The Bearded Bee
http://ift.tt/2tScUbr
This is what our species is now. First we exploit a resource, then work to destroy the resource, and instead of fixing the situation that we caused in the first place, we try to technology our way out of our own messy house. Rather than change the current monocultural model of industrial farming we choose to create robot bees to take over pollination instead of just providing a mixture of natural food sources for bees and other pollinators around the country that are dispersed throughout the monoculture system. Simply dispersing a few square acre plots of naturally occuring wildflowers and plants, repeatedly spread throughout a large farming system would take care of the crops pollination needs without having to truck bees in from all over the country (which is a main cause of disease and pest spreading for bees throughout the country)... there are studies showing the math and it's not that much land that's needed in comparrison to the size of the farms. However, this can't be done effectively if you are repeatedly spraying insecticides over everything, including the pollinators, or farming round up ready crops that already effectively have round up in their pollen and slowly poison a hive from the inside. There are ways to work within the model to make it a feasible path though; however simply entertaining the idea of robot pollinators is not a good one. This is not the first time companies have applied for patents to make robotic pollinators, but you know when WalMart is involved they wouldn't be spending the time on it if they weren't serious about making money. If you know a beekeeper, take a few seconds and thank them for at least trying to help out the situation and keep bees alive and avoid the robots. Buy honey from your local beekeepers to help support them as well. Beekeeping isn't the cheapest hobby around either. http://ift.tt/2tScUbr
Message: These are my feelings on the subject.....
http://ift.tt/2tScUbr
This is what our species is now. First we exploit a resource, then work to destroy the resource, and instead of fixing the situation that we caused in the first place, we try to technology our way out of our own messy house. Rather than change the current monocultural model of industrial farming we choose to create robot bees to take over pollination instead of just providing a mixture of natural food sources for bees and other pollinators around the country that are dispersed throughout the monoculture system. Simply dispersing a few square acre plots of naturally occuring wildflowers and plants, repeatedly spread throughout a large farming system would take care of the crops pollination needs without having to truck bees in from all over the country (which is a main cause of disease and pest spreading for bees throughout the country)... there are studies showing the math and it's not that much land that's needed in comparrison to the size of the farms. However, this can't be done effectively if you are repeatedly spraying insecticides over everything, including the pollinators, or farming round up ready crops that already effectively have round up in their pollen and slowly poison a hive from the inside. There are ways to work within the model to make it a feasible path though; however simply entertaining the idea of robot pollinators is not a good one. This is not the first time companies have applied for patents to make robotic pollinators, but you know when WalMart is involved they wouldn't be spending the time on it if they weren't serious about making money. If you know a beekeeper, take a few seconds and thank them for at least trying to help out the situation and keep bees alive and avoid the robots. Buy honey from your local beekeepers to help support them as well. Beekeeping isn't the cheapest hobby around either. http://ift.tt/2tScUbr
Message: These are my feelings on the subject.....