What if: #2 Bee's went extinct

If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man. - Not Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a pretty smart guy, he redefined our understanding of the universe, however he never said the above quote that is often and incorrectly attributed to the great man.

That being said if Bee's were to go extinct then we would find ourselves in a spot of trouble. Not having anymore honey to put on our toast in the morning, won't bee (I couldn't resist the pun) our only problem. In all there is about 20,000 species of Bee. They play an important role as a pollinator. They account for the pollination of 70% of crop species. Most fruit and vegetables are pollinated by Bee's, along with nuts, rapeseed and cotton, you name it and bees probably have a part to play.

Even if Bee poplations significantly reduced this would have a huge effect on the food chain. It's not just humans that rely on these crops but animals also depend on them. Animals species would go extinct. There would be less feed for cattle reducing the production of milk and meat. There would be a shortage of rapeseed. Rapeseed is produced for use as a cooking oil and biofuel, we would have to rely more so on fossil fuels, consuming them at an even quicker rate.

Bee populations are in decline, the cause for this decline is not one single causal agent but an accumulation of pesticides, changes in agricultural methods, loss of habitat, climate change and reduction in biodiversity.

Aside from the countless millions dying from famine, extinction of countless species of animals, economical collapse, we would have to go through all of this without any clothes.

If you found this post in the slightest bit interesting please check out my other posts

What if: #1 The Sun Disappeared