Can you imagine a world without apples, strawberries, carrots, cocoa, coffee, or cotton? That means no fruit, no vegetables, no Starbucks, less clothes, etc… This will all be a reality if bees go extinct.

Today I am talking to you about saving the bees. In the six years leading up to 2013, 10 million beehives were lost, that’s two times the normal rate of loss. And now the total annual loss of bee colonies is 44 percent, which is a 3.5 percent increase from 2015. You may not think this matters, just another species gone extinct at the hands of humanity- but it matters more than you know.

Bees are critical pollinators: they pollinate 70 of the around 100 crop species that feed 90 percent of the world. Honey bees are responsible for $30 billion a year in crops. Think of an archway. At the top, there is the center stone- the keystone. If you remove that keystone, the arch collapses. Bees are a keystone species of our environment. The extinction of bees would have ripple effects throughout our world- if you remove them our world will crumble and collapse, just like an archway. Scientists predict a nearly 50 percent loss of plant species as a result of the extinction of the honeybee. In turn we would not only have half the available fruits and vegetables accessible in supermarkets now, but we would struggle to feed mass amounts of livestock- that’s a significant portion of food lost. And with this it would be a struggle to support the Earth’s seven-billion people.

But we have tools that can help us work on this problem. There are simple things that we all can do. Putting a water basin or simply a bowl of water with some rocks inside them outside your home will help hydrate the bees. When possible, buying local and raw honey will promote local economy and support beekeepers. Not to mention raw honey is much better for your body, and many people say it tastes better too. You can plant bee friendly plants, while refraining from treating your gardens with chemicals and pesticides, as the pesticides poison bees and spread easily from flower to flower. You can also donate to The Pollinator Partnership, the world’s largest non profit organization dedicated solely to helping protect and promote pollinators like bees.

But right now I need you to spread the word. If you can’t do any of the things mentioned, then let everyone know that bees are dying and that’s not ok. Be aware, don’t keep quiet tell your friends and family. Can you imagine a world without apples, strawberries, carrots, cocoa, coffee, or cotton? If we save the bees, you won’t have to.

Dustin Sinnett, Bothell