Truth about GMO

The average perception of a honeybee is the insect that has five eyes, two wings, and makes honey. What many people fail to realize is that honeybees have a lot more to them then these simple assumptions. For example they were brought here from Europe in the 1600's, and since then honeybees have become widespread across North America and are bred commercially for their abilities to produce honey. The major reason honeybees are important is because they pollinate approximately 130 agricultural crops in the U.S. including fruit, fiber, nuts, and vegetable crops. Unfortunately for us the honeybee population has hit a major decline in the U.S. and elsewhere. This major population decline is signaling an environmental imbalance which can lead to a devastating blow to our food supply. In fact Albert Einstein once was quoted saying, "if something eliminated the honeybees from our planet, mankind would soon perish". While there may be many different reasons attributing to the decline of the honey bee, there are a few theories that stood out.

Colony Collapse Disorder, which is the proper term coined for the disappearance of bees, may be occurring because of the brutal methods of beekeeping and the increase in the number of beekeepers. The bees are put under a lot of stress during this process, for example being filled up in large trucks and crisscrossing all over the country seeking pollination work. These bees may be suffering from the effects of an unhealthy diet that includes a diet of food similar to power bars and energy drinks to get them to perform longer and harder.

Many believe that our increasing use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, which honeybees ingest during their daily pollination rounds, are largely to blame. Another leading suspect is genetically modified crops, which may generate pollen with compromised nutritional value. It may be pollen from genetically modified crops and chemicals that have tipped the balance of the colonies leading to the collapse of bee populations. This theory is credible by the fact that organically raised bees, which are not subjected to genetically modified crops and chemicals, are not undergoing the Colony Collapse Disorder that the other bees are experiencing.

Some researchers are targeting the cell phone towers that are rapidly being put up, which causes atmospheric electromagnetic radiation, as a reason for this colony collapse. The hypothesis is that the radiation being omitted through the towers and mobile phones may be interfering with the bees' form of navigation. This information is credible because research has shown that when cell phones are placed near a hive the bees would not return there. Research is currently underway in the U.S. to determine the extent of the effects of such radiation on bees and other insect populations.

Global warning may add to the colony collapse disorder, through accelerating growths of mites and fungi that have been known to take over entire bee colonies. Also, the strange change in weather patterns may be throwing off the colonies because the colonies are used to more steady weather patterns.

One not commonly used theory is that of the Honeybee rapture. This is a term coined by Christians, meaning that this is just one more step to the return of Christ. The bible speaks of a great famine in the last days in Rev. 6:5-6, Has the third seal already been opened on the book Jesus is given in Revelation 5:1, and is this honey bee disappearance evidence that the seven seals on the book are preparations for the seven year tribulation period rather than judgments inside the tribulation period?

Although there are many theories as to why colony collapse disorder is occurring, recent meeting of leading bee biologists yielded no answers, but most agree that a combination of factors is likely to blame. "We're going to see a lot of money poured into this problem," says University of Maryland entomologist Galen Dively, one of the nation's leading bee researchers. He reports that the federal government plans an allocation of $80 million to fund research in connection with CCD. "What we're looking for," Dively says, "is some commonality which can lead us to a cause." In conclusion this phenomenon occurring in our lifetime is as real as it was when Albert Einstein predicted it all those years ago. If something is not done immediately with this problem not only may we be affected, but our children, and our children's children could be going through what may be the most devastating famine our world has ever seen.

Samantha Smullen