Parish
Save the Bees, Save the Planet
RECEIVED Thu., Aug. 22, 2019
Dear Editor,
Travis County recently voted to stop using neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides, on county land. This is meaningful because these particular pesticides are extremely harmful to bees and other pollinating insects. This is a big win for the bees and Texas too; it shows that not only do our commissioners care about the bees and natural pollinators, but also that steps can be made to protect the animals that are critical in the production of our food. Bees pollinate 71 out of 90 essential crops like strawberries, coffee, and alfalfa used to feed dairy cows. We are losing 39% of our bees every winter. This is completely unsustainable with the current way that we live our lives. However, this is just the first step. We need more counties to get involved so we can save the bees and our food supply. Thanks so much for reading.
Travis County recently voted to stop using neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides, on county land. This is meaningful because these particular pesticides are extremely harmful to bees and other pollinating insects. This is a big win for the bees and Texas too; it shows that not only do our commissioners care about the bees and natural pollinators, but also that steps can be made to protect the animals that are critical in the production of our food. Bees pollinate 71 out of 90 essential crops like strawberries, coffee, and alfalfa used to feed dairy cows. We are losing 39% of our bees every winter. This is completely unsustainable with the current way that we live our lives. However, this is just the first step. We need more counties to get involved so we can save the bees and our food supply. Thanks so much for reading.
Zach Vipperman
