WHATS THE BUZZ ABOUT SAVING THE BEES?

Earlier this week, we talked about the worlds disappearing honey bee dilemma. Knowing about this problem is a great start to being part of the solution, but what else can we do to help our local bee population? We will be talking about several things that we can do on an individual level that can make a difference; starting from least engaging, to the most engaging.

Voting for those without a voice

Even though the bees do not have a say in government regulation, we do. Voting for the bees in the booths will give them a fighting chance out in the fields. Some pesticides are more dangerous to bee than others, allowing the use of these pesticides in our country is actually doing more harm than good. Here is a link to sign a petition to help put a ban on dangerous pesticides, it only takes a second to sign it and will let your voice be heard.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bees/

Plan BEE

We all know that bees collect pollen as there food, but did you that many of the bee’s most beneficial flowers are on the government’s noxious weeds list? Bees get a majority of their pollen from wild flowers and weeds. A large portion of these wild flowers are considered to be pests and are killed very quickly; a good example of this is the common dandelion. In the early spring, before many other flowers have begun to bloom, honey bees are very dependent on dandelion blossoms to support their pollen needs. So a very simple, easy way to help honey bees is to refrain from killing the dandelions in your lawn. They’re actually quite pretty. And next time you see a bare patch, think about planting Dutch clover instead of grass. The bees thrive on various weeds in lawns, including clover and plantain (from which they collect pollen). Do you really have to have that perfect, manicured, chemical-laden lawn?

  

Call In The Experts

Honeybees naturally produce new bee hives by what is known as “swarming”. When the current hive location becomes too small for the current hive population, the colony will split in half; one half will stay and the other half flies away to find a new home. When honeybees are swarming, they are out in the open and are exposed to the elements. If you ever see a swarm, instead of panicking, you should quickly call in a beekeeper. Many beekeepers will gladly take the swarm off your hands for free (they can hive it and use that colony for honey production). The video below is a good example of what a swarm looks like and how beekeepers can catch one (please leave it to the professionals). Many local beekeeper groups have a hotline that anyone can call so that the honeybees are attended for properly. You would be surprised at how many beekeepers you may actually know, ask and find out! I’m sure your beekeeper friends wouldn’t mind an extra bee hive!!

BEEcome a Beekeeper!

Playing with thousands of sting insects is not for everyone, but beekeeping is an interesting and rewarding hobby for those of you who are adventurous enough to try it. My family just took up beekeeping recently actually, and we are excited for what this coming summer will bring. Depending on how much someone is looking to spend, as well as what the individual is looking to get out of it, beekeeping can be as cost effective or expensive as you make it.  A common misconception is also that beekeeping is a rural activity, which this isn’t the case. Urban beekeeping is a common practice and can very easily be done in a busy city. Even if you didn’t want to do the work yourself, allowing a friend or a neighbor to put a hive on your property would be a help to the local population and your garden. For more information on bees and becoming a beekeeper, several links are listed below. By helping our tiny friends, we are helping our yards, our food supply, and the economy.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/19/urban-beekeeping-for-begi_n_415082.html

http://www.co-operative.coop/Plan-Bee/

http://www.beesource.com/

Thank you for reading the Full Circle Lifestyle blog, you can also follow us on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest to show your support with your friends and stay up-to-date on news and facts. Small improvements today, will add up to a better tomorrow.

~Daniel

BEEWARE!

This week, I would like to talk a bit about the honeybee. These busy little bees do a lot for us and they go basically undetected and unappreciated from our day-to-day activities. As the phrase goes “out of sight, out of mind”, we don’t ever think about these important little insect because they are not really part of our daily lives… Or are they? It turns out, honeybees are actually very important to our wellbeing and to the economy; this post will hopefully shed some light on something that many don’t usually think about.

The Baseline

I’m sure we all have a decent grasp of what honeybees do, they pollinate. Pollination is great; it’s a huge part of the reproductive cycle of plants. When plants don’t reproduce, we basically don’t eat. Now I’m not saying that the world is going to end because plants can’t make baby plants, I’m just trying to get the point across. Honeybees pollinate about 1/3 of our plants each year. Bee declines can have a very close tie with many crops, for example, the almond industry in California (which had a crop value of $1.5 billion in 2006).  In 2000, the total U.S. crop value that was wholly dependent on honey bee pollination was estimated to exceed $15 billion. It is important that we be aware of the importance of our honeybees, because the little honeybees’ affects more than one might think!

Where could they BEE?

Since late 2006, the world has seen an astronomical decrease in bee populations. Most every country, between Taiwan and the United States, have experienced unexplainable hive die-off; some countries have experienced a disappearance of close to 50% (such as Northern Ireland) in a given year. Hive die off during the winter is normal and expected, but it is clear when a hive could not survive the winter due to the dead bees. Lately, the bees just have vanished without a trace. Scientist have been working towards solving these hive collapse since 2006, but it is very difficult to pin point any one culprit. Some of the listed causes have been: Pesticides, malnutrition, electromagnetic radiation, global warming, genitally modified crops, viral and fungal combinations, and immune deficiency.  In the United States, we have been calling it Colony Collapse Disorder.

Colony Collapse Disorder

In July 2007, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its "CCD Action Plan", which outlined a strategy for addressing CCD consisting of four main components:

      1)      survey and data collection;

      2)      analysis of samples;

      3)      hypothesis-driven research; and

      4)      mitigation and preventative action.

In July 2009 the first annual report of the U.S. Colony Collapse Disorder Steering Committee was published. It suggested that colony collapse may be caused by the interaction of many agents in combination. The bee industry has been recovering since the appearance of CCD, but it still exists and is very much a threat to hives and to our economy.

There have been many books, reports, and scientific journals that are written about CCD and how it affects each and every one of us. Here are a few books and sites to check out for more information on the topic:

Jacobsen, Rowan (2009). Fruitless fall: the collapse of the honey bee and the coming agricultural crisis. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781596915374.

"Saving the Honeybee" . Scientific American 300 (4): 24. 2009-04.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/07/disappearing-bees-progress-or-frustration-1.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/honey-bees-dying-scientists-suspect-pesticides-disease-worry/story?id=10191391#.T59rCasV0kc

In the end, just let us be mindful to what is going on outside of our little box, and do what we can to make a difference in each of our lives. If you would like to learn how you can do your part in protecting our local bees, then stay tuned for part 2 of this post later on this week!!

~Daniel

“What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matter compared to what lies within us.”

-quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes

Water You Waiting For?

When people think of recycling or being sustainable, the topic of water usually isn’t the first things that come to mind. No matter your location, using less water will help save resources and save money. We spend money on the water utilities in a few ways: on the water itself, heating the water, purifying/water softening (if you live in the country), and possibly pumping the water through the house. There is quite a few ways we can use less around the house, which affects all three ways. We are going to focus specifically on bathroom usage in this blog post.

Did you know that water usage in the bathroom alone consists of roughly 45% of usage on average? Making a few minor modifications in this one room can save you hundred, if not thousands of gallons of water a year. As water becomes more costly in the future, inflation and taxation being two major culprits, a little change today can make a lasting difference over the next several years. The very easiest way though to cut down on water usage in the bathroom, is to simply turn off the water when brushing teeth and shaving; this can save water and money from going down the drain.  Facet waste is tiny though, compared to the worst offend in the house: the toilet.

Flushing Efficiency Down the Drain

Toilet usage accounts for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption, changing the way we flush can make a big difference on how we save. Toilets are made strong and simple, because of this, they don’t usually go bad. Many people don’t think about replacing them because they can last so long and toilets are usually one of the last things to be replaced during a bathroom remodel. Even though old toilets may appear to work fine, they are very wasteful and some can leak without you even being aware of it. Performing a leak test on a toilet is easy.

A leak test consists of two steps: 1) put several drops of food coloring in the reservoir tank. 2) Let sit undisturbed over night. Come morning, if there is color in the toilet bowl, then you have a leaky toilet!! Be sure to fix toilet leaks, if not replace the toilet completely, promptly to avoid excessive waste and expenses. If you don’t have the time and money to replace an old and inefficient toilet, placing a brick (wrapped in plastic), or a water bottle filled with sand, in the reservoir chamber can help decrease per flush water usage. Another easy trick you can apply to save water is to adjust the float or flutter valve in your toilet; you can find short videos on youtube on how to make toilet adjustment. When in the market for buying a toilet, make sure to keep efficiency in mind (as well as comfort and looks of course!!)

In 1992, the government mandated that all toilets can use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Since then, toilet design and performance have made leaps and bounds in quality and effectiveness. A good place to look up more facts on new toilets is: http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/toilets.html.  Getting a new low-flow toilet for the house is a great investment for the home as well as for a sustainable lifestyle.

Changing The Way We Bath

Taking a shower, instead of taking a bath, can be a good first step in conserving water. Even though showers are more efficient, they still take up approximately 17% of indoor water consumption.  The number one way of cutting down water usage for showers, is replacing the shower head. A high quality, high pressure/low flow shower head can be cheap as $20-$60.

Depending on how much you spend on the device, as well as shower usage/size of the household, payback in water savings can be several months to maybe a year. A shower head life expectancy can be 6+ years, so it can save money over many years. When buying a new shower head, it’s important to get one that offers a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm (gallons per minute) for maximum water efficiency. Another nice feature to consider is a flow pause button. This lets you easily turn the flow on or off when lathering up in the shower. This lets you directly control your water usage.

In the end, the best tool to combat water usage and water waste is knowledge. Knowing how we affect our environment, and how we can save it, will lead us to a sustainable future. A good website to do your own research on water conservation is: http://www.epa.gov/gateway/learn/water.html. Do your part and be resource smart!!

Looking forward to discussing sustainability in the future,

Daniel

“...to learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know.”
― Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People