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More Topics for Further Research: Bees, Hemp and Mental Health


What's causing bee colony die-off? It's not just pesticides.

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2019: Forgive me, folks; I've been struggling with economic-related depression recently, and having trouble dragging myself out of bed much before noon. It may be partly due to weather (it's heating up here in Seattle, at long last, and we're not used to heat); it's definitely due to a lack of money (Disability benefits don't stretch very far); but it could be a side effect of climate change as well, as I will discuss further below. While I'm trying to get my head back on track (and myself back out on the street with my guitar, busking more often as I should be), here are summaries of a few climate-relevant topics that deserve further blogging in the very-near future.


BEES and BEE COLONY COLLAPSE: Much has been written recently about bee species experiencing huge rates of die-off across the world; someone has even coined a new term, Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, which sounds a bit like DSM-V material. A great many writers and activists have attributed this distressing condition to the too-widespread use of bee-killing pesticides; and public opinion is shifting against the use of water-soluble neonicotinoid chemicals in agriculture, as they can easily enter waterways and ground water, affecting plants--and bees that pollinate them--miles away from where they were originally applied. These chemical compounds are indeed one major culprit in bee colony die-offs; but more intensive research has also identified malnutrition, habitat loss, viruses spread by Varroa mites, and fungal infections as factors contributing to bee colony collapse, at least some of which can be directly or indirectly attributed to rising temperatures. The use of food containing antibiotics in beekeeping has also been blamed for increasing levels of immunodeficiency in human-managed bee colonies. Research organizations in the beekeeping industry and environmental sciences have been working hard at developing recommendations for preventing or mitigating honeybee species die-off.


CLIMATE CHANGE IS MESSING WITH OUR HEADS: Together with poverty and a political system that's trying to turn my country into the Republic of Gilead in the middle of The Handmaid's Tale's third season, mental health research is turning up evidence that climate conditions and warming temperatures are directly causing increased levels of stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (most evident in people who have come close to death during hurricanes, flooding, and tornado outbreaks). Long-lasting heat waves have been associated with increased rates of dementia (believe it or not) as well as various mood disorders, including depression and aggressive behaviors. Farming communities all over the world have seen an explosion of suicide rates attributable to rising temperatures, droughts over indefinite periods, and repeated crop failures resulting from heat, drought, and unreliable sources of water for irrigation. Mental health researchers from India have recommended immediate measures for greenhouse gas reduction and lower use of fossil fuels, along with such social-service measures as debt abolition, greater economic support, and increased access to mental health and medical services, especially in isolated rural communities experiencing economic depression.


I'm a big fan of industrial hemp, the type of Cannabis that you don't toke.

INDUSTRIAL HEMP CULTIVATION CAN TOTALLY FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE, DUDE: I've long been a big fan of industrial hemp, the kind of cannabis that you don't smoke or get high on. I plan to write a whole blog post (at least) on this majestic herb and its eco-friendly superpowers. It's a potent alternative paper source; and a fiber that can be made into rope, fabric, building insulation and even bricks. Its seeds, shelled or not, taste great, and are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients. Hemp cultivation has proven far less energy-intensive and high-maintenance than growing plantations of forest land. And now, many are finding that fields of industrial hemp have an immense capacity for reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, at least equal if not superior to the carbon-uptake abilities of trees. Industrial hemp is one huge potential answer to many prayers; and reviving its cultivation worldwide could deliver an impressive dent in global warming patterns. Now, if only my federal government would get over its "Reefer Madness" attitude already, and make a substantial investment in expanding the hemp industry. On top of all its other good qualities, industrial hemp cultivation and production could create untold thousands of new jobs, thus also improving our collective mental health. Who knows; it might even be good for pollinators...


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