Albert Einstein predicted that the earth would cease to exist if the humble bee were to perish and he put forward a time of a grizzly three year crawl towards disaster, death and extinction.
The purpose of this blog is to investigate (it will be short, I promise) whether Albert had a point or whether he was merely procrastinating in a theoretical sort of way.
Let's think about this properly.
Einstein is suggesting that the bee, the plague of the barbecue season, is an almighty powerful beast. Not only can he/she ruin your day in one fell swoop (and die as a result - them, not you, unless an adverse reaction occurs), he/she can threaten the mere of existence of planet earth.
So...Logically, if the bee succumbs to extinction, cross pollination will cease to exist. Plants will begin to die out at a greater rate than our cack-handed efforts to forage the same path as the humble bee. Quite simly, only plants like the hardy Dandelion will be able to survive and those other vegetational specie that cannily do not rely on the bee.
Insects that rely on vegetation are not going to have enough time to evolve in such a short space of time to alter their taste buds towards the Dandelion. So they are going to die out.
With a lack of insects, we are going to see the back of insects that feed on insects, such as the spider. Birds are going to be quick to follow with a lack of spiders and worms to feast upon. They are not in a position to make a swift switch to becoming a vegetarian.
Without most birds, we are going to see the back of the cat. Despite what Whiskers and various other feline products tell us, they need birds.
The death of the cat is going to jeopardise the future of the dog. I'm not talking so much about the kill and the feasting on a feline carcass, I am talking about a reason to live. No cats to chase, dogs lose the purpose of survival.
This is when the chain makes the cross over from humble creatures to human beings. The loss of dogs would be an absolute catastrophe for most of Asia. A lack of protein from dog meat is going to lead to all sorts of problems. Over fishing will increase and the sea will become empty. Seafood, being a short term fix, will not see them safe. When our marine cousins finally surrender, they will be left with nothing but noodles. Death will not be far away.
The fall of Asia will mean that most countries around the globe lose essential things like refrigerators and televisions. Death will spread.
The United States of America's beef trade will eventually wither with lack of pollination. Not forgetting that they will have no-one to missile or threaten as the devastation sweeps across Russia and the Middle East. They will eventually wave the white flag to starvation and gratuitous violence amongst themselves.
Africa has long since perished as food aid is a mere memory and the Sahara Desert has replaced any sort of lush ground. Westernisation will be a distant memory and they will have returned to their tribal roots, but one can only survive for too long with vegetation.
Not much news from Australia. The barren land will have been returned to the Aborigines who are able to survive the mean and not so pleasant land for the time being. The latecomers will not have faired so well. As soon as beer supplies will have ceased to be, I predict pandemonium and another self-destruction. India and Pakistan will have destroyed themselves, but that has absolutely nothing to do with cross-pollination.
Britain will undoubtedly be another victim of starvation. No doubt Nick Griffin, sqwauking on his death bed, will blame the extinction of the bee upon that of a foreign black and yellowed winged imposter.
The future is grim. Albert had a point. Get yourself a bee box.
Bamboo Bee Box
Word of the Day: Inaniloquent - pertaining to idle talk
Quote of the Day: "An American Monkey, after getting drunk on Brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is much wiser than most men" - Charles Darwin
Sleep well.
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