Death Knell Sounds For Europe's Beekeepers

Interesting story on the decimation of the bee population in Europe. This has potentially dire consequences for famers who rely on bees to pollinate their crops, not to mention the beekeepers and honey eaters. Modern farming techniques are suspected to be the primary cause.

http://planetark.org/wen/52633

Cross your fingers and carry on

Classic Monbiot. Contrasting the UK government's (lack of) preparations for peak oil with its investment of $millions for a response to the highly unlikely change of an outbreak of smallpox.

"As the report by Robert L Hirsch, commissioned by the US Department of Energy, shows, the consequences of peak oil taking governments by surprise are at least as devastating as a smallpox epidemic. “Without timely mitigation, the economic, social and political costs will be unprecedented.” Hirsch estimated that to avoid global economic collapse, we would need to begin “a mitigation crash program 20 years before peaking.” If he’s right and the IEA’s right, we’re already 10 years too late."

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2009/04/14/cross-your-fingers-and-carry-on