A buzzing concern

On a rapidly heating and a fast deteriorating planet, while the powers that be engage in the franticness of keeping Earth comfortably habitable, concerns abound about how the exponential extent of the man-made mess should be contained and done away with. Be it the dangerous levels of plastic pollution in the oceans, the horrifying disappearance of forests, the appallingly vast jungles of concrete, bad air, heat waves, floods, droughts, cloud-bursts, various kinds of unnatural weather events, it is indeed a herculean task at hand to contain the rate of degradation of natural ecosystems. But matters look herculean only when seen in totality or/and from a disconnected distance. Globalisation and its serious downsides have created a homogenous sort of effect over the world in terms of loss and deterioration; the converse of that, however, proposes a solution. Localisation for the purpose restoration is a step that must not be delayed. Developing a place in keeping with its local climate and biodiversity will contribute to its prosperity without compromising with the natural ecology. As big as the problem looks, and actually is, the resolution of this has to begin with small steps at all levels. With respect to restoring the natural ecosystem, starting small has to be the way. As small as bees. Bees contribute massively to nature and are extremely important for the environment. At least 30 per cent of the world's crops and 90 per cent of all plants require cross-pollination to spread and thrive and bees are the most important and primary cross-pollinators. Owing to climate change, the population of bees is on the decline. This also explains the vicious cycle: due to depleting forests and vanishing greenery, the source of pollination is drastically reduced, and so have bees due to lack of their means of sustenance. Bees are a part of the food chain and at least 24 species of birds prey on bees along with many spiders and insects like dragonflies and praying mantises which eat bees as well. Known for their elaborate hives, they also build up homes for millions of other animals and insects. With pollination in the wild, bees are responsible for the production of many seeds, nuts, berries, and fruits which serve as a vital food source for wild animals. Areas with heavy vehicle movement and industrial activity had increased concentration of lead in honey compared to agriculture land, making honey a biomarker for pollution. However, there is a wide variety of bees and restricting to honeybees to revive bee population results in their imbalanced population. Simply growing more plants and allowing bees to thrive on their own will allay the issue to a great extent.