Declining of Pollinators

Pollinators
By: Hayley Gonneville


   Did you know that pollinators are dying all around the globe? What is a pollinator anyways? Well, a pollinator is any type of bee (other than honey bees), ants, monarchs or other butterflies, hummingbirds, and beetles. Pollinators are very important for our food source. When you hear the word bug you may think that they just fly around and sting humans or animals, but they are actually much more than that. Pollinators are very beneficial. But pollinators are dying because of pesticides, without them nothing can help spread pollen from plant to plant. A consequence about losing pollinators is that our food sources will decrease. But to address this issue companies, such as Monsanto, can stop using unhealthy pesticides. Or you yourself can plant wildflowers around your lawn. Also limit products you buy from Monsanto. At MMS, team Carrabassett is bringing awareness to pollinators dying by planting milkweed for butterflies, on our school grounds.

   Many pollinators are dying because of pesticides. The use of pesticides isn't just harming animals, but they are also harming people. Such as cancer, allergies, birth defects, and more. “Pesticide use has increased, including a controversial one, called neonicotinoid that makes it hard for bees to fly and find their way”. (Newsela.com). Even though pesticides may help keep bugs from destroying crops, they also risk pollinators lives. There are also other causes to bees dying such as varroa mites, which suck bees blood, changes in weather or the weather being to cold, and habitat loss. But most of the bees are killed by unhealthy pesticides.

   Pollinators help spread pollen by traveling from plant to plant. Without the doing that, the plants can still bloom but they will not produce any food. “Approximately 90% of all flowering plants require pollinators to survive”. (Beyondpesticides.org). That means that only 10% of food plants of any plants can survive without pollinators. If you think about it, if pollinators went extinct almost all of our food would be gone. Mostly fruits and vegetables. To stay healthy we need the nutrients from fruits and vegetables. So if we lose those nutrients people could become very unhealthy.

   One consequence of losing pollinators is that our food sources will decrease. If some of the food is gone it affects the whole food chain. “Fully ⅓ of the food we eat depends on bees for pollination”. (Panna.org). So you think, oh well we have the other ⅔ of the food. Well that's not true. That two-thirds is part of the food chain which will also be affected along with that ⅓. That means that ALL of our food will be at risk if pollinators go extinct. Considering that, you can plant all sorts of plants without using pesticides.

   To address the pollinator issue companies, such as Monsanto, can stop using pesticides that are harmful. You could plant wildflowers around your lawn and you can limit how many products you buys from Monsanto. Which are Betty Crocker, Campbell's soup, Doritos and Fritos, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Pepsi, Hershey's, and many more foods that you may love. “Obama has agreed to have a beehive placed on the grounds of the White House”. (Newsela.com). Obama is helping the bees population. You could also plant a beehive at your own house. Even if it's only in the woods.

   At MMS, team Carrabassett is bringing awareness to pollinators dying by planting milkweed and a pollinator friendly garden for butterflies, on our school grounds. By doing this we are saving almost over 4,000 different species of bees. We are making letters and public service announcements to help make a difference and save pollinators. This may not mean anything to you, but bugs and birds are very important to the food chain. So without them some people won't even have a job. Such as people who work at Walmart, Target, and other super markets. Most of all, Farmers who plant all of the crops that pollinators need pollinate.

   When you think GMO, you may think to yourself those are bad, but some GMO’s are good. Without GMO’s our food would have worms and they would look like they are rotten and moldy. Companies such as Monsanto use GMO’s but they are not bad. Companies also use GMO’s to speed up the food process. For example, like you go to the store everyday, they are trying to get enough food in stores for people like you to buy. As much food as you buy, companies have to keep up the food supply. Some GMO’s are very helpful in the supermarket department.

   Again, pollinators are very important to our food sources. They basically supply us food for us to live. The fruits, vegetables, and all the foods you love and eat daily. To address this issue you can plant milkweed for butterflies, beehives for bees, and wildflowers for all pollinators. They give you all of your food so the least you can do is plant a couple flowers here and there to save lives of pollinators.