[Pollinator] Canadian media on pollinators

[Faisal Moola]

The following small article was published in Canada's national newspaper on
the weekend
 
 
 
Economy Thrives on Bugs
 
Globe and Mail
 
April 1 2006
 
Ann McIroy
 
Dung beetles, bees and mosquitoes are not normally considered part of the
service sector, but researchers say bugs contribute $57 billion (U.S.) a
year to the American economy. Bees, for example, pollinate close to $3 -
billion worth of fruit and vegetables every year, say John Losey of Cornell
University and Mace Vaughan of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation based in Portland, Ore.    They have produced detailed bug
spreadsheets, which calculate that bees contribute $158.51 - million to
toward the production of apples every year, but only  $7.19 - million to
raspberry production.  Dung beetles are also worth a bundle, decomposing the
vast quantities of waste produced by farm animals. In the process, they
recycle nitrogen and reduce the habitat of unwanted pests. Even mosquitoes
are valuable - as a source for protein for birds and fish. The researchers
say their estimate is conservative, and doesn't include the contribution of
commercial insects, such as honey-producing bees. Given the evidence that
insect populations are declining, they say it may be worth spending billions
on conservation efforts that would help to keep bugs hard at work.
 
 
 
Faisal Moola, PhD
 
Director of Science
David Suzuki Foundation
2211 West 4th Avenue
Suite 219
Vancouver, BC
Canada, V6K 4S2
604 732 4228 tel
604 732 0752 fax
www.davidsuzuki.org <http://www.davidsuzuki.org/> 
 

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