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A mysterious ailment of honeybees threatens a trillion - dollar industry and an essential source of nutrition.
For 3,000 YEARS, FARMERS IN CHINA'S SICHUAN PROVINCE POLLINATED their fruit trees the old - fashioned way ; they let the bees do it. Flower produce nectar that attracts bees, which inadvertently transfer sticky grains of pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing them so they bear fruit. When China rapidly expanded its pear orchards in the 1980s, it stepped up its use of pesticides, and this age - old system of pollination began to unravel. Today, during the spring, the snow - white pear blossoms blanket the hills, but there are no bees to carry the pollen. Instead, thousands of villagers climb through the trees, hand - pollinating them by dipping " pollination sticks " - brushes made of chicken feathers and cigarette filters - into plastic bottles of pollen and then touching them to each of the billions of blossoms.
China's use of human bees is only one of many troubling signs of an agricultural crisis in the making. Bees the world over have been dying from a mysterious syndrome termed colony - collapse disorder, or CCD. U.S. beekeepers lost 35 percent of their hives this winter, after losing 30 percent the previous year. Similar but less well - publicized losses have occurred in countries as far - flung as Canada, Brazil, India and China, as well as throughout Europe. A recent survey of wild - bee populations in Belgium and France found that 25 percent of species have declined in the past 30 years. Several species of bumblebees common in the United States as recently as 1990 have disappeared. In Britain, the British Beekeepers Association has warned that honeybees could disappear entirely from the island by 2018, along with 165 million worth of apples, pears, canola and other crops they pollinate.
The treat is vast. Most crops - 87 of the world's 115 most important ones - require pollination to develop fruits, nuts and seeds, says agroecologist Alexandra - Maria Klein at Germany's University of Gottingen. Those crops account for about $1 trillion of the approximately $3 trillion in annual sales of agricultural produce worldwide. They also provide 35 percent of the calories consumed by humans each year, and most of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Every blueberry, cherry, apple, grapefruit, avocado, squash, cucumber, macadamia nut and almond depends on the ministrations of bee for its existence. Even crops such as lettuce and broccoli need insect pollination to produce seed for the following year's supply.
Colony - collapse disorder is characterized by the sudden collapse of a full - strength hive in a matter of weeks, with adults leaving the hive and not returning, until the hive is deserted. " I found colonies that had just stopped living, " says Borje Svensson, a Swedish beekeeper. " They had given up live without any sign of struggle. " No one knows what causes it, but theories abound. U.S. researchers believe a previously little - known disease called Israeli acute paralysis virus is involved, while Spanish researchers suspect a fungus called Nosema. When France lost a third of its bees in the 1990s, beekeepers blamed Imidacloprid, a new pesticide that had been used on sunflowers in 1999 and expanded the ban to other crops in 2004, yet its bees have not recovered. Despite this ambiguous evidence, many beekeepers around the world continue to blame Imidacloprid - the best - selling pesticide in the world, with annual sales of nearly $860 million. Others have pointed fingers at malefactors ranging from cell phones to genetically modified crops, with little evidence. The leading theory is that colony collapse is caused by a combination of viruses, pesticides, the parasitic varroa mite, drought and stress triggered by commercial colonies' overwork and poor nutrition.
The meta-culprit is the shift to large-scale agriculture. When most farms were small family affairs, pollinators came from nearby wildlands. But the growth of massive industrial farm has put most crops out of the reach of wild insects. So farmers need to supply artificially large numbers of bees to pollinate their fields in the spring, The European honeybee is the only pollinator.
KING BEE: Farmers around the world rely too much on the European honeybee to pollimate their crops.
By. Rowan Jacobsen
The CommunicAsia 2008, held from June 17 to 20 at the Singapore Expo, featured various products with the latest technologies. CommunicAsia is Asia's most comprehensive IT and communications exhibitions, where he business of technology comes to life. LG Electronics (LG) was present at this year's CommunicAsia with its strongest lineup ever. This time, its focus was to demonstrate its smart technologies and how the technologies enhance user experience in more convenient ways in line with its theme "Smartly Touchable, More Usable".
LG Secret, the long awaited third model in LG's Black Label Series, made its official debut in the Asia - Pasific region during the exhibition. The launch was attended by Indonesian media. According to John Halim, LGIndonesia Mobile Communication Product Marketing Manager, the new fashionable handset will be available in Indonesia soon.
Other newcomers include LG - KT610, the newest smartphone featuring the QWERTY keypad as well as the world's first "Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial" (DVB - T) mobile TV phone,
the LG - HB620T.
During the exhibition, LG also held an art performance demonstrating how LG Secret has incorporate stylish design and smart technologies. There were also a B - boys and 'Catch the Slow Motion' event with the LG Viewty.
President and CEO of Communications Company LG Electronics Mobile, Dr. Skott Ahn who also attended the launch said, "We are very excited to introduce LG Secret and our latest full product lineup to Asia, one of our strategic markets, during CommunicAsia 2008." Along with Dr. Skott Ahn were Vice President / Regional Business Leader Asia Pacific Region Mobile Communication Company LG Electronics Bo H. Choi.
MOBILE INFO
LG Mobile launched a new member of LG Black Label Series at the CommunicAsia 2008 in Singapore recently.
LG Secret (LG - KF750), the third label of the series, was developed to satisfy the tastes of trendsetters who desire a sophisticated design with enduring elegance . The premium style of the phone is reflected through the unique pattern and texture of the innovative carbon fiber material combined with sleek tempered glass.
After debuting in London in April this year, the LG Secret was then launched in Latin America. Within two weeks of the launch, 200,000 handsets had hit the market. Now, LG Secret is ready to expand to Asia Pacific markets.
At just 11.8 mm thick, the LG Secret is the slimmest 5.0 megapixel camera phone on the market. The main display becomes touch sensitive when users activate the Touch Media, five multimedia features. 120 fps video recording and DivX certified playback make memories last forever. LG Secret also has Voice Clarity technologiy and a remarkably convenient Bluetooth auto - sync feature.
SPECIFICATIONS
Radio Bands
EDGE, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps, 900/1800/1900/2100
Display
240 x 320, 2.4", 262K, TFT - LCD
Camera
5.0 Megapixel, AF, CMOS, Face Tracking
Dimensions
102,8 x 50,8 x 11,8 mm.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 20, USB 20
Internal Memory
100 MB
External Memory Slot
MicroSD up to 4 GB
LG Secret will be available in Indonesia at the end of July.
Visit LG Secret Global Site at http//secret.lgmobile.com for more details.
Business meetings held amid lush, tropical greenery beside one of the world's most beautiful pools. Presentations delivered against a soothing seaside backdrop. When it comes to meetings, conferences and corporate retreats, "anytime, anyplace, anywhere" is the adage of ALILA HOTELS AND RESORTS IN BALI. Its two luxurious locations - Alila Ubud and Alila Manggis - offer unique environments and equally unique experiences, catering for everything from corporate - style indoor meetings and outdoor presentation venues to teambuildin adventures like biking, rice field trekking, rafting and snorkeling. Not to mention rewarding incentives such as tai chi, yoga and being pampered naturally from the heart at SPA ALILA. Alila Ubud is tranquil hillside retreat that offers two indoor meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 50 people. This boutique hotel features contemporary design in an inspirational setting along Bali's magnificent Ayung River. It promises no typical retreat. Instead, expect something surprisingly different. Cuisine and locations available are fun and varied to suit your programme. For instance, it might include bird watching and trekking along the river followed by a riverside picnic lunch prepared by the hotel's Plantation Dining restaurant. Or an elegant and formal long table events alongside its spectacular emerald green swimming pool under the stars. Of course, 24 - hour room service is available and you can have your choice of cappuccino, herbal tea or jump - start health juice with your morning wake up - call. Likewise, Alila Manggis provides flexible and interesting outdoor meeting venues for up to 100 guests on its large expanse of manicured lawns, as well as poolside, garden and seaside sites all within the property. This secluded, stylish seaside resort in East Bali features modern design in a tropical seaside Balinese setting, away from the madding crowd. The hotel overlooks the Badung Strait and enjoys cool sea breezes with sunny skies much of the year, the perfect weather to enjoy meeting and dining outdoors. Its very own Cooking School and great Seasalt Restaurant have made seaside dining an art, from casual lounging at the Seafood BBQ to formal dining by the candlelit pool or the elegance of its lotus pond restaurant. Taking care of business are Alila's dedicated meetings coordinator and leisure concierge, who ensure your event, accommodation and fun activities are planned with technical proficiency, artistic creativity and personal attention. Add to this mix fabulous dining, which both hotels are well known for, combining the finest ingredients with the best of Balinese service. This includes an extensive Balinese and Western menu as well as an experienced banqueting team whose skill and creativity can transform any event into a memorable experience. Alila also offers a range of exciting outdoor venues off the properties for meetings, performances and dining, all of which they have experience at arranging for groups of 10 to 150 people. All great reasons to meet at Alila Hotels and Resorts in Bali for your next business retreat.
For information and tailored proposals, please contact :
ALILA UBUD Ph 0361 975963 Fax 0361 975968 ubud@alilahotels.com
ALILA MANGGIS Ph 0363 41011 Fax 0363 41015 manggis@alilahotels.com
www.alilahotels.com
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