GOP Hates and Distrusts Science: Would They Distrust Einstein

Truthfully, He Didn't Say That. But, It Makes Sense. I Suspect He Would Support It 

Honey Bee Colony Collapse is Real

First, a word about this widely misquote from Albert Einstein. Some say it has been used to lend an air of authority to the topic of disappearing and disruptive bee colonies. So, who would doubt an Einstein quote about anything, right? Alas, he didn't say that. 

However, the bee colony collapse disorder is real and it leads to unexplained and sometimes dramatic declines in commercial bee colonies in 35 states. The frequent recycling of the Einstein quote, which was first written down about 40 years after his death in 1955, still plays into the equation, but falsely. Now on to some hard facts (but, I still like the quote, whoever said it).

I tend to trust this kind of source  — although I suspect most GOPers probably do not, they being so anti-everything to do with science of any nature. Makes one wonder, how did they fair in high school science? Oh, that's right, it was probably an elective and they skipped it.

Media coverage from the LA Times, in part follows below. Oddly, or ironically, we accept the idea about having an ample and good supply of food, but without the insects or plant disease, so we tolerate the use of a lot of pesticides. However, along the way, we seem to have forgotten that bees are essential in helping in the food production chain ... that pollen thingy they do. Lose the bees, reduce the food chain - now, who wants that?

From the LA Times: Pesticides sprayed on crops could be making honey bees susceptible to a fatal parasite and contributing to recent declines in bee populations, according to a study.

Researchers found 35 pesticides, some at lethal levels, in the pollen collected from bees servicing major food crops in five states, including California, according to the study published online Wednesday in the journal PLOS One (a lot of links here).

Levels for two chemicals were above the dose that would kill half a population within two days, according to the report. Pesticide residue was found on all the pollen samples, including those that the bees apparently collected from nearby wildflowers, according to the report. 

More at the link. Do the research.