A Spring Without Bees: How Colony Collapse Disorder Has Endangered Our Food Supply

by Michael Schacker, Bill McKibben (Foreword by)

A century after the birth of Rachel Carson, the world faces a new environmental disaster, from a chemical similar to DDT. This time the culprit appears to be IMD, or imidacloprid, a relatively new but widely used insecticide in the United States. Many beekeepers and researchers blame IMD for Colony Collapse Disorder, which has wiped out 23% of America’s beehives. Even trace amounts make bees unable to fly back to their hive. Since honeybees are essential to the production of most major food crops, their demise could spell catastrophe.
 
In a riveting, scientific/political detective story, Michael Schacker examines the evidence and offers a plan to save the bees. Like An Inconvenient Truth and Silent Spring , A Spring without Bees is both a powerful cautionary tale and a call to action.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Biology, Food, Environment

292 pages, Hardcover

First published June 3, 2008

About the author

Michael Schacker, author of “A Spring Without Bees, How Colony Collapse Disorder Has Endangered Our Food Supply”, is an investigative science writer. He is the founder of The New Earth Instititute, a lifelong learning center on the Internet. He has also founded GlobalCurriculum.com an online progressive highschool core curriculum for alternative education, enrichment programs, global studies classes, idependent study programs, as well as home-schoolers and Charter schools. He has served as a strategic consultant and contract writer in the field of regenerative agriculture, and believes that here is a solution on this Earth for each of our many problems if we look for them.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book, I expected to find out some strange unknown environmental factor that was killing off the bees. What I found was that the news media sources have not been doing their homework, some universities and governments have just been pointing their fingers in the wrong directions, and that the possible answer is in front of us every day. With the help from the French who experienced a very similar bee disappearance, Schacker has researched the various theories and has come to rather interesting conclusions.

The writing style was informative, but not overwhelming for a non-science person, and the second half of the book is actually focused on what the average person can do about this bee problem. Through the reading, I just could not stop myself from shaking my head at the information about pesticides, from their overuse/abuse, the "emergency" approval from the EPA (no actual testing required), and the chemical companies abuse of power/money in government and universities.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really riveting, easy to understand account of the mystery of the disappearing bees. The book begins with a fascinating description of the sophisticated bee behavior and hive society. It reminded me of the first time I became educated on ant colonies, marvelling at their intricate, organized societies. The details are right down to the varying roles of each bee (nurse bees, cleaning squads, honey-processors, foragers, drones, etc.). The book logically takes the reader through every theory on CCD (Colony collapse disorder) proposed thus far, along with scientfic references and statistics on all documented research. It challenges the association between university research and the corporations that finance that research, questions the FDA rules on chemical pesticide approvals, offers suggestions for how each individual can assist in solving CCD, and repeatedly gives kudos to Rachel Carson's 1962 revelations in her ground-breaking book. This is an easy read, very appealing, contemporary, up-to-date account of this controversial, potentially civilization-devasting issue. Especially relevant given today's global economic woes in terms of oil, crop production, and world hunger.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard information about bees dying in record numbers, but I never really thought much of it until I read this book. Boy was I shocked to hear that the dying was caused in part by all of these pesticides that are not tested and given the "ok" from Gov't because of "emergency" measures.

It makes me wonder of what consequences we are being faced with because of modifying insect behavior to get more crop yield.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bees are a metaphor for our entire relationship with the planet. This book updates Rachel Carson's paradigm-shifting Silent Spring--but unfortunately not as much as shifted as we thought! You'll be amazed at how many untested chemicals, including neurotoxins, are used on the food we eat.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "A Spring Without Bees," Michael Shacker introduces readers to Colony Collapse Disorder, a strange phenomenon affecting honey bee hives. Why should we care? Well, honey bees are largely responsible for the pollination of food crops. In fact, entire businesses are dedicated to moving honey bees around the country to pollinate farmers' crops. But, many hives are failing due to the "mysterious" CCD. Shacker then takes us through a history of CCD in France and compares it to the later crises in the US. The French figured out the problem and successfully fought to reverse it, but their data is being ignored in the US, where media/scientists/chemical companies/etc. continue to label CCD as having an "unknown cause." Shacker easily makes the case that a pesticide known as IMD is the main culprit for CCD. Pulling together a wide variety of useful sources, "A Spring Without Bees" is well-written, easy to follow, appropriately alarming yet still offers moments of hope, and leaves readers with a list of action steps to promote hive health locally, nationally, and globally. There are so many nuggets of information in this book, so even if you are not thrilled by bees you'll have plenty "food for thought" while reading. In particular, I liked Schacker's point about the necessity of a paradigm shift from mechanistic thinking to biological thinking.

[Eveline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colony Collapse Disorder has been determined to be caused by a highly toxic insecticide ingredients known as Imidacloprid (IMD), a nicotine-based chlorinated hydrocarbon similar to DDT as well as Fipronil, Thiamethoxam and Clothianidin. Some of these insecticides has been banned in France and other countries because of their experience with Colony Collapse Disorder. Please help the bees by contacting the following officials at the EPA and request that they suspend IMD and neonicotinoid use until sublethal doses are shown to be safe for bees:

Registration Division Director, Office of Pesticide Programs, EPA
Section 18 Team Leader
USEPA Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W Mail Code: 7505P
Washington, DC 20460

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/contact...

USEPA Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W Mail Code: 7505P
Washington, DC 20460

Read book for more contact information and organic solutions (listed in the back Appendix)

[Philip Jenks · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schacker presents a global view on the experience of farmers and scientists in coping with the modern collapse of bee populations, For example, he details how farmers in France started from the mid-1990s to protest against destruction of bees by new neonictinoid pesticides; how French government studies confirmed the farmers' observations; how the French government issued precautionary bans on use of these pesticides, and how bee populations subsequently recovered. Meanwhile in North America, the Bush administration yielded to chemical company lobbying and raised the Environmental Protection Agency's approved tolerance levels for concentrations of five major classes of pesticides, including neonicotinoids.

Aside from reporting the farmers' efforts to change policy, Schacker provides details of the pest control alternatives used by the USA's 12,000 organic farmers. He offers natural ways for property and pet owners to deal with lawn and household insect pests, and for golf courses to become less toxic. He shows how anybody with a garden can be part of the solution, for example by planting bee-friendly silver linden trees.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This weekend, I finally finished A Spring Without Bees. This was definitely not a book which took a while because I wasn’t into it, but because I was busy. Plus I had to restrain myself from stopping every few sentences to write down interesting facts about bees! Did you know, bees travel approximately 7 million miles per gallon of honey they produce? All I can say is that if people did that much work for a gallon of honey, it would probably be worth its weight in gold.

Read the rest here...

[Ryan Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent, incredibly informative, and well put together book. It was a great starting point for my research into Colony Collapse Disorder (Hobby Scientist here. w00t w00t!) It has a heavy focus on pesticides which just happened to be what I was looking for. If that's not what YOU'RE looking for, that's okay. The author includes a little bee biology, hive behavior, honey production, organic farming techniques, organic alternatives to pesticides, how to start a bee friendly garden, this pretty much is a go-to if you love bees. Couldn't recommend this book any more if I was paid to. Which I wasn't. What gives?

[KellyWells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much more than just about bees, this books gives insight into how we are affecting our planet with the use of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizer. The last few chapters gives concise ideas for making sure we are supporting bees colonies, not destroying them with our personal choices.

[Michael Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real eye-opener on the perils of pesticide use.

[Nessa Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page-turning thriller. Only, unfortunately, not fiction.

[Daniel R. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. It reads like a repetitive alarmist rant. When the author started making mostly unsubstantiated conspiracy theory allegations against higher education and American media I hit my limit. Coming into the subject of bees and colony collapse disorder (CCD) with little knowledge of either I was hoping for an introduction to bees, CCD, and an unbiased exploration of what might be leading to it. I found none in this book. While there maybe truth in some of what the author says it is hidden among a writing tone and style that makes me distrust him more than the supposedly corrupt institutions he continually lambasts.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life-changing. Absolutely shocking information on how much pull the drug companies have on agriculture! I had no idea! And I think this author has a very compelling, logical solution to the "mysteries" of colony collapse. A couple of chapters a bit too touchy-feely, but those chapters have nothing to do with the problem of colony collapse, so they don't affect my view on his theory. A VERY worth-while read!

[Gord · Rating 4 out of 5]

If we don't smarten the hell up and pay attention to the damage we're causing to this planet, the bees are going to up and disappear. Then, we're screwed: the honey bee is responsible for 1/3 of the world's food supply and they're incredibly vulnerable to the chemical poisons that we insist on using with no regard for the consequences.

Read it. Be afraid. Do something about it.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book reads more like a thesis, but had some good information. It was a little dense, however I'm glad I read this book and I encourage everyone to read it or learn a little more about CCD. The book included some great ideas about helping the situation on an individual and global basis, two perspectives I love.

[konami · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good starter for those who are interested in colony collapse disorder. Pretty much gives background info but there are more books out there and new info just about on a weekly basis. It did peak my interest, and I was able to do a research paper on CCD for my science class 3 years ago. The author provided me with some good leads to more books/papers written on the subject.

[Lester Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a definitive proof of the impact of systemic pesticides (particularly imidacloprids) on the survival of honeybee colonies, but it raises serious questions about the ability of the species to survive chemical-dependent agriculture, and more importantly, the ability of the human species to survive without honeybees.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think he was trying to do too much with this book and didn't quite get anything right. He was looking for a single smoking gun and I don't think there is just one gun.

He makes the case that we are at the envionmental crisis predicted by Rachel Carson in Silent Spring. Bees are dying and we won't be far behind if we don't do something.

The book is mostly about bees and imadaclorprid -the insecticide that will be used in Worcester on the Asian Beetle infected trees. This pesticide has been banned in France and other European contries for what it does to the honeybee. At doses that are not lethal, it can make it difficult for them to navigate.

To save our bees - and ourselves - we need to switch to organic farming, lawn care and golf courses.

Even if half of what he said was true - and I know from my own research that he is correct on the majority of what he says is correct (but not the whole pic) - we are in crisis. We need to stop using this type of insecticide.

Don't by Merit - the househouse eqivalent of imadacloprid.

Personally I am getting on the integrate pest management beekeeping movement - not because of this book but because it is better for my family and bees. I urge others to follow suit and find organic methods of lawn care and pest managment.

[Charity]

I enjoyed the beginning of this book (especially the story of Charity Crabtree and how she saved the fledgling US republic by throwing her bag of bees at British soldiers). I've like to give this one my time because honeybees and other pollinators interest me, but I'm feeling burnt out on nonfiction, and I still have Queen Noor's memoir to read for book club in two weeks.

I'm also worried that the information is going to be out of date anyway since the book is four years old. I'm putting this one down and opting for fiction, which may sometimes feel dated but is never out-of-date. Maybe once I've had a fiction infusion, I'll pick this one up again.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book was ridiculously interesting! I didn't know how important bees were for our food supply. The author was very convincing about the vulnerability of bees and the cause for their decline and backed up most of his conclusions with good data. Yet by the middle of the book he begins ranting about everything from chemical companies to universities to the media. While this rant was probably necessary, it got old after a while. Bottom line: eat organic, garden organic, golf organic.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book addresses a very interesting topic, but i'm not sure it merits an entire book. most of the chapters cover phenomena that do NOT explain colony collapse disorder. while somewhat interesting, that's not really why i wanted to read the book. so now i'm giving up on reading the whole thing and i'm going to skip to the end and see what the cause of colony collapse disorder is. and i will be SO PISSED if it isn't explained!!!

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breezy but thoughtful, Schacker explicates the crisis and its solution with clarity and conviction. Though he manages to miss the blazingly obvious - colony collapse disorder is a direct consequence of animal agriculture- he presents an eye-opening explication of the important role of bees and a workable plan for ensuring that they- and we- survive.

(Ever asked a vegan why they don't eat honey? Beyond the principle of it, bee factory farms are what this book is essentially combating.)

[Stacy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sloppy and repetitive writing style, but still a compelling read. Bee colony die off has increased at least 30%. This combined with the loss of common birds and the white nose epidemic in bats are enough to worry anyone about our food supply and environment.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author provided some well documented information. He was also quite empassioned by his subject. Maybe a little bit of radical ideas, but overall good.

[Kat Lynch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whoever edited this should be fired.

That said, the discussion about European data pointing to pesticides as a probable cause of CCD was interesting.

[Angela]

Interesting, but I couldn't get through this book...