Kris's Corner (news and views)

1) "Fruitless Fall" by Rowan Jacobsen

From Publishers Weekly
With a passion that gives this exploration of colony collapse disorder real buzz, Jacobsen (A Geography of Oysters) investigates why 30 billion honeybees—one-quarter of the northern hemisphere's population—vanished by the spring of 2007. He identifies the convergence of culprits—blood-sucking mites, pesticide buildup, viral infections, overused antibiotics, urbanization and climate change—that have led to habitat loss and the destruction of the beautiful mathematics of the hive. Honeybees are undergoing something akin to a nervous breakdown; they aren't pollinating crops as effectively, and production of commercial American honey, already undercut by cheap Chinese imports, is dwindling, even as beekeepers truck stressed honeybees cross-country to pollinate the fields of desperate farmers. Jacobsen pessimistically predicts that our breakfasts will become... a lot more expensive as the supply of citrus fruits, berries and nuts will inevitably decrease, though he expresses faith that more resilient bees can eventually emerge, perhaps as North American honeybees are crossbred with sturdier Russian queen bees. The author, now tending his own hives, invests solid investigative journalism with a poet's voice to craft a fact-heavy book that soars. (Sept.)

I am counting on FD to finally get a REAL company in there that does NOT test on animals...have and use your morals and conscous to get a GREEN business in there that will sustain FD for centuries..not a cruel animal testing operations..your better than that.....THINK!!!! BEFORE YOU BRING IN GREEN BILLS.....BRING IN A GREEN BUSINESS FOR GREEN PROFIT...........NOT an animal-testing facility...the people need to re-think their new busiesses......don't take the 1st money-making business that offers you money cause your despirate for new businesses....STOP and THINK!! THE people say NO to animal testing facilities..you don't need animal cruelty money....get a energy company that is animal, human and toxic safe and cruelty-free............thank you!!!