#9 Pollinators in Peril

“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” Regardless of the accuracy of that famous quote, pollinators are indispensable to our planet. About one in three bites of food in the Western world depend on commercial bee pollination. But their numbers are dropping, fast. Bees and other insects are plagued by several afflictions. So what’s bugging the bugs, and what can be done about it? Topics include: urban beekeeping, beekeepers, apiculture, bees, save the bees, honey, apicultura, beekeeping, pollinators, beehives Guests on this episode: Tim Joye - Artist Ghent, 🇧🇪 Belgium Our first stop was at a vacant lot in our hometown, where art director Tim has launched his Beesphere project with the installation of the very first Beepod. It’s a neat structure covered with bee-friendly plants, and it provides a home to tens of thousands of bees. The project aims to bring the local community and bee culture closer together in these unused spaces. Peter Neumann - Bee Professor Bern, 🇨🇭 Switzerland A worldwide authority on bee health, Peter was the perfect person to explain the many factors that contribute to the diminished bee populations. He’s also the president of COLOSS, the research association that looks into colony losses, and a member of the B-GOOD project, which will gather data on sustainable beekeeping. Roberto Pasi - Beeing CEO Cesena, 🇮🇹 Italy Beeing is a company that tackles the pollinator problem like a Silicon Valley startup: with technology and innovative products. Their latest is the b-box, a stylish beehive that is simple, safe, and fun. Designed to give the bees a boost in our urban environments, it aims to lower the bar to get into beekeeping. For pictures, additional links, credits and full transcript, visit: https://tomorrowpeople.today/pollinators-in-peril ––– If you enjoyed this episode, tell your friends and family about it, or post about it on social media. We're on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also post ratings and reviews. It all helps us spread the stories of the Tomorrow People.