CLIP DOCUMENTARY VANISHING OF THE BEES DIRECTORS: MARYAM HENEIN, GEORGE LANGWORTHY STARRING: Simon Buxton, David Hackenberg, Elliot Page, Dennis van Engelsdorp PRODUCTION: UK 2009 SYNOPSIS This documentary raises awareness about the importance of protecting the honeybee population. Bees are vital pollinators, and a thriving bee population is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem; however, bees are suffering from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). tells the stories of struggling beekeepers and emphasises that the future of the bees will ultimately determine the future of our human population. In 2006, US beekeepers began reporting that astounding numbers of their honeybees had gone missing. They had literally disappeared, with no dead bees to be found and no obvious cause. In 2007, US scientists formed a task force to study the phenomenon; they identified its distinct symptoms and named it “Colony Collapse Disorder”. While searching for the cause of the disorder, scientists investigated specific pathogens and diseases, and even cell phone use. When none of these appeared to be the root cause, they began to look at how farming practices might be affecting honeybees. In the past, American farmers grew a variety of crops and animals on their farms, and often kept bees for pollination. Today, however, most US crops are grown in monocultures, with a single crop grown over hundreds or even thousands of acres. They require pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides to thrive, and they also depend on bees for pollination. Commercial beekeepers typically have thousands of hives, which they truck from crop to crop, releasing honeybees to pollinate the fields. One likely contributor to Colony Collapse Disorder is systemic pesticides, which enter plants through their roots, and persist in the leaves, nectar, and pollen. Systemic pesticides are designed to inflict sub-lethal damage to pests, such as weakening the immune system and impairing memory. In France studies showed they caused honeybees to become disoriented and unable to collect pollen. Once they were banned, the bees bounced back. These pesticides are still being used in the United States and many other countries. Although the root cause of Colony Collapse Disorder has not been identified yet, this phenomenon seems related to bringing bees into the monoculture farming system. Vanishing of the Bees BEFORE WATCHING 10 Answer the questions. What is pollination? Why is pollination important? What might happen if honeybees were no longer able to perform that function? What is Colony Collapse Disorder? 1. 2. 3. 4.