Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
research 2
Albert Einstein- 'If Honey Bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years'
Bees are facing extinction. If the worlds bees died out then a lot of our food sources would go with them. Supermarkets would lose over half of the fruit and vegetables that are on their shelves. Bees are an important species as they pollinate 70 of the 100 crop species that feed 90% of the world. One of every three bites of food has come from plants that are pollinated by bees and other pollinators. Bees are really essential to the human diet. If they died out it would be a struggle on a global scale as the population of 7 billion people would be hard to sustain without most of the crops that bees pollinate.
Some foods that would go are:
If bees died out we could lose plants that they pollinate, then also the animals that those plants feed.
We are losing bees at an alarming rate. Some reasons for this could be:
Bees are facing extinction. If the worlds bees died out then a lot of our food sources would go with them. Supermarkets would lose over half of the fruit and vegetables that are on their shelves. Bees are an important species as they pollinate 70 of the 100 crop species that feed 90% of the world. One of every three bites of food has come from plants that are pollinated by bees and other pollinators. Bees are really essential to the human diet. If they died out it would be a struggle on a global scale as the population of 7 billion people would be hard to sustain without most of the crops that bees pollinate.
Some foods that would go are:
- apples
- onions
- avacados
- carrots
- cantaloupe
- summer squash
- broccoli
- mustard greens
- mangoes
- lemons
- limes
- honeydew
- zucchini
- egg plant
- broccoli rabe
- cucumbers
- green onions
- cauliflower
- leeks
- bok choy
- kale
If bees died out we could lose plants that they pollinate, then also the animals that those plants feed.
We are losing bees at an alarming rate. Some reasons for this could be:
- the loss of flower meadows
- the use of pesticides and insecticides
- climate change
- the crab-like varroa mite that feeds off a bees blood
research
In the past six years, more than 10m beehives have been wiped out from a mystery disease called colony collapse disorder. This destruction has serious implications on worldwide ecology and economy.
Of the 100 crop species responsible for providing 90% of food worldwide, 71 are dependent on bee pollination, according to UN estimates (pdf). It's difficult to pinpoint the financial implications of this destruction, but the international body says pollination is worth between $37bn and $91bn, annually.
Stories about the declining population and its effect on the environment trickle through the news cycle each week. To bring awareness to these stories and contextualize the issues, we will highlight the major bee-related stories every Tuesday, with analysis from The Guardian's Alison Benjamin, co-author of A World Without Bees, Bees in the City: The Urban Beekeepers' Handbook and Keeping Bees and Making Honey. She is also a beekeeper.
Bees pollinating crops including watermelon, cucumbers and blueberries return to their hives with pollen contaminated by agricultural chemicals – leaving insects more susceptible to a lethal parasite, according to a study published online last week. Pollen filled with fungicides, insecticides and other agriculture chemicals was fed to healthy bees, that were then more likely to be infected by Nosema ceranae – the parasite linked to the decimation of honey bees.
Key quote
Colony collapse disorder is caused by a combination of factors – parasites, agricultural chemicals and poor nutrition. These all weaken the honeybees' immune system and make them more susceptible to viruses and infections that can kill them. Up until now concerns around agricultural chemicals and honeybees have focused on the impact neonicotinoid pesticides are having and a temporary ban has been imposed on three types by the European Commission. Yet, this study shows that fungicides used on many crops pollinated by bees can also have serious consequences. Attention now needs to turn to these chemicals and to ensure that tests are conducted when they are registered for use which protects honeybees.
The fact that different kinds of bees prefer different kinds of flowers lead two researchers in Colorado to wonder what would happen if an entire bee species disappeared. So they removed (using nets and traps) the most numerous bumble bee species from a meadow in Colorado. The question: would the other bee species pick up the slack and continue to pollinate the abandoned flowers? Or would they leave the plants to die?
The result: the remaining bumblebees became less faithful to one flower species than they had been before the more populous bees had been around to keep them in line. This had a serious impact on the tall larkspur, a lovely purple wildflower, who needs its own pollen to reproduce (aka a faithful bee partner).
Key quote:
It is not just honeybees that pollinate crops and flowers, bumblebees and solitary bees do too. And there are many more varieties of bumblebees and solitary bees than there are honeybees. In fact we only have one species of honeybee in the US and Europe and Australasia – Apis Mellifera; the western honeybee. Many bumblebees and solitary bees have evolved to pollinate certain flowers. They have a symbiotic relationship – the flower needs the bee to pollinate it and the bee needs the nectar and pollen from the flower to provide protein and energy for itself and the baby bees. If the bee dies out that flower will soon follow and the ecosystems fall apart.
We don't keep bumblebees and solitary bees, but we can do things to improve their habitat from creating bee hotels – a collection of hollow plant stems – where solitary bees can lay their eggs to leaving a pile of leaves in the garden where bumblebees can nest.
We hit peak bee crisis this week when Martha Stewart, queen of domestic perfection, started tending to her own bee hives and coaching readers on how to take care of their own.
Key quote:
The decline in honeybees has led to an unprecedented surge in the number of new beekeepers around the globe. It has become very fashionable for young, urban professionals to keep bees on roof tops and backyards. But beekeeping is a perilous pastime because bees can die during the winter of starvation, or they can be overrun with the varroa parasite if not treated correctly. It can be expensive restocking your hive every spring. Probably a more effective way to save honeybees and other bees is to make your neighbourhood more bee-friendly by planting bee-friendly flowers and trees in your garden and in your parks and streets – bees need flowers throughout the year, from very early spring to late autumn – ditching any weed killers which can include harmful chemicals, and replacing driveways and decking with wildflowers.
When bees become disruptive in cities, local governments are favoring the relocation of bees over extermination. This specialized process requires beekeepers and bee specialists to transport tens of thousands of bees to farms – in this instance Rodney Oakley moved 30,000 bees, the amount typically found in a small hive, in Austin, Texas. He told the Austin American Statesman that local honey bees struggle from the mix of drought conditions, increased used of pesticides and decreased diversity in crops.
Key quote:
Honeybees are important for pollination and to make delicious honey, so it's never a good idea to kill bees. They can live in harmony with people in urban areas if the beekeeper is responsible and ensures his bees don't swarm and annoy the neighbours. But if there are problems with the neighbours you should relocate your honeybees. And if you see a swarm of bees, you should contact a local beekeeping association or group. They will have a designated swarm collector who will come out and collect the bees and take them away.
UK government scientist Dr Helen Thomspon is set to join chemical giant Syngenta. Thompson's research – including a field trial of neonicotinoids, the frequently used insecticide, on bees – was used by ministers to argue against a ban on pesticides.
Key quote:
There has been huge controversy over the UK government's stance against banning certain pesticides implicated in bee deaths across the globe. The ban was introduced earlier this year Europe-wide despite the UK government's resistance. Environmental groups have accused the government of being too close to big agricultural companies such as Syngenta. Whether this is true or not, Dr Helen Thompson's move from government scientist to Syngenta does not inspire confidence that this government was acting in an impartial manner. What of other government scientists – are they too looking for very well paid jobs with the chemical giants? If so are they likely to be providing advice that is critical of their potential future employers?
Of the 100 crop species responsible for providing 90% of food worldwide, 71 are dependent on bee pollination, according to UN estimates (pdf). It's difficult to pinpoint the financial implications of this destruction, but the international body says pollination is worth between $37bn and $91bn, annually.
Stories about the declining population and its effect on the environment trickle through the news cycle each week. To bring awareness to these stories and contextualize the issues, we will highlight the major bee-related stories every Tuesday, with analysis from The Guardian's Alison Benjamin, co-author of A World Without Bees, Bees in the City: The Urban Beekeepers' Handbook and Keeping Bees and Making Honey. She is also a beekeeper.
Honey bees in trouble? Blame farm chemicals, study says
What happened?Bees pollinating crops including watermelon, cucumbers and blueberries return to their hives with pollen contaminated by agricultural chemicals – leaving insects more susceptible to a lethal parasite, according to a study published online last week. Pollen filled with fungicides, insecticides and other agriculture chemicals was fed to healthy bees, that were then more likely to be infected by Nosema ceranae – the parasite linked to the decimation of honey bees.
Key quote
Why it matters:
Fungicides, which we didn't expect to harm insects, seem to have a sub-lethal effect on bee health," Dennis vanEngelsdorp, an entomologist at the University of Maryland and senior author of the new study, told NBC News. He said this is important because fungicides aren't heavily regulated.
Colony collapse disorder is caused by a combination of factors – parasites, agricultural chemicals and poor nutrition. These all weaken the honeybees' immune system and make them more susceptible to viruses and infections that can kill them. Up until now concerns around agricultural chemicals and honeybees have focused on the impact neonicotinoid pesticides are having and a temporary ban has been imposed on three types by the European Commission. Yet, this study shows that fungicides used on many crops pollinated by bees can also have serious consequences. Attention now needs to turn to these chemicals and to ensure that tests are conducted when they are registered for use which protects honeybees.
Loss of bees can affect plants' ability to reproduce, study finds
What happened:The fact that different kinds of bees prefer different kinds of flowers lead two researchers in Colorado to wonder what would happen if an entire bee species disappeared. So they removed (using nets and traps) the most numerous bumble bee species from a meadow in Colorado. The question: would the other bee species pick up the slack and continue to pollinate the abandoned flowers? Or would they leave the plants to die?
The result: the remaining bumblebees became less faithful to one flower species than they had been before the more populous bees had been around to keep them in line. This had a serious impact on the tall larkspur, a lovely purple wildflower, who needs its own pollen to reproduce (aka a faithful bee partner).
Key quote:
Why it matters:
Because of the unfaithful bees, the researchers reported Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, plants produced about 30% less seed. The finding, they report, shows a surprising effect from a loss of biodiversity that could have implications for a variety of ecosystems.
It is not just honeybees that pollinate crops and flowers, bumblebees and solitary bees do too. And there are many more varieties of bumblebees and solitary bees than there are honeybees. In fact we only have one species of honeybee in the US and Europe and Australasia – Apis Mellifera; the western honeybee. Many bumblebees and solitary bees have evolved to pollinate certain flowers. They have a symbiotic relationship – the flower needs the bee to pollinate it and the bee needs the nectar and pollen from the flower to provide protein and energy for itself and the baby bees. If the bee dies out that flower will soon follow and the ecosystems fall apart.
We don't keep bumblebees and solitary bees, but we can do things to improve their habitat from creating bee hotels – a collection of hollow plant stems – where solitary bees can lay their eggs to leaving a pile of leaves in the garden where bumblebees can nest.
The rapid bee decline has inspired Martha Stewart to care for hives of her own
What happened:We hit peak bee crisis this week when Martha Stewart, queen of domestic perfection, started tending to her own bee hives and coaching readers on how to take care of their own.
Key quote:
Why it matters:
With the epidemic hive failures and disappearance of many colonies, beekeepers have new concerns about maintaining their hives. In fact, Martha's own colony has experienced a collapse over the years as her own bees left in a "mass exodus," and she had to re-establish much of the colony within her four hives, prompting her to send out her message to all other would-be keepers out there.
The decline in honeybees has led to an unprecedented surge in the number of new beekeepers around the globe. It has become very fashionable for young, urban professionals to keep bees on roof tops and backyards. But beekeeping is a perilous pastime because bees can die during the winter of starvation, or they can be overrun with the varroa parasite if not treated correctly. It can be expensive restocking your hive every spring. Probably a more effective way to save honeybees and other bees is to make your neighbourhood more bee-friendly by planting bee-friendly flowers and trees in your garden and in your parks and streets – bees need flowers throughout the year, from very early spring to late autumn – ditching any weed killers which can include harmful chemicals, and replacing driveways and decking with wildflowers.
Trapper moving 30,000 bees from South Austin oak tree
What happened:When bees become disruptive in cities, local governments are favoring the relocation of bees over extermination. This specialized process requires beekeepers and bee specialists to transport tens of thousands of bees to farms – in this instance Rodney Oakley moved 30,000 bees, the amount typically found in a small hive, in Austin, Texas. He told the Austin American Statesman that local honey bees struggle from the mix of drought conditions, increased used of pesticides and decreased diversity in crops.
Key quote:
Why it matters:
As more attention has been focused on the honey bee and its importance and decline, more people have been calling," Rodney Oakley said. "In communities that are more conscious of environmental issues, like Austin, they will search me out so that the bees aren't destroyed.
Honeybees are important for pollination and to make delicious honey, so it's never a good idea to kill bees. They can live in harmony with people in urban areas if the beekeeper is responsible and ensures his bees don't swarm and annoy the neighbours. But if there are problems with the neighbours you should relocate your honeybees. And if you see a swarm of bees, you should contact a local beekeeping association or group. They will have a designated swarm collector who will come out and collect the bees and take them away.
Government bee scientist behind controversial study joins pesticide firm
What happened:UK government scientist Dr Helen Thomspon is set to join chemical giant Syngenta. Thompson's research – including a field trial of neonicotinoids, the frequently used insecticide, on bees – was used by ministers to argue against a ban on pesticides.
Key quote:
Why it matters:
UK government policy should be informed by unbiased and disinterested scientific research," said Joan Walley MP, chair of the environmental audit committee, whose report in April accused the environment secretary Owen Paterson's department of "extraordinary complacency" over bees and pesticides. "This principle is undermined if the government research agency is too close to the pesticides industry and if scientists are zigzagging between the two.
There has been huge controversy over the UK government's stance against banning certain pesticides implicated in bee deaths across the globe. The ban was introduced earlier this year Europe-wide despite the UK government's resistance. Environmental groups have accused the government of being too close to big agricultural companies such as Syngenta. Whether this is true or not, Dr Helen Thompson's move from government scientist to Syngenta does not inspire confidence that this government was acting in an impartial manner. What of other government scientists – are they too looking for very well paid jobs with the chemical giants? If so are they likely to be providing advice that is critical of their potential future employers?
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
LO1 Analysis of Very.co.uk
http://www.very.co.uk/
a) The purpose of this website is to E-commerce, in other words shop online. The target audience is a niche but ABC1 as to shop on this site a person needs a disposable income, it is also niche as it tends to be mainly women who shop on this site because it is mainly to do with clothes. Although, they do have other things such as toys, children and baby things and also DVD's and Games.
b) The visitor needs for this site is basically just to browse items and shop. The users can shop for many different things such as clothes for men, women and children, toys, sports things and electronics. This means that most of a users needs are met because they sell many different things.
c) Users can access features on this site by clicking on the different sections at the top of the page. They can also access things by using the search bar that is at the top of the site too.
d) The features of this website are a search bar, other buttons that take the users to different parts of the website, there is a shopping basket to keep the items that you want in so that the user can carry on looking through the website without having to
e) The benefits of this website for the producer overall is making a profit from the things that they sell. Another benefit is keeping their customers happy.
f)
d) The features of this website are a search bar, other buttons that take the users to different parts of the website, there is a shopping basket to keep the items that you want in so that the user can carry on looking through the website without having to
e) The benefits of this website for the producer overall is making a profit from the things that they sell. Another benefit is keeping their customers happy.
f)
LO1 Analysis of Tumblr
https://www.tumblr.com/
a) The purpose of this website is to interact with other people from all over the world. It is a social media site and there is no particular audience as many people around the world use these sorts of websites to keep in touch with their friends, family and other people. Although there may not be any particular audience mainly younger people use this site.
b) People access this website so that they can keep in touch with people online as although tumblr is a blog it is also a social networking site. They use it to post photos and pictures and also to post quotes and other pieces of writing or work that they have done.
c) To access information all the user has to do is either log in or if they don't have it then they have to click on the button that says trending and they can view things that are on the site. They can also search for things on the site by using the search bar that is at the top of the screen.
d) The features of tumblr are a sign up and log in button, a search bar, a header. There are also other features that can be used when a user is not logged onto the site such as being able to see things that are on the site such as photos, gifs and quotes and when a user isn't logged in they can click on any of these and still see them.
e) The benefits of this website for the producer are that they get to know their users interests which means that they can sell web space to advertisers, so if a person likes books then they will sell some space to a company such as amazon that sells books to attract the users of tumblr to buy things from their site. By selling web space to other companies tumblr then makes a profit.
f) The content of the website includes the header which is the tumblr logo, the photo underneath the login which attracts people to the site.
e) The benefits of this website for the producer are that they get to know their users interests which means that they can sell web space to advertisers, so if a person likes books then they will sell some space to a company such as amazon that sells books to attract the users of tumblr to buy things from their site. By selling web space to other companies tumblr then makes a profit.
f) The content of the website includes the header which is the tumblr logo, the photo underneath the login which attracts people to the site.
Friday, September 11, 2015
LO1 Understand a Range of Contrasting Commercial Websites Analysis of iTunes
a) The purpose of this website is to entertain and stream or download music to devices. The target audience is an ABC1 audience as they have the most disposable income. This means that they have more money after bills to spend on things that they would like. iTunes is for anyone whether they are young or elderly as it sells many different genres of music from many different decades too, although, most elderly people wont use this website as the internet and devices are not something that they know or understand. I think that more young people use this website as its mainly young people that listen to music on portable devices such as I-pods, I-phones and or I-pads.
b) Visitor needs are met on this website when they find the song or album that they want to download. Their needs are also met when can manage any music and videos that they have bought through this website in a orderly fashion within their account. Other needs are met by having online radio broadcast services as many people don't want to buy music and so they can listen to music on these and don't have to pay for it.
c) The information flow is how the user experiences the website. The experience that they have on iTunes is good as the users get to find, listen and download music and movies that they like to listen to and watch. They can also see other albums and movies that have been suggested for the user as the website takes note of what the user has watched and listened too.
d) The features of the website include a search bar, a header that tells the user the name of the site. There is also a shopping basket, and at the bottom there are other places that give you more information about the site and stores that are near a users area.
e) The benefits of the website for the producer are making a profit from the users as they buy their movies, music and also listen to the online radio broadcasts. Other benefits include making their customers happy and helping people find the music that they like.
f) The content of the site include a search bar and and a shopping basket. The search bar is so that users or customers can search for the music that they want and it is quick and easy. The shopping basket is so that customer can add things into it and it means that if they want to buy more than one thing then they don't have to search for both again and it also means that they don't have to pay for them separately. Other features include a support button so that the user can get help when needed and also another feature is links to other things that apple sell such as their i-phones and macs (this is cross promotion).
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