It might only have a subtle effect, but it’s still measurable: the distribution of Earth’s glacial ice has an impact on how the planet spins, both in terms of the speed of our blue sphere’s rotation, and in the slow wobble that the Earth’s axis makes over it’s 26,000-year circle around the sky.
read more
While we’re well aware of the ongoing plight of honeybees that are facing colony collapse disorder, and the potential impact on crops that depend on our little apian allies for pollination, it’s important to remember that there are a large number of plant species that we use for food that rely on species other than bees, both invertebrate and vertebrate. Toward that end, a new study, commissioned by the United Nations, has been released, warning that a shocking number of these alternate pollinators are at risk of extinction.
read more
While there has been a great deal of attention placed on the phenomenon of colony collapse disorder, the bees that are affected by CCD are commercial honeybees, with known populations that have numbers that can be easily quantified. However, the pollination provided by wild bees is also important to the growth cycle of crops, and supplements the job done by commercial honeybees. But as their hives aren’t monitored by beekeepers, a loss in their numbers aren’t as immediately noticed.
read more