A Spring without Bees

Using CCD as a metaphor for our own human hive, Schacker asks: Are the bees trying to tell us something? Could this be the warning sign of a much larger crisis looming directly ahead? Might humankind suffer someday from 'Civilization Collapse Disorder'? And how must we change our human hive in order to ensure its survival? Like "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Silent Spring" before it, "A Spring without Bees" is a compelling cautionary tale and a clarion call for action. On the 100th anniversary of 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 some researchers think IMD is the new prime suspect for the devastating syndrome known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, which has raised the annual die-off rate of honey bees to 30 percent of all the beehives in the United States. They say even trace amounts of IMD make bees lose their desire to feed, which would quickly lead to the collapse of their colony. After several days, there are few or no bees left in the hive. Since honey bees are essential to the production of fruit, nut, and vegetable crops around the world, their demise could spell catastrophe for our food supply and global economy.

About the Author :
Michael Schacker is an investigative journalist, having written numerous articles for the Ulster Clarion. He has served as a political consultant and has worked as a strategic consultant for The Rodale Institute, the World's leading organic agriculture group.

Review :
Bookseller Quote: "If you read nothing else this summer, you must read this book - it will open your eyes and mind to the ecological impact you have on life every single day. For the generation who ingored Rachel Carson, or who didn't read "Silent Spring," here's your second chance. For those who dismissed Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," pay attention now! This book is written so that everyone will understand this impending disaster. It educated me on the significant impact that bees make on our food supply and the devastating impact the disappearance of bees would have. We can (hopefully) make a difference but we need to seriously address the use of insecticides in the United States in order to prevent further Colony Collapse Disorder and worse. Read labels, learn what's in the stuff you use, and act now. This is the most impactful book I have read in a very long time. I strongly recommend it." Pam WhiteSkyland BooksWest Jefferson, NC ""A Spring Without Bees" is an object lesson in just how delicate the web of life is. It sounds an urgent call to action on behalf of one of our economy's tiniest laborers but also asks that we re-think the environmental consequences of the entire way we do business." --Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) "The loss of the bees is a four-fold tragedy: for the beekeepers, the growers, the consumers and of course for the bees themselves. Michael Schacker's fascinating and enlightening book is an important new look at the great mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder." --Dr. James Amrine, President of the Acarology Society of America, Medical Entomologist, West Virginia University "At last an authoritative account of the vanishing bees: one of the most puzzling environmental problems of recent times. . . . at once a great detective story and an object lesson of how to live in harmony with the living planet, our home." --Thomas E. Lovejoy, President, the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and Environment "Who could imagine a spring without bees? One might say this is impossible, especially the kids. Michael Schacker's eye-opening story "A Spring without Bees" is a must-read for all of us who want to live in a sustainable and regenerating world for many generations to come." --Anthony Rodale, Chairman Emeritus, The Rodale Institute "The loss of the bees is a four-fold tragedy: for the beekeepers, the growers, the consumers and of course for the bees themselves. Michael Schacker's fascinating and enlightening book is an important new look at the great mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder." --Dr. James Amrine, President of the Acarology Society of America, Medical Entomologist, West Virginia University "In a debate clearly underpinned with political and commercial positioning and controversy over scientific fact and assumption, Michael Schacker's multi-faceted review of the dispute to date, and its possible consequences, helps us clearly understand what is needed to reverse the bee decline threatening world food supply." --Dr. Kurt Johnson, ecologist and ethicist; co-author of "Nabokov's Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius""" ""A Spring Without Bees" is an object lesson in just how delicate the web of life is. It sounds an urgent call to action on behalf of one of our economy's tiniest laborers but also asks that we re-think the environmental consequences of the entire way we do business." --Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) "Michael Schacker offers another important rationale for organic farming methods as a way to protect the fruit and vegetable supply."--Dr. Timothy J. L