A
neon
cuckoo
bee
pollinating
a
flower.
University
of
Reading
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science-based
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environmental
issues,
causes,
and
solutions.
United
Nations
World
Bee
Day
is
May
20,
and
a
new
report
from
Bee:wild
—
a
science-led
campaign
to
save
bees
and
other
pollinators
worldwide
—
outlines
the
12
biggest
emerging
threats
to
bees
over
the
next
five
to
15
years.
Among
the
emerging
threats
to
pollinators
identified
by
10
leading
experts
in
the
report
—
Emerging
Threats
and
Opportunities
for
Conservation
of
Global
Pollinators
—
are
war
zones,
street
lights
and
microplastics.
“Identifying
new
threats
and
finding
ways
to
protect
pollinators
early
is
key
to
preventing
further
major
declines,”
said
lead
author
of
the
report
Simon
Potts,
a
University
of
Reading
professor
of
biodiversity
and
ecosystem
services
who
is
chair
of
the
Bee:wild
Scientific
Advisory
Board,
in
a
press
release
from
University
of
Reading.
“By
acting
early,
we
can
reduce
harm
and
help
pollinators
continue
their
important
work
in
nature
and
food
production.
Various
conservation
opportunities
already
exist
and
more
are
emerging.
This
is
not
just
a
conservation
issue.
Pollinators
are
central
to
our
food
systems,
climate
resilience,
and
economic
security.
Protecting
pollinators
means
protecting
ourselves.”
[embedded content]
Pollinators
like
bees,
bats,
butterflies
and
some
birds
are
essential
to
nature
and
the
world’s
food
supply,
with
nearly
90
percent
of
all
flowering
plants
and
more
than
three-quarters
of
the
planet’s
major
crops
dependent
on
them.
Pesticides,
habitat
loss,
invasive
species
and
climate
change
have
led
to
their
severe
decline,
causing
some
bee
species
to
go
extinct.
A
dozen
emerging
threats
to
pollinators,
ranked
by
novelty,
then
impact,
from
highest
to
lowest,
include:
-
Wars
and
conflicts,
which
force
nations
to
grow
fewer
crop
varieties,
leaving
pollinators
without
diverse
food
sources. -
Microplastic
pollution,
which
can
reduce
the
health
and
lifespan
of
pollinators. -
Poorly
planned
tree
planting
to
meet
net
zero
goals;
planting
trees
can
help
or
harm
nature,
depending
on
which
types
are
planted
and
where. -
Antibiotic
pollution
that
can
contaminate
beehives
and
honey,
affecting
pollinator
behavior
such
as
reducing
foraging
and
flower
visits. -
Air
pollution
like
ozone
and
nitrogen
that
can
make
pollinator
survival,
growth
and
reproduction
more
difficult. -
Increased
indoor
farming
that
can
reduce
wild
pollinators’
natural
habitat
and
spread
disease
by
introducing
managed
pollinators
to
wild
populations. -
A
higher
demand
for
mining
materials
such
as
cobalt
and
lithium
used
in
batteries,
which
damages
water
and
land,
presenting
another
threat
to
pollinators. -
Pesticide
cocktails,
which
weaken
pollinators
who
are
increasingly
threatened
by
dangerous
mixes
of
different
pesticides,
especially
in
developing
countries. -
Artificial
light
at
night,
which
confuses
pollinators
and
reduces
flower
visits
by
moths
and
other
nocturnal
insects
by
62
percent. -
Pollution
from
toxic
heavy
metals
such
as
mercury
and
cadmium
that
can
harm
the
health,
behavior
and
survival
of
pollinators. -
Larger
and
more
frequent
wildfires,
in
combination
with
other
threats,
which
destroy
pollinator
habitats
and
make
recovery
more
difficult. -
Regional
loss
of
pesticide
tracking,
which
can
lead
to
overuse
of
these
toxic
chemicals
that
kill
pollinators,
remove
floral
resources,
lead
to
resistance
in
pests
and
damage
the
environment.
“We
were
already
sounding
the
alarm
on
the
decline
of
our
pollinators,
but
this
new
report
underlines
that
the
range
of
threats
are
expanding.
Rather
than
being
filled
with
hopelessness,
the
purpose
of
the
Bee:wild
campaign
is
to
fuel
awareness,
urgency
and
give
everyone
agency.
There’s
a
lot
we
can
all
do
to
help
save
our
pollinators,
in
our
homes
and
everyday
lives.
Planting
flowering
plants
to
feed
them,
providing
outdoor
shelter
and
considering
healthier
diets
like
plant-based
as
well
as
pesticide-free,
all
matter
a
lot,”
said
Eva
Kruse,
executive
director
of
Bee:wild.
“It’s
getting
harder
for
our
pollinators
but
we
can
all
play
a
part
in
protecting
them
and
building
a
sustainable
future
for
all
living
things.”
The
report
also
highlights
measures
we
can
take
to
safeguard
pollinators
and
reverse
their
decline.
Some
of
these
include
stronger
antibiotic
use
laws
that
could
limit
antibiotic
pollution,
particularly
in
areas
with
no
restrictions;
building
more
solar
farms
that
double
as
well-designed,
pollinator-friendly
habitats;
agricultural
and
trade
policies
that
promote
low-pesticide
products
and
encourage
farmers
to
use
fewer
pesticides;
efforts
focused
on
protecting
native
stingless
bees,
which
are
key
pollinators
in
the
tropics;
more
effective
global
policies
and
international
regulations
and
laws,
such
as
the
European
Union’s
Nature
Restoration
Regulation,
to
support
the
protection
of
pollinators
and
reduce
carbon
emissions;
and
solutions
that
benefit
multiple
ecosystem
services
—
pollinator
protections
can
simultaneously
improve
water
storage,
soil
health
and
carbon
capture.
“The
choices
we
make
today
will
shape
the
future
–
not
only
for
pollinators,
but
for
all
life
on
Earth.
Together,
we
can
ensure
that
these
remarkable
species
continue
their
vital
work,
sustaining
the
natural
world
that
sustains
us
all,”
said
Razan
Khalifa
Al
Mubarak,
board
member
of
Re:wild
—
the
nature
conservation
organization
behind
the
Bee:wild
campaign
—
and
president
of
the
International
Union
for
Conservation
of
Nature,
who
wrote
the
foreword
to
the
report.
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