects humans just the same.
Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., published a paper on the increasing use of glyphosate, he wrote about the practice of spraying pesticide on the wheat prior to harvest. The practice known as desiccating. The pre-harvest use of glyphosate allows farmers to harvest crops as much as two weeks earlier than they normally would basically killing the plants. If you take a look at the fantastic coincidence of the rise of pesticide applied to wheat and the extreme increase of “ gluten “ intolerance, you might start thinking that there is something terribly wrong with our system. We are not sensitive of wheat but we are sensitive of poisons. And to top it all up this is the way they teach future farmers to farm in most universities, especially in the US.
5. Birth defects
The best example for birth defects happened recently in Brazil 2015. The scary Zika-virus. Strangely enough nobody really mentioned that to kill the mosquitoes they needed to use 2 extremely strong pesticides simultaneously. When we check the symptoms of Zika in adult patients, the symptoms are mild. During pregnancy however, the child can develop microcephaly, due to the Zika-virus, as they say. But! In a country where they had the same mosquitoes, all of a sudden there is a significant increase in microcephaly? Almost like an outbreak? And another strange coincidence that Zika arrived in 2014 when Brazil broke a new record on pesticide sales. Also the symptoms of Zika are similar to the symptoms when the skin get into contact with pesticides.
Rash, itching all over the body, fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), lower back pain.
So if we want to have a scapegoat Zika is our best friend.
But let us check what can cause microcephaly. Genetic conditions, certain infections, and toxins can cause it. Now what have we learnt previously? Pesticides cause genetic changes, birth defects and nerve damage. This might explain the rapid increase in the cases of microcephaly, which is “ a medical condition in which the brain does not develop properly resulting in a smaller than normal head “ . Brazil has a very bad experience with pesticides.
“ Centro de Ciências da Saúde , Universidade Federal do Ceará , Fortaleza , Brasil .
Pesticides are currently a major public health problem, considering the size of the exposed population in pesticide plants and surrounding areas, in farming, in fighting endemics and other sectors, in the vicinity of farming areas, and ultimately all of us, who are consumers of contaminated products. Between 2007 and 2011, according to data from the Information System of Compulsory Notification Conditions (SINAN), there was an increase of 67.4% of new non-fatal labor accidents due to pesticides, and the coefficient of intoxications had an overall increase of 126.8%, and was even higher among women (178%) “ It does not take much figuring out to guess that if poisoning increased in women, those who are pregnant will affect the foetus too. What we know about Brazil's pesticide consumption? The Brazilian pesticide market has been consolidated as # 1 in the world considering sales value.
Sales 2000-2012 , and 2013 and 2014 Estimates’ (US$ billion)
Now, we need to take into consideration that a baby is in their mother's womb for 9 months. And pesticides needed to be in the body for a significant amount of time and/or constantly to have an affect on the mother and the foetus. Since – despite the health warnings from earlier on – the Brazilian pesticide market has grown exponentially, that would give enough time and constant supply of poisoning to have an outbreak type effect after a certain period of time. Please, take a look at the graph below.
But it is always more profitable to blame somebody or something else like the MMR vaccines. Are you angry yet? I hope so. Because we need to do something about it. And we haven't finished yet. I haven't even talked about autism. And I won't. I will just leave this graph here.
6. Others like the ability to produce cancer or assist carcinogenic chemicals, genetic changes and induce tumour growth
In bees – as insects – theoretically it is possible to get unnatural tumour growth and even cancer, however their lifespan doesn't really give enough time to have the illness develop in full.
In humans, well , we all know it can happen for sure.
First of all pesticides disrupt metabolism, which will lead to obesity and then thanks to genetic changes and the assistance of carcinogenic chemicals, eventually lead to cancer. Note; there is a period of time which depends on the dosage and the strength of the individual’s immune system before sickness sets in and it is this time frame that allows pesticide manufacturers to blame whoever and whatever they want.
So, it is time for a short summary.
Based on all the available data and the thousands of proofs we can state that there is an extreme probability that pesticides usage affect our daily life and killing the bee and human population in a mass scale.
We are being poisoned. We are being lied to.
Of course there are other factors which contribute to our demise, but like with bees and the Varroe mite all others just giving us the last straw, making it the last drop for our weakened immune system
depending on our individual immune responses. And the beauty of it? We are consuming them on a massive scale. 2 million tonnes a year. Without the GMOs. And these pesticides are going into all foods, organic or not since the pesticide will wash into the water tablet as we learnt previously.
I would really like to say something uplifting, that is, we should choose organic and eat healthy live in harmony, eat our own etc. Unfortunately that would be just self-deception.
But change starts from knowing.
We can do something about it though. We can tell people our findings, we can research for better understanding of what is really transpiring out there - the reason behind all of this.
This is the typical example of, if they know about this that is the problem, if they don't, that is the problem. Without information we shouldn't blame ourselves. But after we know this and we choose to do nothing, we are going to betray our children and WE, become accomplices.
I invite you to check all my sources below. I didn't list them all, but it is a start. I don’t expect you to believe all this but I expect that you do your own research.
It is your choice, and yours alone. Choose wisely and help save the bees and change our ways. After all saving the bees is saving ourselves.
Our planet needs our help.
It always starts with YOU.
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