The Parasitic Human: An Apology to the Bees

     I write today about one example of the incredible, complicated and diverse Earth. This Monday marks the beginning of Earth and Diversity Week at Pacific Lutheran University. Looking at a blade of grass, a flower starting to bloom, or a bee pollinating, I see beauty, fragility, and growth. When I look at humans I also see these qualities, but another quality that unfortunately is prevalent is that of greed. A greed that is prevalent in many aspects of life whether it be shopping malls, NASCAR racing, or the amount of antibiotics placed in meat in the USA. 

      A lot of the problems stem from humans perceiving nature as  an entity that's only utility is in what nature can do for humankind in a parasitic relationship. When reflecting on nature, many people argue that the environment is a resource for human’s to be able to survive and thrive, and that we can take resources and choose to give nothing in return. What needs to change is the paradigm  from parasitic to that of reciprocal altruism with human and non-human species. I think this is possible particularly because our parasitic nature is not always due to malicious intent. Often times I find that we tend to forget that the natural world is not just something for photographs, television shows, or magazines, but rather that nature is dynamic, alive, and often far more awe inspiring in real life than on a screen or in a frame.

In Washington this past week, a truck spilled over 450 hives with over 14 million honeybees. Only 128 hives were recovered by the beekeepers, but the rest were hosed down or thrown into dumps. This was instituted because it is unlikely for bees to survive if their entire unit is not intact. Now, I personally have not spent a large amount of time researching bees and can see the validity in that claim, but the unsettling thought for me was the lack of concern shown by the public and the beekeepers about this horrific tragedy. They seemed dismissive, and acted as though the bees death was not that significant because these bees only represented about 5 percent of the total “stock”. This attitude is common in regards to our often parasitic relationship with the natural world being seen simply as a resource for our personal disposal and use, rather than noting that we killed a community of bees, dumping their carcasses and attempting to wash them away, like many environmental concerns. I apologize to the bees, for their untimely and cruel death. I am sorry that your existence is often overlooked or undervalued, and I am sorry that our best "solution" was death even with the connections of your beautiful but brief existence tangled with humanity.  

      There is hope for the future, but that hope will require not only awareness but also action. Now is the time to discuss alternative options to make sure this does not happen again. In addition, our government leaders need to recognize and implement policies that take into account the entire ecosystem not just human interests. We are currently seeing the impact of mass consumption of natural resources whether it be bees swarming on the highway, oil spills,  water droughts in California, or global warming. There needs to be recognition that humans are capable of destruction and creation, and embracing being a part of the earth, connecting our roots with the life surrounding us, and taking the time to not only plant a tree, but also change our paradigm so that we can have frank and honest conversation  about the lives of millions of bees and that the ecosystem needs a reciprocal relationship. So I ask us all to think how we can be less of parasites and more of partners with the Earth. Cheesy, maybe, but this is decision that everyone should get behind.