Brianna Pinzel

ENGL 219-041
Ms. Amstutz
5/6/2016

Proposal
Introduction
Honey bees are an endangered species due to global warming and many other
anthropogenic causes such as pesticides on crops, pollution, and habitat destruction.
The question is, how do we stop honey bees from going extinct and how do we create a
solution to save them from extinction?
Current Situation
The population of honey bees has declining since around 1985 when there was a
parasitic mite that was introduced into the United States which seems to correlate with
the decline in bee population. The colony collapse disorder happened 2006 which is the
lowest that the bee population has been in recorded history (Hagopian). This issue is
important in my field of environmental science because there are innumerable amounts
of species and ecosystems that are reliant on honey bees and their extinction could
cause a domino effect of other mass extinctions across the world. Some things are
being done about the situation now such as farmers being persuaded by the USDA to
plant eco-friendlier crops without pesticides. The future outlook of this issue looks grim,
but we can change that outcome to a positive future for honey bees.
Plan
In order to begin helping honey bees come back from the brink of extinction, we
must bring awareness to the issue. Informing people and educating people about the

Brianna Pinzel
ENGL 219-041
Ms. Amstutz
5/6/2016

importance of honey bees is essential in promoting their cause. Then, give people their
own solution to help out at home. Inform people of which bee friendly plants they can
plant in their own backyard to aid in saving the bees. Then, take it to a higher level of
importance and contact government officials directly and discussing some solutions with
them. One solution would be to require farmers, rather than encourage, to plant ecofriendly crops with environmentally safe organic pesticides by law.
Costs and Benefits
Organic pesticides are not as cost-effective as synthetic pesticides, but they are
more environmentally friendly (Gleason). Even though they are not as cost effective,
they are better for the environment and will leave a positive impact on the future of our
environment. Organic pesticides are non-toxic and leave lower levels of environmental
pollution than synthetic pesticides, which are full of toxic chemicals that are just being
put back into the environment.
Qualifications
I am qualified to make these suggestions because I am an environmental
science major and have been studying the extinction of bees for about a year now. I am
passionate about the cause and want to make a change to help save the honey bees. I
have done some research about the causes, effects, and solutions behind saving the
honey bees which makes me knowledgeable about the subject matter.
Conclusion

Brianna Pinzel
ENGL 219-041
Ms. Amstutz
5/6/2016

Honey bees are going extinct due to anthropogenic causes and there are some
solutions to help save the bees. Implementing laws to require farmers to use organic
pesticides on their crops so that the crops are eco-friendly and healthier for all. There
are short term sacrifices to make financially, although, the long-term effects of yielding
more crops and creating a healthier environment all while saving the bees is a future
worth preserving. I hope you consider this proposition and thank you for your time.

Brianna Pinzel
ENGL 219-041
Ms. Amstutz
5/6/2016

Works Cited
Gleason, Dennis J. Organic Pesticides vs. Synthetic Pesticides. FarmGuide. 2009.
Web. 2 May 2016.
Hagopian, Joachim. Death and Extinction of the Bees. Global Research. 7 March
2016. Web. 2 May 2016.