Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a honey bee syndrome of unknown origin which was named and defined in 2006 by a team of United States entomologists (Entine 2013). The symptoms of CCD are: 1) the absence of older, worker bees 2) absence of a graveyard pile 3) the presence of a queen, unattended brood and newly eclosed workers 4) the presence of food stores and 5) the absence of kleptoparasitism (other insects do not move into the empty hive). Unless each of these factors is met, a dead hive is not considered to have succumbed to CCD.
CCD is shrouded in debate about the cause(s) and prospective treatments. This paper will explore four perspectives: environmental and non-environmental media and environmental and non-environmental scientific …show more content…
Entine has a background in biology and founded the Genetic Literacy Project – a public outreach. He also administers a consultancy firm, of which Monsanto is a prime client; a confict of interest that Entine fails to reveal. The style is approachable, with the content covering international arenas of colony collapse investigation. He explores neonicotinoids (a neurotoxic pesticide derived from chlorinated nicotines) as a possible cause of CCD and eventually concludes that they are a necessary element for agriculture and could actually increase bee health. This conclusion is dubious due to Entine’s affiliations and Forbes’ status as a business journal. Publishing in this media outlet is an excellent vector for the dissemination of new knowledge; however, Forbes executives realize the power that negative spin would have upon stakeholders’ stock. In the end, Entine provided no novel conclusions in his …show more content…
This points to the ability of journalists to distill information from scientific studies and diffuse it to the public. There is merit in the non-environmental perspective as it may report on historical facts, economic expenditures, or anthropogenic consequences of CCD. Both the scientific and media outlets chosen for the non-environmental viewpoint covered economics and reported unbiasedly on the possible causes of CCD. Each explore neonicotinoids, nutrition, overwintering, diseases, parasites, and loss of genetic diversity (vanEngelsdorp 2009, Entine 2013). The consequences of an environmental viewpoint may include: the continued use of systemic pesticides on the recommendation of a purportedly critical scientific writer (Entine), or a lack of action based on the need for further research, as with Engelsdorp et al. (2009). Meanwhile, the consequences of a non-environmental viewpoint could include policy change in favor of economics rather than the environment (Bekic et al. 2014, Wines 2015). Another repercussion might be the de-contextualization of colony collapse disorder. For instance, as a keystone pollinator the honey bee is essential to modern agriculture. Without the environmental perspective, one might not realize that the source of one-third of the food in the United States is via honey bee (Bekic 2014, Entine
CCD is shrouded in debate about the cause(s) and prospective treatments. This paper will explore four perspectives: environmental and non-environmental media and environmental and non-environmental scientific …show more content…
Entine has a background in biology and founded the Genetic Literacy Project – a public outreach. He also administers a consultancy firm, of which Monsanto is a prime client; a confict of interest that Entine fails to reveal. The style is approachable, with the content covering international arenas of colony collapse investigation. He explores neonicotinoids (a neurotoxic pesticide derived from chlorinated nicotines) as a possible cause of CCD and eventually concludes that they are a necessary element for agriculture and could actually increase bee health. This conclusion is dubious due to Entine’s affiliations and Forbes’ status as a business journal. Publishing in this media outlet is an excellent vector for the dissemination of new knowledge; however, Forbes executives realize the power that negative spin would have upon stakeholders’ stock. In the end, Entine provided no novel conclusions in his …show more content…
This points to the ability of journalists to distill information from scientific studies and diffuse it to the public. There is merit in the non-environmental perspective as it may report on historical facts, economic expenditures, or anthropogenic consequences of CCD. Both the scientific and media outlets chosen for the non-environmental viewpoint covered economics and reported unbiasedly on the possible causes of CCD. Each explore neonicotinoids, nutrition, overwintering, diseases, parasites, and loss of genetic diversity (vanEngelsdorp 2009, Entine 2013). The consequences of an environmental viewpoint may include: the continued use of systemic pesticides on the recommendation of a purportedly critical scientific writer (Entine), or a lack of action based on the need for further research, as with Engelsdorp et al. (2009). Meanwhile, the consequences of a non-environmental viewpoint could include policy change in favor of economics rather than the environment (Bekic et al. 2014, Wines 2015). Another repercussion might be the de-contextualization of colony collapse disorder. For instance, as a keystone pollinator the honey bee is essential to modern agriculture. Without the environmental perspective, one might not realize that the source of one-third of the food in the United States is via honey bee (Bekic 2014, Entine